Aurora wasn't quite sure what she might steal for her friend's birthday. Not that there were many choices left to her these days. Stealing had become unusually difficult—too many close calls, too many narrow escapes.
Ever since she'd helped that little child, it felt as though the world had changed its eyes—watching her more closely, whispering her name through unseen lips.
Twice now, she'd barely made it away with her skin. It was almost as though someone had cursed her.
She stood outside a small restaurant, her breath fogging the glass as she stared at the neat row of cupcakes inside—frosted pink, some with sprinkles, some with stars.
She knew their taste just by looking: soft, sweet, the kind that clung to the roof of your mouth. But her gaze was interrupted by a quiet voice beside her.
It was the girl.
The same one from the other day.
"Are you hungry?" the girl asked gently.
