Page 76 of Songs of Vice

I tapped deep into my magic and glamoured the stone to look like nothing more than a garden pebble. The magic would last for a few days. “They won’t know if you keep your head about you. You can do that now, can’t you?”

She raised her chin. “I’m still gonna to tell on ya’.”

“Oh, I’m counting on it.” My gaze darted to Orman again.

He directed the girl to a chair. She didn’t fight as he loosely tied her to it, and I stepped over to Elisa where she stood in the shadows of the armoire. “Any luck?”

“Not yet.”

She’d stacked all the jewels in neat rows on the cabinets and I picked through them, dropping them against the floor as I discounted each one. “No, no, no.”

Elisa pulled the bracelets out of the back, stacks of sealed papers we peeled open, bags that we both dumped.

“Fuck. It’s not here. I would have sworn it would be.” I slammed my fist into the cabinet door, and it swung back but I kept my voice low enough the human girl wouldn’t hear it. “How long do you think it will take to open the other safes?”

Elisa swiped a strand of hair back. “If they’re like this one? I can probably do them faster now, having figured this one out, but half an hour at least.”

“Let’s not waste time, then.”

She nodded, picked up her dress, and pulled it back on.

We paused at the door, waited for Orman to make sure the hall was empty before we left, and then eased down the corridor. We’d just have to find our way to the other safes which were in heavily guarded locations. It was fine. We could pull it off.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-TWO

NEIA

The guard stared at me,and I considered how he gripped my shoulder so casually. The man I impersonated must be close with him. I clapped his hand, and the guard’s worried expression washed away. Luckily, I knew from speaking with Ishir under his glamour that the enchantment worked on our voices as well. “Got swapped off. We’re”—I nodded to Ishir standing steady in his guard uniform—“supposed to add to security in the ballroom.”

“King’s worried there’s someone unsavory among the guests,” Ishir added.

“That right? Well, you’re both damn lucky to get out of that cellar.”

“Damn right,” I said, and he laughed.

“Gotta get back to my post. I hadn’t heard about this concern; I’ll spread it among the boys.”

“Great.”

I turned and walked with Ishir towards the ballroom because we had no other option after telling the other guard we headed that direction. “The boys,” I mumbled under my breath as we stepped inside to the massive dance hall decorated with thousands of twinkling candles. Lira and the Prince twirled around the floor like professional dancers as the crowd watched. Luz stood on the edge and met my gaze. I nodded subtly. Their eyes darted to the center of the room.

Where the globe sat on display, glowing ivory between four massive trees beneath a skylight.

Fuck.

Well, nothing to do but deal with the circumstances. I nodded again to Luz who grinned and slunk closer to the center of the room. “You ready to learn how to pull off a heist, Ishir?”

Ishir’s brow had broken out in sweat, and his enchanted green eyes widened. “If we could even get close to the globe without notice, how are you going to lift it? If Luz’s intelligence is correct only humans can.”

I pulled a pair of tactile gloves on that had grippy edges on the fingers. I was relieved the Seelie hadn’t strip searched us when they brought us into the jail. Losing the gloves would have been a pain in the ass. I could pull this off without, but I preferred having them. Thankfully, they were stretchy and accommodated my glamoured larger hands.

“Well?” Ishir asked.

I fidgeted with the edge of the glove. Now was as good as any for honesty, and Ishir was practically a part of the team. “I’ll be able to lift it because I’m a human.”

Ishir gasped. “What?”

Yes, one of Sai’s—the intimidatingprince of darknessfae whispered about—greatest secrets was that his right hand was a human.

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