11. Adina

11

ADINA

I woke to the feel of my lookout's tentacles suddenly squeezing me, letting me know it was time to move. I opened my eyes with a groan, then turned to glare at my little pet. "Already, Bingo?"

My lookout was an ancient physical model instead of a modern touch hologram, a relic I'd salvaged from a dump when I was fifteen.

Bingo blinked innocently at me with his big, single eye.

"You're not fooling anyone," I said.

Blink... blink, blink, blink.

"I know I told you to wake me up, but that doesn't mean I have to be happy about it."

Blink, blink.

I sighed and patted his head as I stared at the blood-red sky. The sun was setting, casting an eerie glow over the towering skyscrapers of Londabad. Soon, it would be cool enough for the rais and ranis to hit the streets, and that meant it was time for me to go to work.

I wasn't the only thief in Londabad who targeted the offspring of the rich and powerful, the "peerage," as they called themselves. Their children were little princes and princesses, or "rais" and "ranis," depending on which part of Londabad they were from. They were generally very well guarded, but the reward was more than worth the risk, especially when you were as skilled as I was. The jewels, the credits, or better yet, the chance of getting hold of a fingerprint or DNA sample were too good to pass up. I might eat well for months off one take.

I swung off the roof of the three-story home I'd been resting on down to the balcony, then flipped to the ground. The wind rushed past me, carrying the scent of spices and machinery that was uniquely Londabad. I landed right next to the elderly woman to whom the house belonged.

She scowled at me from beneath her pale blue veil. "Where did you come from?" she demanded, raising an accusatory finger at me.

"Nowhere, madam," I told her as I turned and walked away, my footsteps silent on the cracked pavement. "Nowhere at all."

I was Adina of no home, no family name, and no note. She would forget me in minutes.

I tried not to let that bother me as I rubbed my hands together, warming up my fingers as I headed for the Riverfront Promenade. The city's neon lights were starting to flicker on, casting a kaleidoscope of colors across the polluted water of the Londabad river.

Time to have some fun .

As I made my way through the crowded streets, I was dimly aware of the mix of modern technology and ancient traditions, all set against a backdrop of post-apocalyptic decay. The pandemics, famines, civil wars, and finally, nuclear attacks had killed most of Earth's human population, but they had happened so long ago that most people didn't remember which had come first and which had been the most devastating, or how the survivors had managed to build this bizarre and wondrous city from the ashes of the past while infusing it with the magic dust of the future.

Hovercraft zipped by overhead while street vendors peddled glowing amulets and cybernetic enhancements. Others sold fruit and baked goods, and still others offered an array of colorful fabrics to make beautiful outfits.

I hungered for it all, but a full belly took precedence over a new set of clothes that weren't falling apart and held together by endless mending. Perhaps I should just break into one of the aristocrats' homes and steal something to wear.

Right. As if a thief like me could strut around looking like a damn princess. I was better off wearing rags and being ignored.

The Riverfront Promenade loomed ahead, a glittering strip of excess in a city of have-nots. I slipped into the crowd, my eyes already scanning for potential marks. A group of young rais caught my attention, their laughter carrying over the general din of the promenade.

As I moved closer, I couldn't help but smile. This was going to be interesting. I took a deep breath, feeling the familiar rush of adrenaline coursing through my veins.

Time to have some fun.