THIEF OF SPARKS

She thought she was stealing gold to save her brother . . . instead she steals a key that will unlock her destiny. I',m not the best thief who ever ran the rooftops of Starside. My brother is. Or was. But he',s sick and we need coin. Now it',s up to me. I won',t lie and say I don',t love hunting down drunken noblemen as they wander home from their late-night revelries. I do love it. I try not to hurt them. Not too badly, anyway. And they can spare the coin. But lately something',s changed. The dizziness has started and I',m seeing the glow . . . the magic power called the ",mercus.", It lets me see metal, even when it',s hidden under cloaks or inside pockets. What a wonderful power for a thief. If only I could control it. But my awakening to this magic has awakened that other mind. The one that',s been touching mine. It',s been talking to me. It',s been trying to command me to come to it. I won',t lie. I',m afraid. But that',s nothing new. In my sixteen years I',ve gotten good at being afraid. I know how to use that feeling. I know how to turn it against my enemies. Those who say I',m the prophesied one? They',re all fools. Here',s my prophecy for them