with people and flowers had bloomed in the summers. Before Thor, Loki, Odin, and the rest of the gods died. When the High Elves had lived in Elfheim, and Midguard was the world of men. But fate was unforgiving, and as foretold, civilization had crumbled into the apocalyptic, icy shit-show we had now. A world in which Night Elves like me lived underground. A world I was trying to destroy, one illegal job at a time.
“Does he have more than one song?” Barthol asked.
“Just that one.” I hummed the melody over the headset. “Brilliant, though, isn’t it? I don’t know who Rick Roll was, but he just seems very… loyal. He was committed to someone. A warrior, maybe, thinking of returning to his lost love.” I could feel my eyes getting misty as I tried to peer through the crossbow sight. “When we get back to the flat I can give you a copy—”
“Wait, hold on, sis,” Barthol interrupted. “The last security guard just left. I think we’re on. Is your side clear?”
My heartbeat kicked up a notch. “Let me check.”
I tensed, then shifted forward, peering down at the street below. Empty. No cars, no bicyclists, no one out walking their dog. Just whirling snow and silence. My breath fogged as I exhaled.
This wasn’t the first night my brother and I had spent studying the routines of the bank’s security. I knew that the last elven guard went home at midnight, the bank stood empty until six a.m. During the day a manager worked exactly opposite my vantage point, in a room with dark wood and marble floors. I knew the manager sometimes slipped a gold piece or two into his jacket pocket when he thought no one was looking. I knew all the bank’s secrets.
And, most importantly, I knew that I’d die if I failed.
The Shadow Lords had made that clear when they’d sent us here to steal a safe deposit box. The box held an object that might lead us to Galin—a High Elf sorcerer. Long ago, he’d worked for the king. He was the one who’d imprisoned our people in caverns deep underground. If we could find Galin, we had a chance at freeing ourselves.
If the High Elves caught me, I’d be executed.
But it was all worth the risk. If I could steal the safe deposit box tonight, we had a chance to free our people.
“My side is clear,” I said, sounding calmer than I felt.
“Okay, go anytime.”
My finger hovered over the trigger. “I’m going to take the shot.”
“Okay,” whispered Barthol. “Good luck, Ali.”
I checked that my vergr crystal was ready to go before I resighted down the scope. This time, I allowed the pad of my index finger to rest lightly on the trigger. Then I slowly squeezed, and with a soft twang, the bolt shot over the street—directly into the center of the window.
Bullseye.
I leapt up, slung the crossbow over my shoulder, then snatched up my vergr crystal. As the glass shattered on the street below, I hurled the crystal. It spun, glittering in the moonlight, until it disappeared through the shattered opening across the street.
I slung my crossbow over my back, securing the leather strap. Time to get into the bank.
“Fara,” I whispered under my breath.
Purple light flashed around me, and cold magic skimmed my body as the spell whisked me away. When the purple light dimmed, I found myself on the manager’s mahogany desk. A rush of frigid wind whipped in through the broken window. I scanned the room until I spotted my crystal at my feet. Snatching it up, I slipped it in my pocket, then crouched perfectly still and listened to the silence.
I wasn’t worried about the manager—he’d left hours ago—but I was worried about the runes. I’d seen them earlier—the protection runes covering the windowpane. Runes linked directly to the High Elf police force. At best, I had about two minutes to break into the vault before the law arrived. I jumped down from the desk and rushed into a hall of ivory marble and walnut walls.
That was when I smelled my first big problem.
There was still a guard in the building, one that I hadn’t accounted for.
“They’ve got a draugr,” I whispered into my headset.
When Barthol didn’t respond, I stuffed my headset in my pocket. Probably the thick walls of the bank were interfering with the reception. Of course, my brother couldn’t help me fight the undead from where he was.