Forty-three

“We need to discuss the plans more thoroughly first, Syreilla, and you want me to take someone completely untrained in with me into the goddess of love’s temple? I spent years learning before Master Odos let me-” Kwes stopped as she waved her hand imperiously much as Odos always had.

“I don’t have time to walk you through this and if he trained you, I expect you to be quick enough on your feet to use Cyran’s skills to your advantage.”

“What skills?! He’s never done anything like this! He doesn’t know locks, he can’t even walk across a room quietly! And as prim and prudish as he is he’ll attract-” Blinking, he realized what she was suggesting. “Of course you’d prefer to do things the way the old man does.” 

She started to laugh, “I do things any way that works. Distractions are useful. You don’t have to bring him all the way in-”

“I’m confused-” Cyran interjected and found himself cut off as both siblings snorted.

“I’ll explain it to you, Cyran. And I’ll show you where to go to wait for us afterward.” Kwes rubbed his hands together. “If you get taken to a cell just wait patiently and I’ll come get you.”

The priest didn’t seem pleased with that.

“If either of you get caught, Magpie, you can either get yourselves free or wait for me. It may be a few days before I’ll have time to come back for you and I’m making him your responsibility.”

“We’re both your responsibility, sister.” Kwes gave her his best heartbroken look that always seemed to work on Amtalia, “Could you live with yourself if we met the headsman’s axe before you came back?”

Her eye twitched. “The old man had his hands full with you.”

“He likes it when you keep him busy.” He grinned as she broke into laughter.

“Fine, if you get caught I’ll come back for you before you meet the headsman.” Reaching down her front where he’d seen her stick a purse once before, she pulled out a gold coin and tossed it to him. “Don’t call for me while we’re working, it would be like screaming out my name in a silent room.”

Kwes looked the coin over with a growing smile. One side bore a crossed hammer and feather and the other a strange sigil he’d never seen, a creature with wings outstretched but instead of a head it had a peculiar, partly unfurled scroll. “What’s this?”

“That’s the old man’s sigil. He rarely gives it to anyone.”

“As far as fathers go, he isn’t the worst we could have.” He lifted his gaze from the coin to give her a grin and blinked at the bittersweet smile on her face.

“I suppose he isn’t. If you get into too much trouble, call for the old man. He’ll be able to get to you more quickly and probably talk you out of any trouble you’re in.”

“Understood. I’ll bring Cyran in the front door of the temple and let him wander like a horrified lost lamb.” Kwes beckoned to the priest, “If you try to go where they don’t want you but act as if you’re ignorant they probably won’t hold it against you and you’ll certainly get their attention. Ask questions. Pull as many of theirs into conversation as you can because the more they look at you, the less they look at me. I’ll be able to slip past them and join Syreilla deeper inside to do our thieving and then we’ll meet you at… which tavern?” He glanced at the Rook.

“There’s one called The Lady’s Favor. It’s more of an inn and it’s for wealthy patrons. The old man warned me that Uncle has them keeping an eye on the places I’d usually favor. I’ll leave you to help him get into nicer clothes so that the two of you can come and go. I’m going to have to dress like a w***e to get in and out of the temple. I don’t expect to have a problem joining you.”

“I would pay to see that, sister.” Kwes arched an eyebrow with a smirk.

She gave him a disgusted look, “Elvish! We have two fathers in common!” 

The way she shuddered made him break into laughter. “The more you complain about elves and call us perverse the more I want to prove you right! And you’re half elf!” Before he could comment about how he should have heard about Odos being his father from her before he heard it from a dwarf Cyran started speaking.

“She is married to our cousin.” He almost sounded teasing and Kwes looked at him incredulously. “She said she would have told me-”

“That I’m not elf enough to want to f**k you.” Syreilla grinned and nodded.

“But she can’t.” The priests flushed slightly and the look he gave the Rook was doting and almost lustful.

“If you looked at me that way and the old man caught you,” she arched a brow and frowned, “that might be why he was giving you looks. I have Vezar and while I still have some tender feelings for Kaduil I’m not planning to stray. You can rely on a Rook, cousin.”

“The two of you together just seemed… wrong.” Cyran shook his head. “We can discuss it another time.”

“We will.” She gave him a dubious look. “Right now we need to focus on the work.”

Kwes watched as she sketched out rough diagrams in the dirt. She dropped a rock into one box.

“Once you get into the temple, Magpie, we need to be quick. She keeps her stone out for the most part, displayed on a pedestal so that the light hits it and makes pretty designs, or so the builder Uncle had on hand said. The room is past the altar and above the temple nave. Once we move it people will notice. With a little luck, she won’t have moved it here.” Syreilla pointed to a room that looked lower in the diagrams. “There’s a sealed room below the temple that she can store it in if she’s concerned. It’s why we’re hitting her now, she’d have it safely tucked away if we came to her last. It would make this job take longer and I need to be quick.”

“If I fall behind or don’t meet you, go ahead and do what you need to do. Looking at these rough sketches I have a feeling that something isn’t going to go to plan. I should be able to get us out of any cell we find ourselves in. If you have to do it alone, we’ll meet you at The Lady’s Favor.”

“The old man hates having to take a second run at things but I’ve taken two and sometimes three before. If things feel wrong and start to go sour immediately, turn and walk away. I’d rather you both be safe than brave.”

Kwes nodded. “You should be safe, too, Syreilla.”

“I’ll do my best.”