“My item is most likely in the vault of the Brotherhood. They have a location here, and the fae who betrayed me is there too.”
Tavia's brow furrowed. “The one who got you captured?”
Lucius nodded.
Tavia's gaze darkened, a fire lighting in her teal eyes. “Does this person know you're alive? You could be in danger.”
“It's all right,” Lucius assured her. “She doesn’t know I’m here.”
“It’s a woman?” Tavia’s voice dropped as though the revelation surprised her.
“Yes,” he replied.
Tavia frowned, considering this new information. “Was she special?”
Lucius understood what Tavia was asking and decided not to lie. “I thought she was,” he said, shrugging. “But it seems I was merely a target.”
Tavia frowned again. “What if she notices you and alerts them?”
“The masks will hide our identities,” he said.
“I don’t know . . .” Tavia's voice trailed off. “Are you sure this is worth it?”
Lucius sensed her hesitation. If the heist ended, so would their time together. She would have no reason to stay, even if he wanted her to.
“If we can do this safely,” he said, “it will be worth it. We’ll be gone from the city before they even realize I was here.”
Tavia sighed, her shoulders sinking as she leaned back against the sofa. She gazed at the box of chocolates, picking another square and popping it into her mouth.
“So we go to the masquerade, pretend to be married, dance and then what?”
Lucius explained his plan in detail, including the staged argument, the distraction, and the sedative he would use to manipulate the guard’s mind through dream walking. Tavia listened intently, though her expression grew increasingly uncertain.
“And what about me?” she finally asked. “I thought I was supposed to unlock something.”
“If this works,” Lucius said, “you won’t need to. I won’t need you to break into the vault.”
“But that’s what I’m good at,” she said, her voice tinged with sadness. “I’m a thief. Don’t you think I can do it?”
“No, no, that’s not it,” Lucius said, quickly taking her hands. “Why risk it?”
He hoped she would understand why he had changed the plan to reduce the danger to her. But he saw the doubt in her eyes, and it cut him deeply.
Desperate to convey his feelings, Lucius kissed her hands. Her eyes widened, her body stiffened, but she didn’t pull away.
“I find the idea of putting you in harm’s way extremely uncomfortable,” he said, his voice soft but earnest. “You may think it’s foolish, but I’ve rethought this plan repeatedly. I won’t risk you getting hurt or caught by the Brotherhood. If you were harmed . . .” His voice deepened. “I’d burn them all to the ground.”
Her gaze softened, her eyes glistening with emotion. She smiled at him.
“Okay,” she said. “We’ll do it your way. But I still don’tknow how I’m supposed to get this guard alone—or get him to drink.”
Lucius didn’t release her hands. “Captivate him,” he said, his voice dropping to a whisper. “The way you’ve captivated me.”
Her cheeks flushed, and she bit her bottom lip, turning away with a shy smile.
“We have a long day tomorrow,” he said. “Why don’t you get some rest?”
Lucius released her hands and stood, retreating to the fire to stoke the logs.
