Fallen to Thievery (Thievery Duology #1)

Chapter 1

“A storm’s coming.” Electricity slithered against my skin, like a siren’s call to the hair on my arms.

Sighing, I brushed a hand over the goosebumps, hoping to calm them. “I’ll have to harvest today,” I told Macey as I placed my trimming knife and gloves back behind the counter. I hadn’t planned on harvesting the last yield of the season for at least another two weeks.

Macey’s arm hair was oblivious to the coming storm, as usual. But she quickly stole a glance through the shop’s window at the cloudless sky. “A big one, huh?”

I carried the clipped Nightshade plant back into the misty atrium my father had built right in the middle of my store.

It was a glorious feat of architecture and never ceased to amaze me, or the tourists.

I kept my most prized and deadliest plants in there, where I could control the conditions around them, and ensure a harvest all year round.

The enormous glass cylinder stretched all the way to the ceiling.

A ladder swivelled around the entire enclosure to reach even the highest rows of plants that cascaded down into a waterfall of green.

I stepped out of the atrium and watched the swirling mist form an impression of a smiling woman as I closed the glass door. I smiled back at her.

“Will you lock up?” I returned my attention back to Macey, who was digging behind the counter, irritably swiping at her blue-tipped hair that was falling into her face.

“I won’t make it back in time,” I added.

There were rows and rows of plants to harvest before the storm hit. I would be working long into the night.

“Yeah, sure, boss. You go save our herbs. I have everything under control here.” My shop assistant shooed me towards the door while I tried to point at the clipped Nightshade still lying on the counter.

“The Night—”

“Yes, yes, don’t worry, I’ll hang them to dry. And don’t forget to pass by the bank to drop Rachel’s lunch off. Now go! I’ll come help after closing time!” She pushed the lunch bag, along with my tote bag and cell phone, into my arms and ushered me out the store’s door with a panicked goodbye.

I waved over my shoulder, instinctively ducking under the too low metal sign of Mr. Morrison’s Tailors, the neighbouring shop. The sign had been irking pedestrians on Main Street for as long as I could remember, now rusted and almost unreadable thanks to the salty ocean air, and Father Time.

Nevertheless, it added to the old-time charm of Bentley Cove, our little coastal haven, that kept the tourists coming during summers.

But summer was ending, and Main Street was growing quiet.

The tourists were departing, and we were finally getting our town back.

They were good for business, and kept the town going, but they were awfully… rowdy.

I came to a stop on the sidewalk as a flash of familiar reddish-brown fur caught my eye. Across the street, sniffling around the flowers of Dixie’s flower shop, stood a fox with a wicked scar across its back. The same fox I’d seen outside mine and Rachel’s house this morning.

As if feeling my gaze, the fox whipped his head around and stared straight at me. We locked eyes and I couldn’t bring myself to look away. An unsettling feeling snaked into my chest.

The little fox sure looked like it had seen some dark days. He kept staring at me like he wanted to tell me something.

No, that’s just silly.

But before I could ponder it any further, the fox startled away as voices sounded from around the corner.

“I swear, that girl is turning this whole town into a bunch of heathens. The Church should’ve put an end to that witchcraft store a long time ago.”

I recognised the voice and the store in question. My store. And Mrs. Margeret Vandermeere had been against it from the moment I opened the doors.

“I agree, Margeret. Next thing you know, we’ll be celebrating Halloween,” Mrs. Dumphrey responded, whispering the word Halloween as if it might summon demons.

I already celebrated it, and most of the younger townspeople were following suit, but it was still far from being a big town affair, like most of the holidays we celebrated.

Mrs. Vandermeere snorted her agreement. “Back in my day, women like her got exiled from this town for far less. The gull of that girl to be practicing so openly! God help us.”

I sighed as they rounded the corner, steeling myself as both elderly women walked right into me, startled.

“Ava!” Mrs. Dumphrey exclaimed bewilderedly, clutching at her pearl necklace.

I swiped a copper strand of hair from my face and mustered a smile.

“Good morning, Mrs. Dumphrey, Mrs. Vandermeere.” I smiled sweetly at Mrs. Dumphrey as she straightened her floral dress, her lips pressed into a thin line.

“How are you feeling this morning? Did my tea work for the swelling in your legs?”

