Shai

All she wanted was one glimpse of him.

This won’t take long. The others can wait for me.

Shai wasn’t supposed to be here, but just because she had a job to do shouldn’t mean she had to miss everything. If she were honest, though, the festivities weren’t the reason she’d come. She wanted to see his familiar features, the smile that could light his entire face, showing his dimples. A hollow ache clawed in her stomach at the thought of seeing him again.

Nearly half the town lined both sides of the cobblestone road before her, cheering and clapping. She wasn’t surprised to see the crowds smaller this year, as many didn’t think this was a time for celebration. Some people even got arrested by guards after trying to throw rotten food at the wagons in the procession.

Shai would’ve been right along with them if it weren’t for one particular person in the parade.

She let the black headscarf covering her face slip down and around her neck, then adjusted her black curls around her shoulders. Today, the women were in all manner of fancy clothing and scarves, so Shai blended right in with her scarf, gray tunic, and black pants. She looked like one of them, but she wasn’t.

Out of habit, her fingers caressed the worn wooden hilt of the small blade tucked into her pants, its steel weight cool against her hip. She’d nicknamed the knife Nahya, and it wasn’t much to look at since it was only about the size of her hand. The other members of her gang were always telling her she needed a bigger weapon while on a job, but Nahya reminded Shai where she came from and the struggle she was never going back to.

Her heart beat in time with the drummers’ bongos as the parade passed by in front of her. A massive navy-and-gold wagon pulled by eight white stallions came behind the drums, guards in leather and chainmail walking alongside it. It was what Shai was waiting for.

The sun warmed her face as she leaned forward, sweat rolling down her chest. He would be near her location soon and then…

“Shai!” a voice called behind her.

She winced, then turned as her friend, or more like accomplice, caught up to her. The ebony-skinned girl also wore a headscarf covering her face, her brown eyes squinting through the folds of fabric. A few of her black braids were visible, framing the sides of her face.

“What are you doing?” asked Qiara. “You’re supposed to be on scout duty! We have to be in position when the others arrive.”

“This won’t take long, Q,” Shai said, turning back to the parade. “I just want one look.”

Her friend groaned. “You can’t skip being one of those sappy-eyed girls this time? You do this every year and you never catch his eye, just like the hundreds of other ladies here.”

But Qiara didn’t know that Shai shared a past with him, something that no one else here did.

The horses were trotting by in front of Shai now, their hooves clopping loudly against the stones, so she ignored her friend. Her heart flipped as the wagon and those on it came into view.

Several nobles of the court rode on the wagon, dressed in their finest clothing of dashikis, scarves, and pants, despite the heat. Most of them threw sweet candy and bags of cookies into the crowd while children scooped them up, laughing and scrambling along the ground. Everyone else waved and cheered as the first royal wagon rumbled past, some of its wheels squeaking. Behind it would come the wagon on which the emperor sat, but Shai only cared about who sat on this first one.

The other young women around Shai waved flirtatiously at the boy sitting in a high seat on the wagon. Prince Jistan Oriando grinned broadly, dimples in his bronze cheeks, a white gloved hand waving as he looked left and right at the citizens on both sides of the street. He wore a dashing uniform of navy and gold with a kente-patterned cloth draped diagonally over his torso.

Girls squealed and beamed as the prince’s eyes swept over them. One even fainted, and the women nearby had to fan her. Shai rolled her eyes. Qiara kept glancing at their surroundings, ever the wary one.

Shai waved at the prince too, but it was a normal wave, not the flirtatious one of the other females. When he came right in front of her, he looked down and met her gaze, his waving hand freezing as his smile faltered.

A giddy feeling fluttered in Shai’s chest as she dared to hope. Oh my, does he remember me? Can he actually see me among these other females?

Qiara grabbed her arm, snapping her out of her daydream. “Shai, we have to go now if you don’t want to face the wrath of the others!”

“Alright! Lead the way,” Shai said. She turned away from Prince Jistan’s gaze and squeezed through the hordes of people as Qiara made a path. After a few seconds, Shai took one more look back toward the royal wagon.

The prince still stared after her.

Her heart soared. Then again, maybe it was all in her imagination, just her wanting it to be true. She sighed and faced forward again, pulling up her scarf to conceal her face once more. She needed to focus on the job, not on someone she would never get close to again. The past was gone. Prince Jistan had a whole new life, and so did she. Of course he didn’t remember her. And if he did, he wouldn’t want to if he knew what she was.

