Honor Among Thieves: The Road to Neverwinter by Jaleigh Johnson

Author:Jaleigh Johnson [Johnson, Jaleigh]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Worlds
Published: 2023-02-27T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 19

The room fell silent except for the crackle and pop of the fire. Edgin had to give Forge credit. He knew how to drop a juicy bit of bait and wait for everyone to come licking their lips. He let them all imagine everything they could do with the kind of coin an artifact like the Staff of Aorth would bring.

Edgin couldn’t help imagining it himself. With the share that he, Kira, and Holga would get, they could build a bigger house, maybe with some land attached to it. Kira’s future would be secure, and Edgin wouldn’t have to do dishonest work anymore if he didn’t want to. The money meant safety, possibility, and—there he went, licking his lips and chasing dreams that were likely to come back and bite him.

A log snapped in the fireplace, bringing the group out of their collective daydreams. Holga reached over to poke the fire, a pensive look on her face. Simon’s brow was furrowed. He looked like he was thinking so hard he was about to get a nosebleed.

It was Kira who spoke first. “I want to go to the party,” she said, her eyes sparkling. “Would we get all dressed up?”

Forge smiled at her. “I know a pair of tailors in Longsaddle who owe me a favor,” he said. “They make the finest suits and gowns you’ve ever seen. Hats and masks too.”

Kira beamed at him.

“I know Alyanna hates Torlinn and hates her job,” Simon said slowly, glancing at Forge. “If I pay her for the information, she’ll help us, but only if she got a full share of whatever we steal.”

“As our spy inside the mansion, she’ll be absolutely crucial to the operation,” Forge said. “Of course that entitles her to a full share.”

Edgin wasn’t sure he liked that part of the arrangement. Alyanna was a wild card, and Edgin didn’t trust wild cards, but they’d address that problem later. He turned to Holga, nudging her knee. “You’ve been quiet,” he said. “What do you think about all this?”

Holga looked down at Kira, who had crawled into her lap and curled up as if she meant to sleep there. Holga didn’t seem to mind. “It’d be nice not to worry about the roof leaking all the time,” she murmured.

Forge leaned forward, laying a hand on her arm. “You could hire a full-time carpenter to make sure you never have another roof leak,” he said, as if the way to Holga’s heart was through carpentry. Maybe it was.

“All right, before everyone takes off for the wizard’s mansion tomorrow, let me remind you of a few things,” Edgin said pragmatically. “If we believe the rumors, then this wizard has been around for a while, which means he’s not stupid. He’s survived this long—survived a battle with a beholder—by protecting himself and his household. That means we wouldn’t just be contending with his magic. That house is bound to be full of traps, security measures, guards, and staff that we’re going to have to disable, bypass, or bribe in order to get anywhere near the loot we’re after.

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