Shadow Thief by Intisar Khanani

Author:Intisar Khanani [Khanani, Intisar]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781958051436
Publisher: Intisar Khanani

Chapter 6

A Thief in the Night

Three hours past sunset, with darkness full and heavy upon the city, I turn the corner into the alley behind Abasi’s house once more. At the familiar wall with its mango trees, I climb up to store my package, then take stock of the night. The moon is half-full, glowing high and bright. By its light, I can just make out the alley lying empty and still. The houses are quiet, only a few windows lit from within, cracks of lamplight peeking through shutters and lattice boxes.

It’s not quite late enough to get to work, so I sit hidden among the leaves and soak in the quiet. I’m being stubborn and perhaps a bit reckless, but I’m not going to get any rest until I know for certain who sent Tendaji to such a horrifying death. Maybe it wasn’t Abasi—I’ll be glad if it isn’t. But we need to know. The longer the traitor goes unidentified, the more likely they will take down the Shadow League, and not just its leader. It will be hard enough for Hamidi to keep the League together because of his youth, but he’s the only one who knows every part of it. He was trained for it as no one else has been. And he’ll be as much at risk of betrayal as his father.

I sigh.

“I hope that sigh means you’re going home again,” Kenta says from below me, nearly scaring me off my perch.

I grab the edge of the wall, gasping. He can certainly walk with the silence of a predator, however cute and fluffy his tanuki form might be.

“What are you doing here?” I demand, keeping my voice low. The last thing I need is for someone to hear us. It would be handy to have a silencing charm of some sort right now, but I haven’t the money for one, nor do I know how to make one myself.

Kenta grins up at me, his teeth gleaming in the moonlight. “I could ask the same of you.” At least he’s lowered his voice as well.

I consider lying, but I wouldn’t even believe myself. “I asked first,” I retort.

“You gave in too easily,” Kenta says. He stands beneath the wall, hands on his hips. Thankfully, he’s fully clothed. “And you walked away.”

“Great,” I grumble. “Next time I’ll argue more.”

Kenta shakes his head. “You know he doesn’t want you too closely involved.”

He would be Hamidi, of course. “Because he still thinks I’m a child,” I grouse. “I’m as old as he was when he and his father first found me on the streets, and I’ve learned a good deal in the meantime.”

I hop down from the wall so I can glare Kenta in the eye instead of looking down at him. Although I’m shorter than him, so I’m actually looking up. But it will allow us to lower our voices further, and that’s more important than not wanting to feel small before him.

“For example,” I continue, “I know that merchants have to keep meticulous records of all their transactions for reporting to the sultan.

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