7. A Shoe and a Plan
A Shoe and a Plan
Remme
T he bag lays on the ground taunting me. I can't open it myself, but I need to know if the crown is inside. I know there is no point in trying to chase after the woman. She has proven her skill the last time she escaped my castle, and tonight will be even easier with the crowd.
A tight coil of tension remains in my gut, despite the thief's escape. While we were clearly playing one another, my traitorous body reacted as if it were real. I let out a dark chuckle. To think my first kiss was with an unknown thief trying to rob me. How pathetic.
I blame this weakness on years without human contact, thanks to my wretched curse. Deprived of even the simplest touch, it seems I've become starved for intimacy. Still, longing for a connection with that thief is foolish, no matter my isolation.
I should feel only fury at her continued defiance and audacity. The woman has made me a fool twice over, evading my grasp. Next time, I won't be so lenient. When I catch her, there will be a heavy price to pay for her games. She will learn what happens to those who steal from me.
My hands curl into fists.
Slowly breaking that fiery spirit promises to be satisfying...
I force my rage into cool calculation once more. First, I must find her. Then, her true penance will begin.
My personal bodyguard and confidante, Sofia, rushes up to me, panting. She holds a delicate glass shoe in her hand.
"I saw her!" she exclaims. "The woman with the red dress running from your room. I chased after her, but she got away! At least she left this behind." She presents me with the shoe.
Inspecting it, I ask tentatively, "A shoe? She left behind a shoe? What do you think it means?"
Sofia shakes her head. "I don't know," she replies. "It probably fell off while she was trying to escape. But if we can find who it belongs to..." Her voice trails off as our minds race with possibilities.
“Sophia, please check the bag and make sure the crown is in there."
She picks up the bag and opens it. “It’s here.”
Relief floods me.
"This thief is no ordinary criminal. She managed to evade some of our best guards twice now."
I nod, hesitating. Sofia is more than my bodyguard, she is my closest confidante. If anyone will understand, it is her.
"When she broke into my chambers tonight, we...had an encounter," I admit slowly.
Sofia's head jerks up, eyes wide with surprise. "An encounter? You don't mean she..."
"We had a moment. Yet she remains flesh and blood." I flex my gloved fingers at the memory.
"She touched you..." Sofia gasps, grasping the significance at once. In over a decade, no living being has made contact with my skin and survived.
"And when I kissed her, she did not turn to gold," I confess.
Sofia is stunned silent for a long moment. Then a smile tugs at her lips. "So that's why you're so eager to find this thief. She's immune to your curse!"
I shake my head ruefully but do not deny it. Sofia knows me too well. "I must learn how such a thing is possible. But she cannot be allowed to roam free."
"We will find her, and discover the truth together." Her eyes glint with renewed determination.
"Sofia," I say, "we need to be discreet. We don't want anyone else to know what we're doing. I don't know why she is after this crown or who is really behind it. If she was just a thief and it was random, she wouldn't have attempted to get the same crown twice."
She nods in agreement. "I have a few contacts in the city who can help us. They owe me a few favors."
"Good," I say. "Let's start with that. And we have to be quick. Who knows when she'll strike again." I pause as an idea forms, "What do you think about inviting her back onto our territory? Creating a trap of sorts."
"Remme, I like how you think. What do you have in mind?"