Chapter 2
Chapter Two
The stolen coin
Sapphire
A woman stepped over the threshold of the Velvet Kiss, golden locks swaying as she turned her nose up, deliberately looking the other way as I walked out.
I rolled my eyes, shaking my head slightly. I was used to the behaviour of the upper class women here in this part of The Grey. Girls like me were loathed by most females and loved by most men.
The closer to the city, the more my kind made themselves known. Aristocratic females didn’t like the way we stole the men’s attention so easily. Too easily.
Men want. Men take. It’s all they know how to do.
I glanced at the coal stick in my hand before tucking it into my small, woven basket.
It was precious, and the only reason I’d come into town.
Without it, I wouldn’t look perfect, or ‘put together,’ as Kavish called it.
I was working tonight, and he expected me back by half past five, ready and dressed in my best.
A tangerine glow bathed the narrow streets in a sickly caramel glaze. The sun was falling fast, dragging time with it. I really needed to get a move on. None of us dared to be late—not twice.
I rushed past the temple, my boots striking quickly against the stone.
The preacher stood in the doorway, as he often did this time of day, greeting those who passed like he had all the time in the world.
His warm, brown eyes found me, and to my surprise, he smiled.
The kind that didn’t demand—just offered. He lifted a hand in a small wave.
My stomach twisted.
I gave him a half smile and shifted my gaze back to the ground. I’d never understand it. A man who believed in the light, smiling at someone like me. A whore. As if he didn’t know exactly what I was. As if I wasn’t the kind of woman men confessed about inside that very building.
I pulled my woollen shawl tighter as I hurried along, weaving my way through fellow Shadowkin.
Winter had been cruel this year, even more so than last. Every step that brought me closer to home crunched underfoot.
Thin layers of ice splintered beneath my well-worn leather boots.
At least it would be warmer there—at least I had a roof over my head and a place to sleep, sheltered from the elements.
Crowds for the night markets had already begun to gather.
Men, women, children, all filtered through the narrow streets like ants, drawn by the pull of saffron and smoke, of tambourines and lutes ringing through the air in the town centre.
Almost every night specialty stores set up their stalls of brightly coloured trinkets and wares.
Glass bottles brimming with erotic scents lined tables, nestled between spices and herbs wrapped in parchment—each one from a distant corner of The Grey. Lanterns of all shapes and sizes hung above, their hand-painted watercolours forming patterns that were as intricate as they were delicate.
The scent of roasted meats and sweetened rice carried on the air, curling around me. My stomach clenched in response. If I didn't hurry, I’d miss dinner, and I hated working with nothing but hunger gnawing at my stomach.
I drifted farther from the crowds, choosing to take side streets where I was less likely to run into regulars—or their wives. It wasn’t without risk. Darker, quieter streets had a habit of attracting the wrong kind of trouble.
Eyes the colour of sad clouds looked up at me from the shadows, halting my hurried steps. A small girl, barely ten years old, held out her hand, palm side up. “Please miss, could you spare a coin so my sister and I can eat?”
Suddenly, I am her—she is me, begging in the streets for coins to buy food.
My stomach twisted with heat at the thought of what she possibly already endured—of what's to come if she doesn’t find decent work.
Her grey eyes settled on the ground, hollow and too old for her face.
Bones too sharp beneath skin. I swallowed hard.
By the light, what I wouldn’t give for her to never feel that kind of hunger ever again.
I fished in my skirt pocket, biting my lip as I felt the smooth, cold metal of the few coins I had left. I hadn’t brought a lot with me to town. It was too easy to be pick pocketed. Besides, I needed every coin I could save. It was the only way I was getting out of here alive.
Yet, as I looked upon the face of the pale girl before me, my heart cracked that little bit more. How could I say no? How could I walk away and leave her empty-handed? I needed coins, yes . . . but she needed them more.
I pulled out a small copper. “Here, now don’t use it all at once.”
Her eyes widened, and soon her smile followed. “Thank—”
A grimy hand darted from the shadows, snatching the coin from her small palm.
I tried to grab them, but they were already gone. “Hey!”
The girl’s lip trembled as tears filled her eyes, and something hot and ugly twisted in my chest. I had seen that look before. I had worn that look before—small, helpless, watching something that was yours disappear into someone else’s pocket because they were bigger, stronger, crueller.
