Why crows were attracted to the timepieces, Abe didn’t understand, but they made finding the spot easier. The castle wasn’t grand or sprawling like he imagined some castles to be; all he could make out was a tall, long wall split by a watchtower over an arched doorway. The crows, at least fifty of them, sat along the wall and tower, waiting. They fluffed their wings, strutted along the roof, and cawed occasionally from the edges of the small windows that speckled the brick edifice.

He heard something like a whimper and turned back to see Cece had stopped at least ten feet away. He and Ava exchanged a confused glance. They didn’t know much about this pickpocket, but one thing they did know was how little dark or ‘creepy’ places intimidated her. She’d made that clear in the catacombs.

“Come on,” hissed Ava. “What’re you doing?”

Cece tried to speak, but another whimper escaped. She shook her head. “I don’t like crows,” she managed to say at last. Whatever Abe had expected to hear, it wasn’t that. Celine didn’t act like she was afraid of anything, but crows?

Before he could respond, however, Ava suddenly looked to her right. “Did you hear that?”

Abe nodded. It was the low clank of metal against metal, and underneath that...horse’s hooves.