Thief (Brotherhood of the Throne Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

him the truth. “This is what I know. You tried to steal a knife from a priest. He woke up in a dark room screaming for the guard and you were caught going out the window. Correct?” She nodded hesitantly. “But something’s missing. Both guards at the inn swear the room was dark when they arrived yet the priest described you perfectly. How did he get a good look at you?” Kane stared at her until she swallowed and looked away.
    After a few seconds, she spoke. “Maybe the guards were mistaken about a light in the room.”
    After she stopped talking, she fidgeted with a bit of straw stuck to her shirt. There was more to this, he was sure.
    “Possible, but unlikely. I know these guards well. They used to be under my command and I’m sure they would not be mistaken about something as obvious as a light. And only an unskilled thief would enter a lit inn room at night.” Kane held up his hand when it seemed she was about to say something. “You don’t strike me as unskilled. So the question again is how did the priest see you in the dark room?”
    He studied her as she crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. Then her mismatched eyes darted to his sword. There was more in that look than the usual healthy regard for a weapon, even for a thief. As Kane slowly drew his sword he felt the familiar tingle that always accompanied its release from its scabbard. The thief’s eyes were fixed on his sword. He gripped the pommel tightly with his right hand and with the sword pommel up, took a step towards her. She shrank back from him and hugged her arms tightly to her side.
    “I won’t hurt you,” he said. “I just want to try something.” He reached out with his other hand and grabbed her wrist. She was much stronger than she looked but after initial resistance, she relaxed. He covered her right hand with his left and then pushed them both down on the pommel of his sword.
    Kane gasped and almost dropped his sword. Heat crept up his sword arm and settled into every nerve and muscle and sinew of his body. It was similar to the tingle he usually felt when wielding his sword - but magnified … ten times … a hundred times. And the light! His sword glowed with a brilliant blue-white light that illuminated every inch of the cell. Eyes wide, he looked into one green eye and one brown eye and he wondered that her face did not reflect his own surprise.
    Kane dropped her hand and took a quick step back and the light went out. His hands shook when he slid his sword into its scabbard and he focused on getting thoughts under control. By Jik, what had just happened? All his years in the Brotherhood and never once had he heard of old steel reacting in that way. Even now his sword hummed in a way that it never had before. Had the knife the thief tried to steal hummed as well?
    “I know how the priest could give such a good description of you.” His voice was still a little shaky. A quick look over his shoulder told him that Andel had also seen what had happened.
    The thief backed away from him until once again she stood with her back against the cell wall. She mumbled something under her breath and Kane took a step closer, thinking his nerves were strung so tight he must have misunderstood. “What did you say?”
    “It was nothing, just an old saying my mother taught me.”
    “Repeat it!” Kane was now only two steps away from her. “Now.”
    “Why? Oh brothers, er, all right. It doesn’t even mean anything. Brothers by the throne.”
    Kane looked back at Andel, who simply stared at the woman, eyes wide.
    “Finish it!” He realized he’d been harsh when her body tightened defensively.
    “Please, do you know the rest?” He was reeling but forced himself to be calm.
    “The rest?” The two differently coloured eyes looked past him to Andel and then settled back on Kane’s face with a puzzled expression. “You mean this? Brothers by the throne look to me to save the line?”
    Kane closed his eyes and concentrated on