Steal the Morrow by Schmidt Jenelle Leanne

Author:Schmidt, Jenelle Leanne
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Stormcave
Published: 2023-09-29T00:00:00+00:00

13

DEN OF THIEVES

Bale Sowke sat down at the table across from Olifur and smiled. Olifur stared at the man’s face, trying to block out the memories it had brought. Terror gripped its hands around his throat, slowly squeezing. He could not run screaming into the night. The man clearly did not recognize him, and why should he? Olifur had been nothing to him, just a cruel joke in the wake of his callous murder and theft.

“So, Olifur, is it?” Bale peered down at him. “Welcome to our humble home. How are they treating you over at the Platte?”

Olifur’s heart spasmed. How could he sit here and speak casually with this monster? And yet how could he do anything else? If the man suspected for one second that Olifur had witnessed his crimes, he was certain the man would slit his throat without hesitation. And nobody in the room would stop him. Not even Nneka. Olifur let his gaze drift over to her for a single heartbeat in time, and he felt his heart close in on itself. How could she?

But he did not allow himself the luxury of any further thought. He looked up into Bale’s dark eyes and shrugged. “I don’t have any friends there, but they pay me at the end of every sennight.”

Bale threw back his head and chortled. “Dojhur, where did you find this boy?”

Dojhur grinned. “Seen him around here and there a lot lately.”

“And you are new to the city? Where did you live before?” Bale asked.

“In the forest,” Olifur said.

“The forest?” Bale frowned at him, a mocking note entering his voice. “What did you do in the forest?”

“Hunted,” Olifur replied.

Bale chuckled. “I see.” He turned to Dojhur. “What did you bring him here for?”

“Thought he might be a good addition to the crew.” Dojhur shrugged. “Thought I could offer him work that pays better than the Platte’s two stin a sennight.”

“Did you?” Bale narrowed his eyes. “Maybe so. Would you like that, lad? Being a part of our crew?”

Everything in Olifur screamed “No!” but he merely tilted his head and considered the man. “I don’t know,” he said. “Maybe. What kind of work do you do?”

“Hunting,” Bale replied with a sly wink at Dojhur.

Nneka set a bowl of stew before Bale and gave him one of her brilliant smiles. He caught her by the wrist and pulled her into his lap with a grin. “What do you think of him, Nneka?”

The woman turned her smile on Olifur. “I think he’s a dear.”

She pecked Bale on the cheek with her lips and tried to rise, but he held her fast. “A dear, eh? But what do you think of him joining our crew?” he asked.

“Bale, I have to get everyone else their dinner,” Nneka said. Her tone was laughing, but Olifur glimpsed a sudden shadow cross her eyes and he wondered what it meant.

“Answer my question first,” Bale said. His lips curved upward, but his tone was hard.

Nneka stilled and gave Olifur a considering look. “I like the look of him,” she said at length, her tone reluctant.

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