A Book of Spirits and Thieves

He glanced back and forth between the two men. “You know each other.”


“Yes, indeed.” Barnabas grinned, his teeth stark white in the middle of his dirty, bearded face. “This is my brother, Cyrus. Cyrus, this is Maddox.”

“A pleasure to meet you.” Cyrus wiped the blood from his blade.

Maddox saw Becca appear through the ivy-covered wall to his left. She looked back at it in amazement. “You’re right. I can walk through walls. That’s useful.” She skidded to a halt at the sight of the dead guard, her eyes growing wide. “Um, the plan . . . ?”

“Went, uh, quite well?” Maddox replied. “Did you find the room?”

“Of course I did.” She tore her gaze from the fallen guard to meet his eyes, then gave him a weak smile that lightened his heart in a mere moment. “Did you expect me to fail?”

He returned the expression. “Not for a single moment.”

“Your spirit friend must certainly be a girl,” Barnabas observed. “That moony look on your face right now confirms it.”

Maddox’s smile fell, and he cast an impatient look at Barnabas. “We need to leave before the goddess returns.”

“Yes, excellent idea.” He clasped Cyrus’s gloved hand. “Much gratitude, brother.”

Cyrus gave Barnabas his sword and the dagger from the sheath at his side. “Take these weapons. I’ll send message when I can.”

With Becca leading the way, Maddox and Barnabas moved swiftly out of the throne room and along a narrow passageway.

“It’s not far,” Becca said. “Barnabas’s intel was right; it’s the only plain door in this entire hallway.”

All the doors they passed were carved with intricate, ornate patterns, but Barnabas had told her to look for an unadorned one. Plain oak.

“Stand back, my young friend,” Barnabas said. He kicked the door. The lock splintered and the door swung open.

Maddox gave him a surprised sideways glance.

“He’s strong,” Becca said, eyeing the man skeptically, her arms crossed over her chest. “Keep in mind, this only proves he’s a thief who will kill to get what he wants.”

“Wonderful,” Barnabas said gleefully as he entered the room. “It’s exactly as I was told it would be.”

Maddox followed, gasping at the room full of treasures in which he now stood. Gold and silver coins, necklaces, bracelets, rings, handfuls of colorful jewels . . .

Barnabas went directly toward a gilded copper box, two feet tall and wide and studded with gemstones. There was a latch on its side and he tried it, but then pulled his hand away as if it had been burned.

“The lock’s enchanted,” he said. “It’s infused with fire magic.”

“Enchanted,” Becca repeated in a breathless whisper. Then louder, “What’s inside?”

Maddox repeated her question out loud as he drew closer to Barnabas, awed by all the treasures in this secret room.

“Something very special that will help us,” Barnabas replied.

“You’re not going to tell me, are you?” Maddox said with annoyance.

“No. But you’ll find out soon enough. Grab it, would you? But avoid touching the lock.”

Maddox knew their time before discovery was limited, so he grabbed hold of the box, pleased to find that he was able to lift it without great effort.

“Good,” Barnabas nodded.

They turned toward the door.

“The snake!” Becca shouted.

His stomach sank at the sight of Aegus, who now blocked their path. The cobra hissed and grew before their eyes until it was as tall as Maddox and twice as wide when it sat up and flared out its massive hood.

Barnabas swore under his breath. “Forgot all about him. My mistake.”

The snake set its attention on Maddox, as if attracted by the torchlight glinting against the jeweled box in his arms, and began to slither closer. Maddox tried to will his magic to the forefront, to render the snake unconscious so they could escape.

Nothing happened.

“Barnabas . . . ,” he growled. “Do something!”

The snake lashed out toward him, fangs at the ready, but when it lunged all it met with was the tip of a sword. Barnabas swung the weapon, slicing off Aegus’s head in one clean cut. It dropped to the ground, heavy as a ripe, oversize melon.

Maddox’s legs nearly gave out.

Becca let out a sigh of relief.

The collapsed snake’s tail twitched in agony.

“Remember, it’s a magic snake,” Becca said shakily. “It might be able to grow another head. Let’s leave before we find out, all right?”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Maddox replied. “Barnabas, let’s get out of here. Now.”

Without another word, the three of them, two thieves and a spirit, slipped out of the room and made their way down the hallway, searching for the nearest exit.

“Excellent,” Barnabas said. “We’re closer to ending Valoria’s reign with every step we take.”