CHAPTER 39
Kadin
I’D SAT HOLDING THEcrown for hours. Just staring at the diamonds encrusted all across the delicate circlet. The men had given up trying to reach me. Naveed had brought me the noon meal, but I hadn’t touched it. Somewhere around mid-afternoon, Illium had said his goodbyes. “Was here for the treasure, not the Jinni,” he’d said, standing in the open door of my room, fiddling with his bags that held his potions and his take from the last heist. “Gonna go back to working alone. Prefer it that way.”
I’d only nodded. I wasn’t surprised.
If anything, I was baffled the others stayed. We’d accomplished what we set out to do. Four years of hard work culminating in one night of justice. So why didn’t it feel like enough? Why did it feel so empty? And why was I worrying about a girl who embodied everything I’d spent so many years detesting?
They checked on me throughout the day, confused as to why we weren’t planning the next big heist. Except Naveed. He understood.
Oh, and Gideon, who didn’t understand at all.
He’d been furious.
When Bosh had wandered through the door earlier and found me staring at the crown, and the missing lamp, he’d called the others in.
“Arie stole the lamp!” he’d hissed as they filed into the room. “Why would she do that, boss?”
I hadn’t had an answer for him.
The others stared at the crown and empty pack. “Why’d she have a crown?” Daichi asked.
“Don’t ask me,” Ryo answered with a shrug.
Naveed tapped my shoulder and signed,Why?
“Good question,” I replied. I tried to be logical, but it hurt. Arie had betrayed us without a second thought. Maybe I’d been right about her all along. Gifted people used people.
“She stole it,” Bosh repeated the lie I’d told him a few days ago. “But I told her we don’t steal from each other—she wouldn’t take... she’ll bring the lamp back, right?” His voice squeaked with emotion. “I don’t understand how she could just take it!”
“Excuse me?” Gideon’s soft voice came from the corner.
Oh, Jinni save me.
I raised my head to find him standing by the table.
