Page 26 of A Forgery of Fate

I ducked under the leaves, darting a quick glance behind me—but the manor was quiet, not a guard in sight. Every Oyang property had patrols. So why, today, in the middle of the afternoon, was this one deserted?

Apprehension knotted in my gut. “Just hurry up, Tru,” I mumbled to myself.

I climbed higher, advancing up the tree until I could see into the garden on the other side of the wall.

If someone had told me the grounds below belonged to the emperor himself, I would’ve believed it. The garden was resplendent, an oasis from Gangsun’s jumble of sweat and spices. Each shrub was meticulously cared for without a single dry patch, the flowers—azaleas and magnolias and others I couldn’t name—bloomed bright and healthy, and a cerulean pond was framed by sloping pathways and multiple arched footbridges.

Among all this natural beauty lay my scroll, nestled in a thorny bed of the ugliest roses I’d ever seen.

The only thing separating us was this damned wall. It wouldn’t be a pretty fall, with all those prickly vines, but I didn’t hesitate.Fortune finds those who leap,I thought, bracing myself. Then I jumped.

My elbows scraped against the wall, and sharp thorns grazed my ankles and back. But by some miracle, I landed on my feet.

I swept a leaf off my trousers and waded through a thicket of black roses poking at my skin. The flowers were like inkblots, dark and shapeless, their stems covered in big, fat thorns.

Thorns, it turned out, that had cut into my scroll.

I couldn’t believe it. After everything—fighting off Puhkan, running across half of Gangsun, and eluding the prefects—my scroll was ripped, torn right through the center of my dragon. So much for selling it.

I plucked up my scroll and angrily snapped off an offendingflower. Now how was I going to get forty-eight thousand jens? How was I going to save Fal?

As soon as I looked up, I had my answer. Across the garden was a compound of blue-tiled houses overlooking yet another long and limpid pond. Sunlight gilded their curved roofs, and my desperate imagination pinioned precious rubies and emeralds onto the geometric lattices of each window. My morale was instantly boosted.

Get inside and steal something,I instructed myself.Jewels, silks, gold, and jade.That ring with the nine pearls.

The ring was in my future. Was I meant to steal it here—in this manor?Yes,I thought, as I wound my damaged scroll to a close. I picked up my feet and started treading out of the flower beds.

First I’d have to get out of this garden. The fastest way was across a gallery of winding footpaths, but obviously I couldn’t take that. Thankfully, there was the pond. Framed by a forest of tall reeds, it led all the way to the main mansion.

I ducked into the reeds and made my move. Every now and then, I darted a glance at the wooden pavilion overlooking the water, but I saw no one inside. Still, I steered clear of it by keeping close to the banks. Halfway to the mansion, a turtle emerged by my side, skimming the surface of the pond.

At first I ignored it. Then, when it craned its neck out of the water to peer at me, I nearly fell back in astonishment. The creature was enormous—the sort that swam with whales and lived for centuries. And it didn’t look pleased to see me.

“My turtle doesn’t like trespassers,” growled a thick voice from behind. “That makes two of us.”

My heart lurched in my chest. I started to run, but a flashof lacquered wood shot out from behind me, hooking me by the arm. I tottered along the edge of the pond, and for a fleeting second, I considered diving into the water.

“I would reconsider that escape plan if I were you,” the stranger warned. “My turtle has orders to drown anyone she deems…unfriendly.”

The cuff around my arm turned out to be the handle of a dark red umbrella. I wrenched at it, but the stranger’s hold was firm.

“I won’t warn you again.”

“You must not get very many guests,” I muttered.

“None,” he confirmed. His shadow eclipsed me. “Turn around.”

With a grimace, I obeyed. In my periphery, I glimpsed a figure shrouded entirely in black, from the hem of his cloak to his sleeves, obsidian threads so finely woven they glittered under the light of the sun. I raised my gaze—to a man in a demon mask.

Wonderful, absolutely wonderful. Of all the manors to infiltrate, I’d pickedthisone.

I found my voice. “Now, that is the most impressive-looking festival mask I’ve ever seen.”

I could hear his bewildered exhale, equal parts disdain and disbelief. A tiny triumph, catching him off guard. But his distraction didn’t last long.

He speared the end of his umbrella into the ground with such force that I jumped back.

“Why are you here?” he snarled. “Speak the truth, or it’ll be the dust of your bones that nourishes this garden tonight. Starting with the roses you so dishonorably tried to steal.”

---