The Thief's Gambit (The Prince & the Thief) by Clare Sager

Author:Clare Sager [Sager, Clare]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-10-27T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

An Answer to a Different Question

The next day, Quin and Ariston occupied the courtyard behind his shop. That was a generous word for what was really a wider stretch of alley linking the back doors of several establishments and homes, but it was the best space they had for fencing practice.

Despite the faint smell of piss and the dim light, it was a good spot—they were hidden from passing janissaries and it had taught Quin to fight in confined spaces.

Today Dev staffed the shop—that meant she had to take the chance to ask Ariston about her father and betrayal and perhaps his own loyalty.

That could wait just a little longer. For now, she could focus on this.

With a flick of her wrist, she parried a half-hearted blow. Ariston’s other hand swung in, as if to clap her about the head, but, expecting it, she twisted away. She grinned, keeping her gaze on him, eyes sharp. Even a sound could give him away—the instant’s warning of a seized breath would be enough to tell her he was about to lunge.

He’d backed her into a narrower part of the alley, the walls barely six feet apart. Near his left heel a box jutted from the wall—it was small, but an obstacle that could trip her if she wasn’t careful. It could also trip Ariston, if she steered him towards it.

The day was dry, but the gutter running down the right-hand side of the alley was shiny with moisture. The stones there would be slippery. Another potential pitfall or weapon.

A flick of his hazel eyes. Sure enough, a moment later he darted forward. Quin let herself be pure flesh and muscle, dodging on instinct.

There was no fear, no worry, no need to memorise the exact rules of grammar or etiquette or charm. There was only the sharp focus of her mind honed on her opponent and their immediate surroundings.

Even as Ariston’s practice blade arced, swift as lightning, swifter than her parry, she wasn’t afraid. He rapped her elbow. Pain lanced up her arm followed by a tingling numbness. It made her hiss, but it was just another message travelling through her body.

The constant worry at the back of a thief’s mind wasn’t here today. It would be when they’d finished, but for now, she’d pushed it aside.

What she couldn’t push aside any longer was today’s specific, unusual concern. She had to be right—there was no way Ariston would betray them. Livia had to be wrong.

What if she was right?

She swallowed, pressing forward, despite the dull ache in her elbow. If he took two more steps back, he’d hit that box…

“Have you ever been married, Ariston?”

His brow contracted for a moment. It was the closest she’d ever seen him to an expression during sparring. “That’s a rather sudden question. Is this your latest distraction technique?” With an irritatingly effortless flick, he parried her attempted strike. “Because I’m afraid it’s not going to work.”

Laugh echoing off the walls, she thrust her blade again. “No, I was just curious.

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