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Irene’s gasp struggled to free itself from her mouth and died inside. She was sure the library had been empty, or she wouldn’t have entered.
“When you shout it would be too late,” said the old man. He had a soft voice that belied his lean, hard appearance. Though he was not very tall—she could see the patch on the top of his head where his hair was thinnest. Not that size was what made the Thief of Eddis dangerous.
(She deduced; it would be embarrassing if any other lesser thieves had snuck into the castle in broad daylight.)
“Alone, Princess?”
“I wanted to be.” And she was not important enough that her singular guard hadn’t argued. She resisted the urge to wipe her cheeks; the Thief would have seen it.
He had already returned to his undertaking, scanning the rows of her father’s collection. Oh, she had no doubt it was greater than the Eddisian royal library. If they had one, it would certainly be lacking in copies of the invaders’ codices, Eddisians having very little reason to care then and now. But perhaps she had assumed any that the Thief could have coveted would have been plundered long ago.
She could only hope he would leave behind the Primordium; she was almost finished with it. Though she doubted the book would be any more palatable with a more complete digestion. She made to inspect the natural history shelf, which would allow her to watch him from out one eye. To what end, she had no idea. Even without the implicit threat, she knew—and this did surprise her slightly—she wouldn’t scream if he made off with one book.
Even so, she nearly jumped out of her skin when he suddenly spoke, “You must be well-read, Princess.” A conjecture, or an imperative? Either way, impertinent of him, all from one chance encounter in a library.
“What benefits the Thief of Eddis?” she retorted.
“The same. A thief’s greatest asset, like a queen’s, was his mind.”
His fingers pinched the Primodium slowly, deliberately within her view, as no doubt he could move without her notice. Then he seemed to change his mind and filched Things Unto Themselves. Irene had read that one, too, and though it was not completely vapid she didn’t see herself re-reading it anytime soon. She couldn’t begin to guess why a thief would be interested in that one.
He made a slight, ironic bow. As if summoned, she heard the clatter of a guard coming over. The Thief was gone in the sliver of time she was distracted.
Well, that was not terrible. She could have been tempted to ask what he had meant with ’queen’ and immediately displayed her lack of mind. The answer came to her but a moment later. There had been talks of giving her in marriage to the future Eddis. Unlikely that Attolis would have the audacity to defy his barons, however. And that was the extent of her opinions on the matter.
Then a horn sounded the early return of the crown prince’s hunting party, and Irene never thought of the old Thief or the Things Unto Themselves again.