Sunbolt (The Sunbolt Chronicles) Read Online Free PDF Page A

mine, such as it is: a palm-sized book my father used to jot notes in, a hair comb adorned with pearls that my mother left behind when she disappeared, and a few precious coins.  
    I lay out my sleeping mat and lie down, listening to the soft rustles and occasional snores that permeate the room. It seems like I’ve barely nodded off before the women begin to rise. I remain on my mat, feigning sleep, and they let me be. I don’t want to answer any questions right now. If they notice I breathe too fast for slumber, they don’t let on. My worries are my own. I sometimes feel like they think of me as some sort of exotic mistake. Maybe it’s because I try so hard to fit in, or maybe it’s because my features make it clear I never will.  
    Once the room has emptied, I sit up and rifle through my crate. At the bottom, I’ve folded my thieving clothes: a set of boy’s pants and a faded blue tunic. I change quickly, using a cloth to bind my chest so my figure doesn’t accidentally give me away. A traditional embroidered cap completes the outfit. I’m not sure what we’ll end up doing tonight, but I’d rather not look like myself. There’s not much chance of hiding my fair skin and strange eyes, but at least this way, if people come searching, they’ll be looking for a boy.  
    I check my pockets to make sure I have everything I need and strap a small knife to my leg. Then I head for the door.
    “Where you off to, girl? Goin’ ta pick something you shouldn’t?”  
    I pause, turning towards the two women in the outer room. They lounge on their mats, one of them clicking through her prayer beads. They watch me with sharp, hungry eyes.  
    “Bring it home and we won’t say a word,” the second woman says.  
    “I’ll bring you some soldiers,” I promise, making for the door. “I bet they’ll want to hear about that chicken you ‘found’ last week.” They’d been so pleased with their catch, they’d forgotten to save me a piece. I had come home to laughter and a platter scattered with bones. Even if I do manage to thieve something, I won’t be sharing with those two. I head downstairs to the sound of insults and threats being thrown after me. I don’t worry, though. They have as much to lose as I do.
    I reach Rafiki’s house before the Ghost. Kenta winks at me as I enter the meeting room, as carefree as ever.  
    “Do you ever worry about anything?” I ask him, dropping into a chair. I eye the table sadly. It has been cleared and no further refreshments have been set out.
    “My next bottle of wine,” Kenta says with mock seriousness. “When I’ll meet my heart’s companion.”
    I snort. “Aren’t they the same thing?”
    Kenta just laughs, glints of gold flickering in the brown of his eyes.  
    When the Ghost arrives a few minutes later, I can tell at once from the focused intensity of his movements, the purpose with which he sits, that the Degaths have no plan at all.  
    “We are going to have to be careful,” he says as Rafiki shuts the door. “And fast.”
    “Why didn’t you just bring them with you?” I quip.
    “They plan on living, not just surviving,” he says, unamused. “Lord Degath is making a few discreet arrangements for money transfers. His wife is ensuring that their most valuable belongings will not be found.”
    “And the kids?” There are three children, though the eldest two are probably older than me.  
    “They know nothing,” the Ghost says. “And they’ll continue knowing nothing until we meet them tonight.”

    My job is to rent a carriage and drive it to our agreed meeting place at the edge of the waterfront, near an esplanade frequented by the nobles . The walkway and gardens were built to offer the best views of the sunset, unmarred by the docks located farther south, and the fishing dhows that pull up on the open beaches further north. It’s the perfect place for the Degaths to walk out, and to get into an unmarked carriage without eliciting interest.