She inhaled through her nose, then exhaled out of her mouth to channel her inner mana in preparation for the job. She let thoughts of Jistan drift to the back of her mind as she had been doing for the past seven years.

She and Qiara reached the back of the jubilee crowds and darted through alleyways between clay buildings. Shadows fell over them and made the air cooler, but sweat still soaked the armpits of Shai’s shirt.

The sky was as clear and blue as it could be for Pact Day, the sun beaming down unhindered by clouds. The capital city of Valizea had its own set of meteoromancers, or meteoros, those who specialized in weather magic. They controlled the atmosphere from their high tower outside the city, sometimes bringing rain for the plants, sometimes bringing wind for sailboats. Every holiday, they made sure to leave the skies clear of rain and storms. Although during the summer, Shai thought it would be nice if they left a cloud or two in the sky to give everyone a break from the relentless sun.

The two girls stopped behind a squat structure, peering across at the Grand Treasury. The white marble building was only defended by two guards from the outside, but they weren’t the main obstacle. Shai and her crew would also have to get past the magical wards sealing the doors, powerful ones that were impossible to open by normal means.

“Are you sure you’re ready for a job this big?” Qiara asked.

Shai’s stomach churned. “I suppose.”

“It’s just like when we snuck into that nobleman’s house last week,” Qiara said. “You used your magic without one hitch that day.”

“Yeah, but not against the RDP,” Shai pointed out. Criminals caught by the Royal Defense Patrol ended up in either the dungeon or at the guillotine.

Her fingers shook as she touched Nahya again. I’m only doing this for us, Mama. For that better life we’re always talking about.

The Grand Treasury also happened to be on the same lane that led to the royal palace. Seeing the colossal tan-brown structure in the distance, on a high hill with its soaring towers, brought another longing ache to Shai’s chest.

Focus! her inner voice scolded.

“All you have to do is break the spells and we’ll do the hard part,” Qiara continued. “Just make sure you don’t bother my magic.”

“Make sure your magic doesn’t get in the way,” Shai said.

Qiara’s eyes twinkled as she smirked, then she looked to the buildings on either side of the treasury. “Where are the others? They should be here by now.”

Shai gasped as hands grabbed her shoulders from behind, throwing her backwards against the alley wall. A crude metal knife pressed through the fabric of her scarf and into her throat. The blade was searing hot, Shai’s first hint at whose hand held it before she looked up into his face.

“Is today the day I finally have an excuse to end your life?” hissed Edmun, one corner of his mouth raised in a sneer. He was one of those thieves confident enough to pull off heists without wearing a scarf over his dark brown face and small afro of hair. With crooked teeth and a crooked nose from getting in one too many brawls, Shai loved to joke it was why he was a crooked person too, but only behind his back.

The other four goons with Edmun stood around him, their headscarves ranging in different colors. Shai knew only two of them by name, but none were acquaintances. Friends were hard to find in a gang like The Cliq.

“You’re going to kill me because I’m two minutes late?” Shai snapped, hoping he couldn’t hear the thundering of her heart. She should be used to this. Threats were part of everyday life in this gang.

“Because you tried to escape your duty to us,” he growled, his cigar-smelling breath washing over her.

“Ed, come on,” Qiara said, shoving his shoulder. “She’s here, isn’t she? She just got a little distracted.” Her eyes flicked over to meet Shai’s briefly.

“You sure that’s all it was, Q? Maybe she was running away until you caught her.” Ed used his pyromancer magic to heat the blade a few more degrees. Shai grimaced, knowing it was going to leave a burn mark, which was probably Ed’s intention.

She focused her mana and used her own magic to cancel out his. The blade cooled rapidly.

Ed’s smirk grew wider. “That little trick of yours is the only reason you’ve survived this long.” He finally took the dagger away and sheathed it in his belt. “We all know how valuable you are to Madame Kalyssah.”

Shai started breathing easily again as she stepped away from the wall. Ed had always been jealous of her magic. Sometimes she wished she could give it to him so she wouldn’t have to stay with The Cliq. Then again, without her magic, she would’ve been dead a long time ago.

“And our leader would kill you if you killed our most powerful mancer,” Qiara added, erasing Ed’s sneer.

“Yeah, yeah, let’s just get on with the job.” Ed signaled for all of them to move toward the treasury building. “And our two latecomers can take the lead.”

