Chapter 19 - The Thief's Tale

Another challenging task under her belt, Kessa sits back to enjoy the spoils of her hard work. Believing her cleverness and generosity will provide a window through which she can crawl to improve her relationship with Aquestria, she finds reality is much crueler. Rumours, like leaves caught in a whirlpool, have been circulating, dampening the sisters' rapport. What happens when one of the rumours happens to be true?   Audio version of, The Thief's Tale, written and read by Meena Mason. Copyright © Meena Mason   Chapter 19 Excerpt: The sixteen-year-old blonde spy hummed to herself as she approached the city’s collection house. It was a medium-sized structure, constructed mostly of wattle and daub with embellishments of wood and stone. Several windows with decorative shutters lent the building an open air, though, upon close inspection, the thick, closed curtains on the inside detracted from this as did the gated door. Despite the quaint appearance, the building exuded a general impression of snobbery, avarice, and intolerance; perhaps its reputation was tainted by the attitudes of the tax clerks and collectors who worked there. A shiver of discomfort running down her spine, Kessa entered and pulled the door closed behind her. She beheld six pairs of eyes settling on her like she was an ugly duckling. Sliding his garish reading glasses down his nose, one of the tax clerks drawled, “How may I… help you?”