Page 75 of Heart of Thieves

The Unbreakable Lie zings a warning under my skin.

“I can’t be held responsible for what I might do to you if you try to tell him,” I say truthfully.

“Are you threatening me?”

“Not a threat. Candid honesty.” I thrust out my jaw.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means don’t tell Enzo,” I snap. “I quite literally might be forced to hurt you if you do. Or hurt myself. Or maybe the whole world would divide asunder. I’m not really sure.”

Nic’s grin fades. “Who would force you?”

“Doesn’t matter.” I wave him away. “Also, same goes for if you mess with my illusions again. That wasn’t even a little bit funny.”

“People laughed.”

“Correction.” I narrow my eyes. “You laughed. Everyone else was too busy being awed by my illusions to notice your nonsense.”

“Illusions that you stole,” he points out.

“Borrowed.”

“Borrowing implies you’re going to give me something back. Which you’re not.” He points past me. “Oh, look. There’s Enzo. If no one can tell him you’re Nocturne, what would happen if he finds out you steal magic? Surely he’d find that an important tidbit.”

I grab his forearm tight as a vise. “You do not care whether Enzo knows; you want something from me. Tell me what.”

He considers, tracking Enzo’s progress on the other side of the square. “You’ve drawn the entire city’s attention.”

“Are you”—I sink back, scrutinizing his face—“jealous?”

“What would I have to be jealous of ?”

“You don’t like that they’re paying attention to me and not you. You don’t like that I’ve been on the front page of the newspapers since the invitations went out or that more people showed up tonight than did at the tournament’s opening night four months ago.”

“That is hardly a fair comparison. First off, people had to pay to stay at my resort . . .”

I sidestep his rebuttal with a glare. “If you didn’t want to be forgotten, why did you disappear?”

He tilts his head, drinking in my breath like it’s the most delicious thing he’s ever tasted. My mouth waters, the taste of our last kiss suddenly sharp on my tongue. “Disappearing,” he whispers, “is what liars do when people stray a little too close to the truth.”

“You’re trying to hurt me,” I say. “Or manipulate me. Probably both. It won’t work.”

He raises a finger to trace the outline of my cheek and smirks when I tremble. “Won’t it?”

He probably expects me to pull away, but I hold my ground. Stare right back at him. Ignore the sparks trailing under my skin in the wake of his touch. “What are you planning, Nic? Why come to my game if you know it’s a farce?”

He smirks. “You’ll receive a list of players. If you don’t want Enzo to find out about you, make sure those are the only ones who make it into the final enclosure of your game.”

“Who are they?” I ask, chest tightening. Why would he care who makes it to the last round? And where did Laurel go?

“My silence for your compliance. Take it or leave it.” He holds out his hand. “Do I have your word?”

“Only if you give me yours,” I say, raising my chin. “You don’t speak of Nocturne’s true identity to anyone, not just Enzo. And you play the game as though you have no idea how it’s being run.”

“Fair. Will you shake my hand now?”

I narrow my eyes. “And no more sabotaging my glamours.”