Disclaimer: I'm getting sick of this.

Chapter 9

"C'mon!" Colt called impatiently.

"We can't go yet," Briar replied. "We have some things to do first."

Colt scowled. "Like what? You think the Thief Lord's just inviting her over for tea? She could be hurt, she could be scared- she could be dead and we won't know until we get there!" Colt's breath came in heaving gasps.

Briar shook him a little harder than was necessary. "Listen," he told the younger boy softly. "We can't help Kodi by just rushing in. We need to prepare. Besides, Kodi's not dead, hurt, or even all that scared. I can tell, through my magical bond to her."

Briar let go, and Colt backed away, rubbing his shoulder. "Why do you care anyway?" he muttered. "What happens to her ain't no skin off your neb."

Briar looked at him steadily. "I discovered her power, so she's my responsibility, 'least 'til I find a teacher for her. I'm not about to let her get hurt by the Thief Lord."

Colt shrugged, unconvinced. "What do we gotta do?"

"Find out where she is, for a start."

"That's easy," Colt replied. "I know where the Thief Lord's hideout is. And can't you follow the magical stringy thing? It told you when she was missing."

"With that, it's better to have a general idea first. The magical bond goes through buildings we have to go around, and it doesn't follow roads. 'Sides, I don't think she's where the Thief Lord usually is."

"Tunnel," Colt said.

"Exactly," Briar replied. "We also need to figure out what we're going to do when we get there."

Colt closed his eyes. He was used to this kind of strategic thinking. In gang wars and when plotting out places to burgle, you had to figure out how to play up your strengths, and compensate for weaknesses. It was the same here.

Finally, he spoke. "We have surprise on our side. The Thief Lord doesn't think anyone's gonna come after her, so he probably didn't bother to hide her real good."

Briar nodded approvingly. "He always underestimates his street kids. It's his worst weakness."

"So I was thinking," Colt continued, "that you could handle the Thief Lord and any of his mages, and I'll find Kodi. Can she do anything to help once she's free?" He twiddled his fingers to indicate magic.

"I doubt it," Briar sighed. "She hasn't learned to control her power, and she hasn't done any magic without me to walk her through it. We're on our own on this one."

* * *

"So… Can I leave now?" Kodi asked.

The Thief Lord raised his eyebrows. "No. Then you will just run without completing the job. "

"I won't," Kodi assured him.

"Then how do you plan on stealing the artifact if you don't even know what it looks like?"

Kodi cursed under her breath. The Thief Lord might put on airs like a noble, but he was street through and through. She couldn't keep underestimating him!

"So what is this artifact I have to steal?" she asked.

"The Eth Rhilasang." He said the name with a reverence Kodi understood. Even the name brought goose bumps to her skin.

"What's it mean?" she whispered.

"It's in Kurchali, the language of the Kurchal Empire," he explained. "Loosely translated it means 'The Unraveller'. It is a small silver disk, with engraved writing in Kurchali and emerald in the center."

"What does it do?"

The Thief Lord smiled his wolfish grin again. "That's my secret. You just need to know how to find it, not use it. Now come here."

Kodi approached with growing trepidation. She had a feeling that whatever was going to happen, she wasn't going to like.

"This is to make sure you don't run away," the Thief Lord said nastily, pulling out a copper wire shaped like a thorny vine. It blazed in Kodi's new found magical vision. "Now hold out your arm." Seeing that she made no move to obey, he grabbed her arm himself, gave it a sharp twist, and pressed the wire to her inner forearm. Instantly Kodi's vision blurred as a burning pain shot through her body. The pain was magical as well as physical. A hook stuck into her power's very core, leading to the wire's brand.

"It's a tracker," he told her as she examined the vine shaped burn on her forearm, trying not to be sick. He continued, "It cost me three gold maja's to pay the mage who made it." His cold laugh gave Kodi the distinct impression that the mage hadn't lived to enjoy his wealth for very long.

Kodi started to back out of the room, and when he made no move to stop her, she ran out of the chamber and into the tunnel.

A/N

Hello everybody! I just wanted to leave a note saying that it might be two weeks before I update, as I'm going somewhere for Spring Break that doesn't have computer access.

Thanks to Steph Silverstar, Manga_Lover123, goombahan, FBluvr, and Another Chance for reviewing. Have a good spring holiday!