27. Thea

Chapter 27

Thea

" Y ou can add ‘unable to follow instructions' to your list of personality traits," Ruhne muttered, the wind strong enough he gripped onto her hair tightly.

"You're pulling."

"Sorry," he muttered, but didn't release the strands. "I forget how cold it can get here in the evenings." He shuffled along her shoulder, his weight uncomfortable, but not heavy. "We should have listened to monster dick and stayed home."

"Ruhne!"

An older woman cleared her throat, looking over at Thea with a look of disgust. Shaking her head, she moved to the next stall, the owner selling hand dyed T-shirts.

"He hasn't got a monster dick," Thea whispered, not that she really knew. It wasn't like she'd looked. "And stop talking about Jax's dick; it's weird."

"Look, all I'm saying is that if I hadn't interrupted, you'd be walking funny right now." Ruhne tapped one of her earrings, glancing up at the ‘Camden Town' sign. "I'm only looking out for you and your vagina. You should be grateful. "

Thea ignored him, wrapping her jacket tighter around herself. She'd stayed home for as long as she could, but she couldn't just sit there and do nothing. Grey may be dead, but that didn't mean he was the only lead. She'd been attacked over a stupid document she couldn't even read. No way was she sitting and waiting for it to happen again.

"Hey, can you buy me one of those deep fried sticks over there?"

Thea followed Ruhne's pointed finger, finding a van selling fresh churros. "If I buy you one, will you shut up about Jax?"

Ruhne clapped his hands in excitement, making her jump. "No promises."

Shaking her head, she paid for one churro, jostling her shoulder to shoot Ruhne into the air. His wings immediately slowed, and it wasn't long before he drifted lower. Landing by her feet, he ate half far quicker than she expected, considering their size wasn't much different.

"Fucking toadstool, it's cold."

"You moaned about being left behind last time," she said, finding Ruhne fit amongst the eccentric and colourful stalls and shops.

He snorted, face covered in sugar and cinnamon. "I might break a membrane if I get caught in a gust."

Waiting for him to finish his food, she picked him back up. Rather than putting him on her shoulder, she shoved him under her jacket, zipping it up with his head and arms hung out the middle.

Ruhne wiggled. "This would be more comfortable if you had bigger tits."

"Would you prefer to continue insulting my breasts? Or take your chances with the wind?"

"It's not an insult if it's a fact." Ruhne sighed, tugging the zipper up higher. "I'm not really built for this realm. "

"I know someone who hires pixies. Ilzake's a High Lord, and his pub's charmed to feel like Far Side." Apparently. Not that she'd ever been. "It's Fae only, and there's no glamour or expectations. It's a little piece from beyond the veil."

"And you trust him?"

Thea hesitated. "He's old as dirt and from Asherah, so he follows the rules." Which literally meant, like all old Fae, he was a master manipulator.

"I don't know what I want yet." Ruhne hummed. "I haven't been home in years, but I miss it. Here everything feels so heavy."

Thea understood to an extent, but she'd never experienced Asherah of Far. Wild magic was everything to the Fae, because it wasn't as simple as magic they could wield like the witches. Fae were made from it. The power runs in their veins. It was their source of life. If wild magic was ever to cease, then so would the Fae.

"So, tell me why we're here again?" he asked. "It's cold and everything's so unnecessarily colourful."

"We're meeting someone."

They passed a stall with bright rugs, an old man beating the dirt from one with the handle of a broom. Next to him was a shop that sold crumble and custard.

Thea spotted Roach standing at the side of a closed shop, the shutters graffitied with a white bunny zombie. "Ro!" she called out, waving. Umbrellas hung above the alley, the evening sky casting shades of red and orange, creating stunning patterns along the cobbled path.

Roach turned with a raised brow. "Hey Swiper." She puffed on a cigarette, the tobacco mixed with other herbs if the smell was anything to go by. "You've met Bandit, right?"

Bandit nodded his greeting, his sneer unfriendly as he leaned against the brick wall beside her. "Swiper, didn't expect to see you. You got any more vintage watches for me?"

Bandit wasn't his real name, and she'd never cared enough to ask. He was more of a con artist than a thief, manipulating people out of their antiques and selling them on for a profit.

"No, I haven't come across anything for a while."

"That's right. You only go after the young, rich guys with your tits," he said before Ro elbowed him in the ribs. "What? It's the truth."

Ruhne tugged on her hair. "Want me to itch him?" he mock-whispered.

"Holy shit, is that a pixie?" Bandit bent his head, trying to get a closer look. "I've never seen one before."

"Hey buddy, her face is up there." Ruhne pointed up with a growl, his finger brushing Thea's chin.

