Read Online Honor Among Thieves by Elaine Cunningham - Free Book Online Page B

the
human’s words over and over in her mind.
    He could be right. It was possible. If for some
reason Asteria thought her capable of treachery, the Thorn would
confirm her suspicions.
    On the other hand, it was possible that someone had
accused Honor of wrongdoing, and Asteria knew that only the
ceremonial dagger would prove her innocence beyond doubt.
    The more Honor thought about this, the more likely it
seemed.
    There was, of course, one other possibility:
    Rhendish was lying to her because he wanted the Thorn
for himself. What better way to learn of its power than placing it
in the hands of an elf he so obviously controlled?
    And if he was lying about this, what else might he be
keeping from her?
    She turned off the street and walled through the arch
leading into a city park, one of the small green spaces that dotted
the city. Perhaps standing under the shade of these trees would
lend her a moment of peace and clarity.
    The tumult of her thoughts began to wane as she
walked along the paths. A lone songbird called from a butternut
tree. She stopped and whistled back the little fragment of melody.
The bird flitted down to a lower branch and hopped closer, its
little head tipped inquisitively to one side.
    She held out one hand and repeated the bird’s call.
Tiny black eyes regarded her as if taking her measure. Honor called
again. The bird leaped into the air and winged off toward the far
end of the park.
    Honor stood in stunned silence. No forest bird had
ever fled from her before.
    “Have you city birds forgotten the elves?” she said
softly. “Or has Rhendish changed me beyond recognition?”
    She headed toward a small man-made pond, half
wondering if the reflection in it would be familiar. A stand of
meadow flowers near the pond caught her eye. She moved over for a
closer look.
    Most of the flowers were yellow and blue blossoms
common to the northland meadows. A pang of remorse struck Honor as
she remembered the sprite Rhendish had forced her to kill. She
glanced down at the palm of her sword hand, half expecting to see
it stained with gold and blue dust from tiny crushed wings.
    Honor pushed this thought aside. Some instinct had
drawn her to the meadow flowers. She closed her eyes and stilled
her mind.
    When she opened her eyes, her gaze fell upon a patch
of wild carrots. The large, lacy white flowers swayed on delicate
stalks longer than Honor’s arm.
    A light began to dawn in the back of Honor’s mind.
She didn’t dare hope that the idea taking shape would gain her her
freedom, but it might enable her to do her duty.
    She stooped and snapped off several of the flowers
near the base of the stem. Bouquet in hand, she headed toward the
Fox Den, and the fey-touched madman who might become her most
valuable ally.
    * * *
    Fox sat on the edge of Avidan’s worktable, eyeing a
vase of meadow flowers with a mixture of curiosity and concern.
That the alchemist would keep a bouquet of wild carrot blossoms in
his workroom was strange enough. His motivation for keeping them in
blood red liquid was something Fox didn’t care to contemplate.
Whatever the reason, the color had worked its way up the narrow
stems, dying the lacy white blossoms a deep shade of rose.
    The alchemist sprinkled a handful of green crystals
into a bowl of water and attacked them with a whisk. Crystals broke
apart, sending blood-red streaks swirling through the water.
    Fox was beginning to sense a disturbing theme.
    “Should I be worried about that concoction?”
    “It stings a little, if that’s a concern,” Avidan
said without looking up from his work. “This is an aqueous solution
of mercury. It prevents wounds from going septic.”
    The alchemist’s tone was confident and his movements
precise and practiced. At moments like this, Fox could envision
Avidan leading a successful foray into Muldonny’s mansion. They
would walk in through the well-guarded gates without a qualm,
Avidan would discourse learnedly with the adept, Fox would