It wasn’t fair. It had never been fair.
Before I could think better of it, I was already running.
“I’ll get it back!” I called over my shoulder, though I had no idea what I would do once I caught him. Demand it back? Beg? Threaten the guard? The thought came too late. My feet were already pounding against the dirt, my anger burning hotter than my common sense.
I didn’t have a plan.
I just knew I couldn’t let the world steal from her the way it had stolen from me.
So I ran.
My boots thudded against the cobblestone, icy wind whipping at my face.
I could see the figure up ahead—still running.
His lean frame, cloaked in dark grey and browns, darted nimbly between stacked crates and wooden barrels lining the stone alleyway.
I was thankful the sun wasn’t yet set, its golden rays illuminating just enough of the street to see where I was going.
With my basket clenched tightly in one hand, I propelled my legs to move faster.
Not only was the thief stealing from the little girl, he was stealing from me, and no one stole my hard earnings.
I saw the figure dart down a side street, so I followed, my heartbeat matching the thud of my boots. The end of the road bled into the thinner edges of the outer crowd gathering for the night’s activities. That was going to be a problem.
With gritted teeth, I searched every face as I wove my way through the crowd. Yet it was no use. I’d lost them in the sea of people.
“Fuck,” I rasped.
My chest heaved up and down as I tried to catch my breath, yet my eyes never left the marketplace. I had to find them, return the coin to the girl, and run home as fast as I could.
Sudden movement caught my eye up ahead. There he was—the crook. He stood at the fringe of the crowd, head turning just slightly. Not enough to draw attention—just enough to look. Like he wasn't sure if he'd lost me . . . or if I'd finally stopped trying.
Not a chance. I took off after him but he saw me coming and spun on his heel.
As I raced down another street and rounded the corner, I hit something hard, knocking the wind from my lungs. My basket flew out of my hand, landing on the ground with a crunch, spilling its contents onto the cobblestone.
Then I hit the ground—flat on my ass. I flung out my hands to brace the fall, and that’s when the crack split the air. My eyes followed the sound, finding the brand new coal stick I’d just purchased snapped clean in half. Heat stole its way into my cheeks, frustration hot on its tail.
Tonight was not my night.
A shadow loomed as a hulking figure crouched before me, gathering my scattered belongings from the ground. This was the wall I’d run into, the obstacle that dragged my shit-night even lower. Of course it was a man.
Veined hands with strong fingers grasped at the pale blue, cotton handkerchief I always kept close.
He reached for my basket next, tipping it upside down as if he was expecting something else to fall out.
I didn’t know whether to laugh or shout at him for being so rude. What did I expect from his species?
“Where are they?”
His voice was smooth, a velvet timbre that caressed even as it commanded. I flicked my gaze up, brushing the dust from my palms. His brows drew tight, a crease forming above orbs so deep green, they looked stolen—raw emeralds plucked from the ground, refined, and then tucked behind sable lashes.
I tore my gaze away as I scrambled to collect my things. “Where is what?” I hissed.
“The jewels you stole.”
I couldn’t stop the shrill burst of laughter escaping my lips. “Me? Stolen jewels? You have the wrong person.”
The male didn’t respond, but stood to his feet, still clutching my handkerchief in one hand. Once I gathered all my belongings, including my broken coal pencil, I stood too.
He took a step in my direction, towering over me. “I saw you running. What did you steal?”
“What are you talking about? I didn’t steal anything.”
His brow pulled tighter, like he didn’t believe a word I said, his eyes accusing me of sins I hadn't committed.
In the dimming light of the golden sun, I could make out almond-coloured freckles splashed across the bridge of his nose. A jawline so sharp it could cut paper.
I scowled. Too bad he was a miscreant.
My fingers darted forwards, snatching the handkerchief from his hand. “Leave my things alone.”
He released it without a fight. His gaze flicked to my throat, and I swore the green turned a shade darker. I resisted the urge to cover it with my hand, instantly regretting not tying my black ribbon around it like I usually did.
“Your neck . . ?”
I cleared my throat uncomfortably, looking down at my basket. “So?”
What did this man want from me? I didn’t have time to chat. I needed to get home. By now, the thief was long gone.