"Why do you have a pixie?" Roach asked, blowing a cloud of smoke right at him."What does it look like?" Ruhne chirped. "I'm clearly her latest fuck – "

Thea shoved her hand against his face. "Ignore him; he's had too much sugar."

Ruhne shouted behind her palm, but it came out muffled.

"What's going on, Swiper?" Roach asked, concern pinching her brows. "Why are we meeting in a public place?"

"Because it's safer for us both."

A low whistle. "Looks like Swiper's been compromised," Bandit said in such a pompous tone it made her want to shove him into oncoming traffic. Which she wouldn't, because she wasn't a monster. But the imagery was still therapeutic. "This is why you shouldn't fuck the guys you steal from."

Thea felt the tip of her ears burn. "Just because I wasn't interested in your below average dick doesn't mean I sleep with my targets."

Bandit's lips opened with a snarl. "I wouldn't stick my dick in a fucking faerie, anyway."

Thea rolled her eyes. She never understood why someone used the word ‘faerie' as an insult. She was a faerie. Bandit was a wolf, so apparently it was only an insult toward Breed other than Fae.

Roach shoved at Bandit, who looked down at her with a scowl. "Shut up or fuck off."

Bandit's skin rippled, his teeth slightly sharper than they were seconds before. "Fine," he grumbled, trying to calm down.

Roach glared at him for a few seconds before returning to Thea. "What's up?"

"The museum job, why did you give it to me?"

"You telling me Swiper pulled off that gig?" Bandit sneered. "No fucking way. She's a pickpocket! You promised me that job!"

"I've seen her swipe stuff in front of me, and I didn't even see," Roach hissed. "Come back to me when your hands are as fast as hers, dipshit."

Thea ignored him. "So, you haven't been offered anything similar? By Grey or any other network?"

Roach shook her head. "Celestrial stuff is super rare. Why?"

"I just…" Thea paused, scanning the area. "Something feels off about the whole thing. I need to know who the client was."

"Then speak to Grey."

Thea waited for a couple who were browsing to pass, tourists who were posing with the arty umbrellas. "I can't. He's dead. "

Roach and Bandit shared a look. "Yeah, I'm out." He grabbed her cigarette, putting it between his lips.

Roach didn't even acknowledge him as he walked away. After a moment, she simply shrugged. "It's the risk we all take, and Grey knew that."

"Bloody hell, seriously?"

"What do you want me to say?" Roach pulled her closer against the wall, her voice dropping to a whisper. "The reason Grey's cut was so big was because he was the main contact. It's the reason why we use a fence. It protects us from the dangerous crazies."

"This isn't some – " Thea stilled, frowning over Roach's shoulder.

"What's wrong?" She turned, looking in the same direction.

"Nothing," Thea whispered, staring straight at a man further down the alley. He stood in the middle of a crowd, unmoving. His face was painted in such a way his eyes looked sunken, with cheekbones so sharp, it was as if they were cutting through skin coloured a dirty cream. Even his lips looked stretched, the paint creating a fake smile that somehow looked real.

He looked like a Halloween reject, and everyone walked around him as if he didn't even exist.

"Seriously, Swiper, what's going on?"

Thea took a step back, only for the Skull to step forward. "I just need to know everything about the last job," she said, keeping her voice calm. "Who was the client?"

"I don't know; it was through Grey." Roach let out a breath. "Was Bandit right? Have you been compromised?"

"Please, tell me. You have to know something."

"There's nothing to know. I gave it to you because I knew you could pull it off in public. The museum's security is almost impossible to break into at night due to the security, and I'd never be able to swipe a guard's key card as well as you. I would've had to hire an entire team, which would have taken a bigger chunk of my cut. It was a no-brainer to give you the risk."

Thea found the Skull had closed their distance. "Did you know what the document was?"

"Swiper, what do you want me to say? It was just some celestrial shit. The reward was good, and I knew how desperate you were for the cash because your dad's medical thing was coming to an end. Shit jobs happen, and Grey's death is sad. But that's the risk we all take."

"Thea," Ruhne warned quietly. "We've got to go."

The Skull had moved closer.

Roach looked over her shoulder with a frown before returning. Her eyes were dark when they met Thea's, understanding passing between them. "See you around," she said before she took off running.

There was a split second where Thea stood there, the Skull only inches away. He'd moved silently, his expression as empty as his eyes. Reaching for her, Thea snapped out of her stasis, fear a vile taste at the back of her throat.

How many men ran around painted as skeletons?

She took off in the opposite direction, almost ramming people over as she tried to escape into the crowds. She could feel him following her, an ominous presence that she couldn't seem to shake.