Shai and Qiara traded exasperated looks before strolling ahead of the others, heading out into the open toward the treasury. No one else was on the road they crossed; most of the town’s citizens were still attending the parade. And security was always lax on Pact Day, which was why Madame Kalyssah ordered them to complete the job today.

Qiara raised one of her hands as bolts of white lightning circled around it, and Shai took a deep breath, preparing her own mana. The familiar buzz of it through her veins was both comforting and a cause of anxiety. Her power was the only reason why her gang was bold enough, or mad enough, to attempt this by going right through the front door.

The guards spotted them instantly, one of their hands flying to the swords on their belts, their other hand raising to fire a magical spell. Their palms began to glow, so they were both lightmancers.

Qiara was an electromancer, and she had prepared her mana faster. Lightning shot from her hand and struck the guard on the right, making him spasm as he toppled to the ground.

The other guard was able to fire off a spell. An orb of bright light large enough to incinerate both Qiara and Shai hurtled toward them.

Shai raised her hand and twisted it, closing her fingers into a fist as she did. The orb vanished as her magic undid the guard’s.

The guard’s eyes widened, and as he began unsheathing his sword, Ed darted forward and slashed his blade across the guard’s throat. The guard gurgled his last breath as blood streamed down his neck in a red waterfall. He collapsed in seconds.

Shai turned her head away, biting her tongue. Killing didn’t seem necessary, but she’d learned a long time ago these bandits didn’t care much for her opinions.

Ed stared at the entrance to the treasury, pursing his lips at the black double doors. They were also made of marble, with treasure chest symbols painted in gold on each of them. He turned to give Shai an appraising look, hands on his hips. “You’re up, unmancer.”

Shai frowned and focused her mana sight on the magical wards, studying the glowing rune symbols. They were powerful all right, some of the most powerful she’d encountered.

“This will take a minute.” She raised her hands and made twisting motions in the air as though turning invisible doorknobs. Each ward gave way as she broke the magical locks, a wave of lightheadedness surging through her. She was used to using a lot of mana at one time, so she shook off the feeling.

Finally, she swept her hands to the side as though pushing a barrier out of the way. “Done. It’s open.”

Ed pushed through the double doors with ease, the rest of the posse following behind him. Qiara and Shai came last.

They walked into an empty hallway, their footsteps echoing on a gray stone floor. The walls were made of white and black marble, so shiny their reflections could be seen in them. Tall steel doors ran the entire length of the corridor, standing imposing like giant sentinels. Above, enchanted panels known as helio light filled the treasury with sun magic, giving everything a bright glow.

They followed Ed’s lead, stopping in front of one of the doors.

“Third vault on the right,” Ed said. “This should be it. How long will it take to disable the wards on this one, Shai?”

She stepped forward, studying the door for several seconds, then cringed. “There’s an invisible wall blocking access to the vault, plus several wards sealing it shut. So probably five minutes. Maybe more.”

“Get started then. We’ll be on the lookout. The guards patrolling these halls are due to show up soon.”

He and the others spread out around Shai as she started breaking spells on the vault. Some were hard to give, and she had to use more power and complicated hand gestures as she worked. She’d been at it for maybe two minutes when there was a shout at the end of the hall. Two guards rushed toward them, their hands outstretched, while another guard ran back the way he’d come.

“Stop him!” Ed shouted. “He’s going for reinforcements!” He let loose a stream of fire, just as the guards started emitting orbs of light from their palms.

Qiara clapped her hands together, and a reverberating boom shot forward, temporarily stunning the two attacking guards, who cringed and held their hands to their ears. Qiara ran in between them, heading after the third guard.

Meanwhile, the others fired spells at the guards, who were ducking and firing back with their own magic. Shai continued working on the vault as the hallway lit up with flashes of light from the battle going on to her left.

After a minute, the two guards were down, unconscious or dead, Shai couldn’t tell which.

“Hurry it up, Shai!” Ed yelled, flexing his fingers.

“I’m trying!” she said, moving a little faster. She tried to keep her hands steady, despite their trembling. Only a couple more wards to go…

The front doors burst open, and a group of six guards sprinted toward them, shooting spells their way.

Ed cursed and ducked one spell, then stepped forward to use more of his pyromancer magic. The others with him started helping with their own magic, but all of their mana would be depleted soon if they kept using it so much.

Shai dodged a spell that slipped past her comrades, then went back to work, torn between working on the vault and helping them.

Ed decided for her. “We could use a little unmancing over here!”