Mrs. Dumphrey’s mouth fell open as her eyes shot to Mrs. Vendermeere then back to me, her face going red.

She secretly enjoyed my remedies almost as much as she enjoyed ostracizing me in front of her church friends.

Usually, I was happy to keep her visits a secret, but not today.

I liked Halloween. There was nothing wrong with celebrating it.

And there was nothing wrong with my herbal store!

Mrs. Vandermeere gave us an incredulous look, tipping her nose back in disgust.

“If you’ll excuse me, ladies. I have to get to the bank.

Rachel forgot her lunch. Mrs. Dumphrey, feel free to come again if you need more of my tea.

” I felt a tinge of guilt for outing her like that, but it was ridiculous the way they acted.

“And Mrs. Vandermeere, it’s not witchcraft. It’s alternative medicine.”

I sighed out my frustration as I rounded the corner of the old bank. Normally, the fear-mongering didn’t get to me, but today I was on edge. The air felt strange around me, pressing on my chest. Most likely the incoming storm.

“What did she forget this time?” Frank laughed weakly as I neared the door. The guard rose stiffly from his sun-bleached chair that was as old as he himself.

I held up Rachel’s forgotten lunch bag to him, feeling my uneasiness dissipate at his warm smile.

“Well, ain’t Rachel lucky to have a friend like you,” Frank stated kindly, moving slowly to open the heavy glass door for me. I slowed my pace to not rush him.

The old guard had an uncanny ability of making people smile. There was true compassion in his heart. It seeped out of him and infected the people around him. The world would be a much better place if more people had a kind heart like Frank.

I fumbled through my bag, then held out the small vile to him. “For the arthritis. Two drops under your tongue each morning.”

His grin broadened, showing off his brand-new set of dentures. “Golly, Ava. You shouldn’t give your potions out for free.”

I snickered at his choice of words. Frank might also believe me a witch, but he never feared me for it.

Most of the town accepted me and my… eccentricities, with the exception of Mrs. Vandermeere and some of her church friends.

“Call it a family and friend’s discount.

Oh, and Frank?” I added over my shoulder, as I walked into the bank. “I’m harvesting today.”

He nodded solemnly, looking up at the sky. “Then I’ll be sure to bring my raincoat tomorrow.”

As soon as I entered the grand, dimly lit room, a strange sensation slammed into me.

Everything in front of me slowed, blurred, to the point where I almost didn’t recognise the man walking towards me.

I sure as hell couldn’t hear him as the enormous golden clock on the wall ticked too loudly in my ears, making me flinch.

I took a few more uncertain steps towards him.

I tried to focus, tried to shake off the strange haze.

Mr. Greene, the bank manager, was still talking to me, concern taking over his muffled features.

“Ava, is everything all right?” I thought I heard him say through the loud ticking of the clock.

No. Something was very wrong.

I forced my gaze up the wood panelled wall to the old clock.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

The sound reverberated painfully through my head, and I fought against an odd sensation to turn and run.

Mr. Greene touched my shoulder, pulling my attention back to him. “Ava?” He was standing right in front of me, but his voice came from far away.

I closed my eyes and shook my head, willing the ticking out of it so I could focus. Mr. Greene asked another question, and I tried to grab hold of the words, make sense of them, before the strange haze clouding my mind could swallow them up.

What the hell?

The incessant ticking came to an abrupt stop. My eyes snapped open at the sudden, deathly quiet in the room, my heart lurching at the ominous feeling pressing on me, making my knees buckle.

I looked up at the clock. It stood still. The hand wasn’t moving anymore.

It had stopped.

Why had it stopped?

“Get on the fucking ground! This is a robbery!” a booming voice broke through the humming silence.

I sucked in a sharp breath as my surroundings crashed back into me. Just as quickly as it had started, the haze disappeared from my mind. Chaos reigned as people screamed and ran and ducked to the ground. Mr. Greene was frozen in shock at something behind me.

I swung around. Frank, with his hands in the air, shuffled stiffly towards me.

Behind him, moved two large, shadowy figures.

My stomach plummeted to the ground. The sight of them stirred a deep dread from within me.

They were covered in black from head to toes, not an inch of skin showing.

Their fencing-like masks were curved into the resemblance of a face, looking like something out of a horror film.

As he reached me, Frank pulled me to the ground with him. “Just do what they say and keep your eyes down,” he whispered urgently.