The cobblestones made it difficult to run, and her boots were definitely not built for sprinting. She only stopped once she reached Regents Canal, looking back over her shoulder to find herself alone. The lock was in the distance, narrow boats moored to the side.

"I can't see him," Ruhne said, peering out from her jacket .

Wild magic buzzed violently beneath her skin, but even if she could drift, she'd struggle with Ruhne's weight, too.

"Look out!"

The warning came a second too late, Thea turning just as the Skull tackled her to the floor. Her head knocked hard against the stone, pain sharp enough her vision darkened.

"Get up!" Ruhne wiggled against her, freeing himself from her jacket just as fingers wrapped themselves around her throat. "Thea!"

Her lungs ached, struggling for every breath. Reaching up, she clawed his hands with her nails, but even as she broke skin, he did nothing but tighten his grip. There was no emotion behind his eyes. Not anger, or even determination. It was completely blank, as if he were already dead.

Giving up with trying to loosen his hold, Thea reached around for something. Anything. Fingers brushing against a rock, she hit it across his head. The rock cracked against the side of his temple, blood bursting hot against her face. But still his fingers didn't ease, her lungs now burning.

Fuck!

With all her remaining strength, she jerked her body to the side, the momentum rolling them both over the edge and into the canal. His fingers loosened as darkness eloped her, the water so cold it knocked any remaining energy. She reached the surface, finally breaking free and able to take a much needed breath. Water choked her, splashing against her face as she struggled.

"Where is he?" she asked, turning to swim in a circle. "Ruhne, where is – "

"Thea!" Ruhne screeched, hovering high above.

The Skull breached the water by a boat, hand stretched to grip her arm. His face was still perfect other than where she'd hit him, a charm rather than face-paint. Which was an odd thing to care about when she was moments from an unnecessary and painful death.

He yanked her toward him, her legs fighting against him despite the cold. Glitter drifted over them, and Thea noticed Ruhne hovering by the anchor. Gathering the last of her strength, she kicked him straight in the face.

The anchor dropped, the clink of the chains rattling before a heavy thump. The splash was thunderous, the wave catching her in the face as the anchor pulled the Skull beneath the water with it.

"Get out!" Ruhne shouted, sweeping to fly just above her. His wings squeaked, moving far slower than they should.

Thea nodded, spitting the water from her mouth as she swam to the other side. With shaking arms she pulled herself onto the bank, looking over her shoulder. The water was calm, not a single ripple on the surface.

"Are you okay?" Ruhne hovered in front of her face.

Thea spat out more water. "Yeah, I think so." Her throat hurt, but he hadn't damaged anything permanently. The entire thing had lasted less than two minutes, and she knew it could have been much worse. Climbing to her feet, she forced herself to walk, following the canal further up until she could cross to a train station. She took the stairs two at a time, going down into the underground. It was much quieter than she expected, with only a few commuters walking through the barriers and down the tunnels. Music drifted from somewhere, a violin playing a haunting melody that echoed against the tiles.

No one seemed to notice her soaking wet, or that she had a pixie flying beside her head, leaving a flood of glitter in his wake.

Pulling out her phone and thanking any god that was listening that it was waterproof, she tried to tap the barrier to pass. Except her wild magic was interfering, not allowing her to press any buttons.

"Bloody thing," she muttered, trying to calm down enough that her skin didn't prickle. Her phone vibrated, the screen flashing static as it automatically cancelled an incoming call from Molly. "Fucking…"

A hand encircled her upper arm, and before she could scream, something pressed against her lips.

"Quiet," Jax said in his familiar rasp.

"Holy shitballs!" Ruhne said. "We thought you were another weirdo with their face painted!"

Thea relaxed back, his body warm against her freezing one. When he didn't release her mouth, she used teeth.

Jax's hold tightened for a second before he stepped back. "You bit me."

"What the fuck?" She turned and hit him. "You scared me half to death."

His eyes narrowed, sweeping down to take in her wet clothes and hair. "I told you to stay put."

"And I'm not a dog." She wanted to shove him again; she even tensed before he grabbed her wrists. With little strength, he pulled her away from the barriers. "How do you keep finding me?" she asked, her teeth rattling.

Jax waited until some of the crowd passed, the lights above so bright they hurt her eyes. "How many Skulls?"

Ruhne hovered by his face. "Only the one. And we think he's dead."

Jax cocked his head, the silver around his irises growing. "Any Veyn?"

Thea's entire body shook. "No," she managed to push out.

A tic pulsed along his jaw. "Come on, we need to get moving."