Christel could remember the gold, shining in the moonlight, gathered up in the home that they shared and he heard a distant voice, “It’s her or the gold.” And then he remembered the warmth that filled him when their lips touched. He felt the warmth of her skin. That incredible feeling of being alive.
He opened his eyes and faced the baroness across the table. “I remember,” he remarked. “Hazel…”
Suddenly the shapeless mass within his mind began to take form. He saw her standing upon the balcony, beneath a river of stars, amidst a thousand sparkling fireflies. In that moment he was stopped, and then she turned her hazel eyes to him, and once again he fell in love. Her hair fell in streaks over her small and gentle face, and the rest fell down her back in a long platted coil; colours were weaved through it and upon her crown rested a shining diamond tiara.
She wore a white dress that in no way hindered her lovely figure; it flowed around her as she moved. A silver necklace hung around her neck, with a precious ruby resting lightly upon her breast. Of all the gems they had stolen together, that was her favourite.
Christel stood in silence for longer than usual, trying to imagine if this wonderful scene upon the balcony was real, or just some blissful dream. He smiled at her, and broke the silence – their words rang out through the night. “You’ve changed your hair.”
Hazel ran her hand down the length of her plat. “I have.” And then she spun around like a ballerina.
“You look beautiful.” He took her hand and give himself entirely to her, and she placed herself in his arms, and soon enough they were swaying side to side to some invisible music shared within their minds. “Shall we dance like we did the day we met?”
He spun her, and she fell away like a flower, and then stepped back towards him. “Clashing swords and screaming guards?” she insisted. “I seem to remember some handcuffs involved as well.”
Christel laughed, and Hazel’s smile shined like the moon – so bright and beautiful. “You’ve lost none of your fire.”
Hazel spun again. “Well, we’ve only been retired a year. Is it getting boring?”
The question took him by surprise, and he pressed her closer to him. “Boring? No.”
She teased him with her eyes. “Oh come now, I’ve seen you down stairs, swinging your sword around the basement like some mad vigilante. We can deny it if we like, but we’re thieves down to the bone. If you want something to fight for, why not go find Sam and see if he’ll let you join his freedom fighters? Or call in on Devin – there’s plenty of work to do in Taelliwey, I’m sure!”
Christel looked up at the stars and he knew that she was right, but it confused him all the same. “We fought for this, remember?” He gestured towards the house that they shared, the gold, the gardens, the stars. “We fought for us. What Sam’s doing, or Devin, that’s not for us.”
Suddenly she leaned in a kissed him, and wrapped her arms around his neck. He felt her breath as she said, “You are right though. Retirement isn’t as great as I thought. It’s dreadfully boring.”
Christel smiled and swept her into his arms. She was light, and she giggled as he carried her. He kissed her back. “Not when you’re like this.”
Their romance lasted long into the night.
The next morning the young couple received a stout knock upon their front door. Christel and Hazel were preparing breakfast at the time, so the kitchen was rich with the aroma of butter and cooking. They answered the door to find Samuel Ford standing in uniform – a gold sabre upon his waist.
Christel grinned. There was a time when seeing that uniform meant he was close to being caught, but not anymore. “Sam!” he cried. “What a pleasant surprise!”
The soldier laughed in a dignified sort of way. “It’s good to see you too,” he said, and he saw Hazel come up behind Christel. She had let her hair down, and having just woken up, it fell wildly around her shoulders. She wore a loose white shirt and a pair of cotton trousers. Even in this state she displayed all of her natural beauty with such subtle ease. Sam smiled at her. “Hazel, I see you’re looking as lovely as ever.”
Everything about her was a delight. “Hello Sam,” she said in return.
Christel placed a light hand on Sam’s shoulder. “Please come inside. Would you like a pancake? Or some tea?”
Sam followed him into the grand house. “Look at you,” he remarked. “You remind me of an old lady.”
“Luxuries of retirement. You know, we never thanked you properly. If you hadn’t have convinced the council to grant us that pardon, Hazel and I might have still been on the run. Our home and our lives are indebted to you.”
“Not at all,” Sam said. “You two deserve it. Alas, this isn’t a social visit.”
Christel moved over to the stove where his tea was brewing, and he poured a cup for Hazel and himself. They stood side by side, as husband and wife would, and they found the serious expression on Sam’s face. Christel sipped at his tea. “I noticed the uniform. I thought you were never going back to the military.”
Sam frowned. “You were right. Before the council I have the right to resign. I’ve been leading a group of freedom fighters along the border of the Morroak ever since I stepped down – Juliet is among them. I feel as though something strange is going on. By the order of the king I was reinstated, but I am still unsure about the task they gave me.”
“Tread lightly, Sam,” Christel urged. “We’ve heard whispers in Eden. The political situation in Noveria is getting worse, and if someone doesn’t stop it, we could be facing a civil war.”
Sam agreed. “My thoughts exactly. You see, last week someone vandalised the Lady Arial’s Basilica in Surra, and they took something very important.” The shock swept over Christel and Hazel. “Based on the briefing, the score – in total value – triples that of your Taellian Treasury heist. Naturally, the Surian’s are pointing their fingers at Taelliwey. My job is to find the true culprit.”
Hazel placed her hand over her chest. It didn’t look like much, but she knew that the basilica was a small fortress. “Oh my, you don’t think it was us, do you.”
Sam offered a polite smile. “No, you two look too comfortable to risk your lives on something like this, and we suspect it took a large team to penetrate the basilica’s defences.”
Suddenly Christel sensed where this conversation was heading. “You want us to help you catch whoever did this.” He said, already knowing the answer, and suddenly filling up with excitement.
“It takes one to catch one right, and you two are the best thieves in Noveria…”
“Were the best thieves,” Hazel pointed out, acknowledging that this new heist was beyond even their skill and expertise.
“Can I count on you to help me on this?” Sam asked.
Christel looked to his wife with a goofy smile – he could hardly contain his joy. They both nodded, and said, “We’ll do it!”
“And did you have any notion as to who did it?” the baroness asked. “Surely being a thief yourself, you must have known someone who was capable of robbing the bank?”
By this stage, Christel had had his fill of poisoned food. Now he sat still, drawn into the conversation. “At first I had a few suspicions,” he explained. “Hazel and I both new many great thieves throughout our lives, however most of them had either been arrested, killed, or forced to work for the government. It seemed all too likely at the time that Taelliwey could have applied one of their ‘assets’ to rob the bank in Surra, but I knew that’s what Sam didn’t want to hear, so I started by looking for other leads.”
“Like what?” the baroness asked.
Christel leaned forward. “The anomalies. You see, the basilica was impenetrable to any normal human being, however there were no limits to what the anomalies could do. I had thought of seeking out my old friend Arlandra Knight – I had heard he was tracking the other anomalies – but alas, I knew not where he was.”
ns 172.70.131.173da2