Page 62 of A Thief to Die For

I can’t.

A sharp needle weaves through my heart, leaving a trail of tightening thread. If we’re serious about doing this, we’ll have to somehow clear the danger of it first.

‘Okay,’ I agree. Then I kiss him one more time before starting the climb to my room. Two thirds of the way up the ladder, I look down and find Ryland respectfully turned around, guarding my back. It touches something deep inside me. I’m not used to these kindnesses.

‘Marian!’

Dezzy’s head pops out of my window, her dark hair falling out of her usually pristine bun.

My brain misfires. What’s she doing in my room?

‘Where have you been?’ she cries, her accent as thick as mud now that she’s upset. She gestures vigorously for me to hurry inside.

I speed up, blades of anxiety stabbing my ribs as I climb through the window.

‘Have you been out all night?’ She gapes like she doesn’t recognise me.

I stride to my bed while fighting the blasted zip on the back of my dress. ‘Yes, I was with Ryland. And it was … nice.’ Nice doesn’t cover it, but I’m sure my flushing cheeks do.

‘And you told no one where you went?’ she squawks. ‘Is your head just for decoration?’

With a grunt, I give the zip a final tug, then abandon it and fall back on my hard mattress. ‘I had no desire to be found, Dez. You should be happy. This is what you wanted.’

‘I wanted to find you three hours ago. Your father is looking for you.’

I jerk upright. ‘He’s back?’

She motions aggressively towards downstairs. ‘Go. Go now. He is very unhappy that you haven’t answered his call.’

‘I need to change,’ I hiss, springing to my feet. Thankfully, Dezzy agrees, and in a flurry, we strip me of my dress and reclothe me in my guardsman uniform. I barely have one boot on when Dezzy cries, ‘We need to tie back your hair.’

‘No time,’ I say, pulling on my other boot and running out of the door.

People gawk and lunge out of the way as I sprint down the maze of hallways and stairs, then through the compound dining room. Clark grins at me, but before he has a chance to open the door to the High Command, I slam through it – Atlas has waited too long.

He’s frowning when I burst out of the hallway into the cavernous room. Coatl – no surprise – glares at my intrusion. But it’s Soren, standing before them, who makes my thundering blood run cold. My former flame seems almost relieved to see me, which makes no sense.

‘Ah, my daughter,’ Atlas says. ‘Nice of you to finally join us.’

‘My apologies. I was attending to … my assignment.’

‘Oh?’ Atlas looks at me curiously. ‘I see.’ Then, as if forgotten, he speaks to Soren. ‘Continue, Lieutenant Collins.’

Soren clears his throat. ‘As I was saying, I’d like permission to collect the suspects from the Dresden –’

‘What suspects?’ I interrupt. Instead of going to my usual spot along the wall, I step on to the dais and take a place beside Atlas, looking down on Soren. ‘How could you possibly have suspects from among the Dresden when the raiders were vagabonds? Ones who got away because you didn’t immediately initiate a search inside our territory.’

‘The raiders looked familiar,’ he says coolly, trying and failing to hold back his anger. ‘I was following my gut.’

My mouth goes bone dry – familiar? ‘It doesn’t matter what your gut felt. We have protocols. Instead, you set the Dresden Circle on fire. And I couldn’t even do your job of initiating a search because I was trying to keep the whole place from burning down.’

His words turn clipped. ‘I followed the evidence, and now I have suspects.’

‘What evidence?’ I demand. ‘And who are you accusing?’

‘Marian.’ Atlas looks baffled. ‘Calm down.’

I exhale. Why is he not raging? ‘My apologies, Commander. But Lieutenant Collins has done an incredible amount of damage by not following our rules.’