The thief held his hand lightly over the shelf, feeling for the telltale tingle of magic trapped in ink and vellum.
Carefully, as to only bend the ward and not break it, he slid a scroll free and slipped it into his bag with the others.
He left the manor the way he’d come. He already had a buyer lined up for the scrolls, one who didn’t fear the Merchant Lords or Sorcerer Princes.
It had taken him a lifetime to learn the skills needed to steal the scrolls. Someday, he promised himself, he would learn how to read them.

“Frankfurt Book Fair Guest of Honour Scroll” by NZatFrankfurt is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Everyday Drabbles © 2026 by Hugh J. O’Donnell is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

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