Shai made one more gesture, and the last barrier came down. “Vault’s open!” She ran toward the guards then, flinging her hand out and closing her fingers into a fist. One guard’s magical orb evaporated, and he cried out in fury when no more magic formed from his hand.

Shai quickly did the same to the other guards, using both of her hands, leaving their magical energy incapacitated. One guard’s last fire spell came a little too close, its flame vanishing just as its heat brushed her face. She exhaled in relief.

Now the guards unsheathed their swords and rushed forward. Shai stepped back behind her companions. They knew more about close combat than she did.

Ed and the others started flinging knives. Meanwhile, Shai tugged on the handle of the vault and hurried inside it. Shelves of large jewels lined the walls inside the small chamber; rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and more twinkled in various colors.

On a clear podium in the center of the room sat a diamond the size of a child’s fist. Shai snatched it off a velvet pillow and tucked it into the pocket of her pants. She wondered if she should grab some others, but she didn’t have time. The important thing was that she got what they came for, and Madame Kalyssah would be happy.

She ran back out of the vault. “Got it!”

“Then run!” Ed shouted as several more guards streamed through the doors.

Shai’s chest clenched. There must’ve been a magical alarm she missed that they’d tripped when they entered the building. Where were all these guards coming from?

They turned and ran further into the treasury with the guards in close pursuit, their boots pounding the stone floor. Shai and the others rounded two corners, heading toward the back of the treasury. She hoped they could reach the back exit, or they were in major trouble.

In the middle of one hallway, the body of a guard lay sprawled on the floor, a blackened spot on the back of his uniform. They paused next to him, and Shai wondered what had happened to Qiara.

She didn’t have to wonder long before she heard the girl’s voice from a room next to them, “Quick! In here!”

Shai darted through the doorway first, into a room where cubbyholes lined the walls, filled with various scrolls. A desk stood in the middle with a chair, and she guessed this was where they kept a record of all the treasure in the building.

Qiara had climbed the back wall and opened a high window. “This leads to the roof. Hurry!” She darted through it.

Shai clambered up the cubbyholes and pulled herself through the window. Then she waited next to it as the rest of her companions came through one by one. Ed was last, and a guard came into the room behind him.

Shai flung out her hand again and cut off the lightning spell the guard had been preparing to fire. He didn’t slow though, running into the room with his sword held high. Ed slipped through the window as the guard’s sword sliced through the air where his feet had just been.

Now that everyone was safely out of the building, Shai ran along with them over the rooftop. They leaped from this building to the next, which was only a foot across. Shai easily leapt the distance with everyone else, then all she had to do was jump over parapets since the next few buildings were interconnected.

Her heart beat three times its normal speed as she went, panting through her fatigue and fear, her mask sticking to her sweaty face. She glanced behind her when they got to their fourth rooftop, and her stomach flopped.

The guards were still in pursuit.

She’d only been chased once before after a heist, but it had been by a woman with a pitchfork, not trained soldiers. As her chest grew tighter with every shallow breath, she wondered if they could really outrun these guards.

While crossing the parapet onto the fifth building’s roof, Qiara cried out as she tripped, skidding to a stop on the clay tiles. The others ran right past her as she struggled to get up.

Shai started to do the same, thinking Qiara would be right behind her, but the girl yelped and Shai stopped, turning to look back. Qiara grasped at her ankle, a pained expression on her face. And the guards were getting closer.

Cursing herself for not leaving like the others, Shai ran back to Qiara’s side. When one of the guards fired an orb toward them, Shai gestured harshly and undid the spell. Then she bent down and helped Qiara up, draping the girl’s arm around her neck. She tried to hurry her along as Qiara limped as fast as she could.

But then a trapdoor opened in the roof, and guards rushed out of it. Before Shai knew what was happening, one of them grabbed her, his strong hands holding hers tight behind her back.

“No!” she shouted, struggling. She glanced up and saw Ed and the others long gone, three roofs ahead. They had left her and Qiara behind.

Shai traded a hopeless look with her accomplice. Qiara had been subdued as well, and neither of them could make any gestures for a spell without use of their hands.

Curse Ed and the other Cliq members! Shai thought, leering after them as more guards surrounded her and Qiara.

But Ed and the others had forgotten one thing. Shai still had the jewel in her pocket—or she did, until a guard dug it out.

All of this had been for nothing. Now Shai’s fate was in the hands of the Royal Defense Patrol.