Jillian jumped to her feet and peered out through a hole in the board covering the single window of the run down building. The pre-dawn glow in the sky made her breath a sigh of relief. She would've kicked herself if she'd overslept today of all days. There were an awful lot of things she needed to do in preparation for Lord Tumik's yearly costume ball. This year's festivities would be different due to the Star of Silinil. Tumik inherited the piece 8 months ago upon the death of his wealthy, eccentric uncle, who'd been living in Kor Toi the past 20 years.
The Star of Silinil was a sapphire the size of a child's clenched fist, said to be worth more than 30,000 in gold. If the rumors were right, the gem also possessed some minor magical powers that could be invoked by the person carrying it, as long as they understood the principles of magecraft. Tumik's uncle had the Star incorporated into a platinum necklace of astounding workmanship. Lord Tumik's much younger wife, Vana would wear the beautiful necklace tonight, inspiring jealousy in all the wealthy guests, and intense greed in the thieves who somehow managed to gain entry into the estate where the ball was being held.
As the proprietor of Dunwold's Domestic Attendants, Jillian automatically received an invitation to the huge galas that relied on her maids and servants to make them a success. It was a reputable business started by her mother with blackmail money she'd received from a nobleman to keep her mouth shut about their relationship, and the pregnancy that resulted from their brief, yet torrid affair. Jillian often wondered if her passion for stealing from nobles came from her hated of the noble father who had refused to acknowledge her. Perhaps she was just plain greedy and her thievery had nothing to do with any psychological effects.
She pulled away from the boarded window and let her eyes pan the room until they came upon Rowan. Although his eyes were closed she knew that didn't necessarily mean he was asleep. She poked him until he opened those beautiful, baby blue orbs to find her staring at him. "The heist I'm planning for tonight is worth 15,000 gold coins."
Jillian felt no guilt about her lie. After all, she'd been planning this theft all on her own for over a month. She might even succeed at pulling it off without their help and saw no need to tell Rowan the true value of the piece. Such knowledge might only make him as greedy as she was then they'd have a major problem. If he wasn't satisfied with the money she was about to offer him and a few of his friends for their assistance, he could go to hell for all she cared.
"I'm willing to give you 20% of that to split with 3 of your friends should the 4 of you decide to aid me. That's a decent percentage considering the only thing you and your boys have to do is provide a distraction should I happen to need one. Think about it. If you like the deal meet me at The Rose Blossom Inn in one hour and then we'll discuss more of the details." Remembering he wasn't familiar with the city, she rattled off directions to the eatery.
Turning away from him, Jillian adjusted her filthy cap then exited the building once again. She crept along the still darkened streets swiftly, pausing only briefly to nod to a few beggars awake at this early hour. Her fast pace brought her to the front door of her quaint home in less than 20 minutes. While rushing toward the bathroom, she stripped off her dirty clothing and shoved the garments inside a small closet in a corner of the room hidden behind a floor length tapestry. Thanks to the indoor plumbing she had installed 2 years ago, she completed her bath quickly.
Once dressed in a long green skirt with a matching blouse, she tugged on black leather boots that added a couple of inches to her normal 5'3 height. With a steady hand, she applied kohl to her eyes, rouge to her cheeks, and a dab of scented oil to her full lips to keep them moist. After using her fingertips to fluff out her shoulder length auburn hair, she grabbed a bag full of work related items and headed out the door.
Since the Rose Blossom Inn was located right around the corner from her home she didn't have far to walk. She took a seat at a table near the door and smiled at the middle aged serving woman who'd taken her order for the past year.
"You're early today, hon. Still want the usual?"
Jillian nearly nodded out of habit but caught herself. "Just bring the java for now, Hazla. I'm waiting for a distant cousin, visiting from Rhudma, to join me. We'll be eating breakfast together."
When Hazla left the table, Jillian turned her eyes to the window. Would Rowan show up? Smudging some dirt on my nose might help him recognize me faster. She grinned then added sugar and milk to the java Hazla delivered.
