Dragon Thief by S. Andrew Swann Read Free Book Online Page A

of breeches. No undergarments, but I wasn’t choosy at this point, and I didn’t know where these came from anyway. I tried a gracious, “Thank you,” and a small bow toward them, and they both scurried away, giggling.
    The conversation between Grace and Red continued in less audible tones, and I dressed myself. I tried to ignore the two bloodstained holes in the shirt.
    After a bit longer, Grace broke ranks and walked up to me, holding my dagger. She stood just out of reach and held it up between us so that the elaborately engraved hilt reflected the campfire.
    â€œSo,” she asked, “can you explain why a naked man is armed with a dagger belonging to the Assassins’ Guild of Sanhom City?”
    I shrugged. “The prior owner didn’t need it anymore.”
    â€œYou were kidnapped by the Assassins’ Guild?”
    â€œNot quite.”
    â€œWhat do you mean by that?”
    â€œI was
kidnapped
by a group of thugs working for the White Rock Thieves’ Guild out of Delmark. They were ambushed.”
    â€œBy the Assassins’ Guild?”
    â€œBy the dagger guy and his friends. We weren’t properly introduced. I was busy removing myself from—”
    â€œWhat you have to do with White Rock?”
The redhead’s shout interrupted my dialogue with Grace. The girl with the crossbow pointed it right at me. As she sighted down it, I got to view a long scar along the left side of her face.
    Grace spun around and said, “Mary! No!”
    â€œHave him say what he has to do with White Rock!” Mary spoke through clenched teeth. She was so tense I could almost see her muscles vibrating under her altered leather. “Now!”
    â€œMary! Remember the rules!”
    â€œBut—”
    â€œWe all agreed.”
    Mary took a deep breath.
    Grace turned to the girl with the crossbow. “Laya?”
    The crossbow lowered a fraction. As I watched her I noticed an accessory that I hadn’t before. Laya wore a necklace whose primary component consisted of polished human teeth.
    Grace turned back toward me and I saw that she wore similar jewelry. Only hers seemed to consist of finger bones and was a little less obvious.
    â€œWhat rules?” I asked in a whisper.
    Grace whipped the dagger up toward my throat. “Answer her question. Who are you and what do you have to do with White Rock?”
    Teenage girls shouldn’t be intimidating.
    The question also put me in a tough spot. Should I tell her the whole truth? What
was
the truth at this point? I finally hedged and said, “Of late, they’ve been calling me ‘Snake,’ and I think both guilds in Delmark are upset with me at the moment.”
    She lowered the dagger and slowly shook her head. She stared at my face, as if she was looking for something.
    â€œApparently the Assassins of Sanhom as well,” I added.
    Everyone stared at me as if I’d announced that I was the Dark Lord Nâtlac. The entire group had fallen silent. Enough that I clearly heard Red whisper,
“You’re the Snake?”
    Snake’s reputation had preceded me again.

CHAPTER 7

    To Grace’s obvious irritation, Red’s rhetorical question changed the character of the crowd facing me. A trio of the girls suddenly pushed forward, talking at once.
    The young one with the curls asked, “Did you
really
steal the crown of Grimheld while the king still wore—”
    The dark girl with the crossbow spoke over her. “—walked away with the golden idols of the Grey Dwarves of Blackstone Crag—”
    The boyish one added to the din. “—actually you who emptied the treasury of—”
    â€œâ€”is it true that—”
    â€œâ€”both thieves’ guilds in Delmark?”
    I felt suddenly overwhelmed.
    Grace didn’t join the barrage of questions, and two of the other girls hung back with her, the tall redhead and a small mousy girl with almond eyes. As the