Thieves at Heart Read Online Free PDF

a moment Tavera wondered who the hooded man was talking to, her eyes setting upon Derk as she realized that the hooded man was talking to him. Dershik must be his real name and Jezlen must in the Cup, she thought. Dershik, or Derk the Lurk shrugged, wiping his blade on the dead man’s clothes, clutching the girl to him tightly.
    “I doubt anyone will miss this sorry hem-chewer. Find her boot, will you?” he said. Still holding Tavera to him with one arm, he pulled out his flask, unscrewed the lid with his teeth and poured it over the already stinking body. “We’re off to Portsmouth, if you need us.”
    Tavera could swear she could see a smile gleam from within the hood, the fellow uncocking his crossbow and holstering it within his cloak. The other man walked a few steps down the alley and bent down, picking her boot up off the ground and handing it over to Derk. “Portsmouth, eh?” he said. His voice had a strange accent to it, though there was also mirth in his words. Tavera wondered where he was from. “I hear Celeel is there.”
    “Old Gam? Yah don’t say?” The way Derk said it made Tavera think that he knew this woman was there and she saw the other man narrow his eyes at Derk while Derk just wagged his eyebrows at him. “Well maybe I’ll pop by for a smoke and a bit to show off little Tavi. What say you?” Tavera looked up, large eyes meeting Derk’s, her large mouth still in a rather pathetic pout but her eyes void of tears. He kissed her soundly on the forehead, the first time he had done so, before he slipped her boot back onto her foot. Holding onto her firmly he stretched his free arm towards his friend.
    “Take care of yourself and the little one,” Jezlen said and the two men shook hands, finally falling into something like an embrace. The man was careful not to touch Tavera. “And tell Old Gam I still dislike her.”
    “She still dislikes you, I’m sure of it.” Derk turned and they left. When Tavera looked down the alley, Jezlen was gone but the body was still there, lifeless. The rats were already scurrying out of the shadows to claim their share.
    Derk, Dershik, her adopted father. He had killed a man to protect her. There was something frightening about knowing this but something comforting, a kind of peace that seemed to envelope them both as they walked down alleys, coming to a stable. The danger was gone but the ordeal had made Tavera tired, the words Derk exchanged with the stableman lost to her. They both mounted a single horse, Derk setting Tavera on the saddle in front of him and taking the reigns himself. Her mind wandered as the horse walked quietly out of the city through the night, taking the man and little girl with him. Derk was her father and she knew it now. He had done something heroic to save her, been there in her time of need. Isn’t that what a father was? Someone to protect her when she needed protecting? Someone to be there for her? Someone to love her enough to do so. The steady rhythm of the horses motion was soothing and she could feel Derk’s heart beating in his chest. She smiled as she cuddled closer to the
man who wrapped his cloak around her protectively and Tavera felt warm and comfortable, both inside and out. “I love you, poppa,” she said quietly. The moon peeked out from behind some trees, lighting their way and Tavera wrapped her small hands around the reins as well, wondering what the next town held for them.

CHAPTER 3
    First Impressions
    The deadbolt slid back, the door opened and Tavera peered up expectantly at the woman who stood in the doorway. Confusion tweaked at the little girl’s eyebrows as she considered the woman who smirked at Derk and then looked down blankly at her. Derk was grinning at this woman who wasn’t ‘Old’ at all. Her hair was brown and fell in soft curls around her rather round face and her skin was smooth, not wrinkled. The woman called both ‘Celeel’ and ‘Old Gam’ turned and walked into the apartment with