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Aurora’s World: Ialaera: Mirica: A Thief in the House (part 8)
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
“I wish he’d had time to do something stupid.” Nico blinked, as though he was trying to stop himself from crying. “He’d managed to walk halfway up the street before a thief got hold of him, because, as I told my parents, my brother had bloomed with a rare power and he wasn’t going to be safe if he left the house. The husk that was left behind was one that I’ve left behind myself, more times than I can remember, but it’s different when it’s family. Feeling more angry than I’d ever felt before I picked him up and took him home, to show my parents what their selfishness had done to him, and that was when they realised that I’d been telling them the truth.
“My father told me, the shock in his eyes still there, that he thought I’d been lying to them when I told them that my brother had a rare ability. They, for some reason, didn’t accept that I knew much more about magic than they did, considering what I am, what I’ve done, and why I’ve done it.” Nico sighed. “Now I refuse to go back home, unless I know for certain that one of my siblings might bloom, because I can’t look at them. There was this huge part of me that wanted to hurt them the way they’d hurt me, but I didn’t. I told myself it wasn’t worth it, not when they have three other children who need them.”
“Why are you a thief, Nico?” Mirica asked, suddenly realising that she’d never, like most people probably hadn’t, thought about why thieves did what they did. It was too easy to assume they were just in it for the money.
“Being a magic user doesn’t give you a lot of options.” Nico studied Mirica. “I was wandering the streets for a year before I was found by someone who knew about the Hideout, although they didn’t live here any more, and I knew there was a chance that I might end up having my magic stolen. Now that I am a thief I know what we actually look for and I doubt that anyone would have thought my abilities were tempting, especially as I’m not particularly strong. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on your point of view, I am a good thief. I make a lot of money and most of that goes towards paying for rooms for people who need them.
“You see, Rica, the Hideout isn’t just the home of the thieves, even though it did start out that way. No, it’s a sanctuary for magic users, and they need people like us, people who are willing to do something immoral, to make sure they have that. They don’t know it’s me who pays for their living accommodation, but I know they appreciate having it, because if they didn’t they’d just be another target wandering the streets with no other option.” He shrugged. “I might not be a nice person, but I am doing a good deed.”
Mirrored from K. A. Webb Writing.
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