Arya knew that if she laughed, she would be found, but Aurora’s ‘evil’ laugh was so, so funny. She sounded like an eagle with a sore throat.
Arya shivered behind the wall of crates, shifting. Aurora’s henchpeople, Star and Nova, were leaning on some. She thought back to the circumstances leading her to spy on these thieves.
“The Nocturnals are out tonight. Just stay home, don’t go out.”
“I don’t have any plans anyways. Good night, Sasha.”
The Nocturnals were a trio of burglars - more like common thieves that had gone big, in Arya’s opinion.
‘The Nocturnals Strike Again!’ ‘Police Suspect Nocturnals Involvement!’ ‘Nocturnals Calling Card Left At Robbed House!’
They stole art and jewellery, but only at night. That was how they had earned their name. They always left behind a card with an image of three stars on it.
Arya thought she would be fine if she stayed home, but she had to go out to the pier - her jacket was still at the curio store, where she worked.
The pier was cold; boards rattled, the wind howled, and her hair flew wildly around her head. The sky was an inky black, dotted with tiny diamond-like stars. A boat on the water was being loaded… wait.
The boat hadn’t been there an hour earlier when Arya went home, so it must have docked recently. Three people were carrying crates into the boat, which made her pause. Only three? Quite a light crew.
They finally moved away from the boat, and Arya crept forward, sneaking into the boat. She hid behind the crates that were already there. She squinted, eyes adjusting to the dark of the small cabin, and stifled a gasp.
The crates - they had the Nocturnals’ symbol on them!
Eventually, the thieves returned, bringing Arya to her current predicament. Unfortunately, that was the moment she chose to cough - I hate the dust! she thought - and froze.
“Star, there’s someone here,” said Aurora. “How curious, right?”
Star seemed to agree, and Arya was suddenly hauled up with an “Ah-ha!”
The young women before her were striking. They wore make-up, and their eyes were framed with dramatic eyeshadow. All of them looked slightly similar, and it took her a moment to realise they were sisters.
She desperately thought of what her mother had told her about calming people down. Establish a friendly rapport, don’t look silly. Unfortunately, her brain hadn’t gotten the memo.
“Aren’t you the thieves?” she blurted out before she could stop herself. She swallowed as the ladies pinned her with identical looks of affront.
“Thieves?” repeated Nova. “Oh, no, darling. We steal from thieves.”
“You… what?” Arya said dumbly.
“Yes,” said Aurora. “The people who have these things have usually stolen them themselves.” She gestured around the cramped cabin.
“Oh, okay. That’s… nice of you. Can you drop me back?”
“Of course!” exclaimed Aurora.
Arya’s entire world was tilting on its axis. A little over half an hour later, she got out of the sleek black car before her apartment building. She smiled at Aurora, the driver.
It was only until she had gotten up to her door that she realised – she had forgotten to get her jacket.
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