Nothing hurts twice.
Most thieves waited till nightfall; Skyler Lock thought that was amateur work.
Night made people paranoid, made the guards grip their hilts and wealthy merchants clutch their coin purses like scared rabbits. Broad daylight, though? Daylight makes people lazy. Under the blinding noon sun, a five-foot-two girl in a faded black tanktop, frayed cargo shorts, and those big scuffed combat boots wasn’t a threat—she was just gutter scenery.
Sky rested her shoulder against the warm brick of an apothecary shop, letting the heat soak into the knit arm warmers pulled snug over her wrists. With a bored, dark-rimmed gaze, she watched a fat merchant two stalls over count out silver coins with butter-soft fingers.
A crooked smirk pulled at the left side of her mouth, revealing the sharp, slightly pointier canine that caught briefly against her lower lip. Easy money. Sky pushed off the sun-warmed brick, her plan set.
A dry midday gust blew in from beyond the city walls, carrying the sharp scent of pine sap and damp loam from the massive fringe-forest that swallowed the horizon. Out there, past the outer gates, the trees grew thick and dangerous enough to swallow entire trade caravans whole. But here, in the square, that wild edge was bottled up into lucrative business—spices, pelts, and rare timber that bloated merchant purses.
She let her shoulders slump, dragging her heavy boots in a lazy slouch that made her look half-asleep. Her layered silver chains clinked softly beneath her tank top, masked by the clatter of a lumber wagon rolling over cobblestones. Two more steps and she’d in the merchant’s blind spot.
One. Two.
In the span of a single heartbeat, Sky slipped into position. Her black-painted nails moved with practiced precision—no hesitation, no wasted motion…
The bag fell into her palm as she tucked it away without a glance. She continued walking, not skipping a beat, as she made her way. Then she ran into someone, a past one-night-stand, who clearly wanted more. “Hey pretty thing, how about we go somewhere quiet,” he said with a smirk.
She simply rolled her eyes, “Buzz off before someone gets hurt.”
His face hardened slightly, “I wasn’t asking,” he reached for her arm but she’s quicker.
In one motion she kicked his leg from under him and slammed him to the ground by his throat. “You…witch..” he choked out, her eyes narrowed. “I’m not a witch.” She slammed his head down hard before standing back up, brushing herself off and continued on her way. Others glanced but no one dared get close.
As she made her way down the dusty road, whatever she saw that caught her eye she slipped it into her pocket without hesitation, taking jewelry, gems and even clothes. She headed for the looming forest that the town stayed away from, her home.
The scorching sun turned to cool shade and a gentle breeze, the bustle of town quieted until there was only the birds chirping and distant water flowing. Once the town was out of sight, she entered the cave. Opening the wooden door revealed a cozy home decorated with nature everywhere you looked. There was a soft rug, a fireplace ready to be lit, a big couch with fluffy pillows and a soft blanket draped over it. The smell of lavender and vanilla filled the space as she headed to the table to count her loot. Though when she dumped it out, there was a note written on an old parchment with crude handwriting.
Something in her told her this shouldn’t be here, she didn’t open it but instead moved it aside for now. She went back to her loot and finished counting, then she went to the kitchen for something to munch on, her stomach rumbling.
