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“Why is that surprising?” Carla asked.

“I don’t know… I guess I pictured something more like an old book, or some ornate handcuffs, or something.”

Lucien coughed against the lip of the glass he had against his mouth. He set the glass down and composed himself. An instant later, I realized what I had done. The rush of memory came back to me all at once, like an uninvited guest.

“I have something for you,” I had whispered against Lucien’s ear one night, after having fucked him to within an inch of our lives.

“What?” he had asked, breathless, as he delicately kissed my neck.

“This.”

He had been too busy wrapped up in his own euphoria to notice the handcuffs I had pulled out of my jacket pocket. It wasn’t until I had wrapped one against his wrist that he realized what I had done. By that point, I had successfully clasped the other one to the tube running up and along the wall behind us.

“What’s this about?” he had asked, his eyes flashing wide with alarm.

I had kissed him deeply, then, taking his face in my hands and plunging my tongue into his mouth. When I had pulled myself away from him, I lightly licked the tip of his nose and said, “You had better still be here when I come back in a few nights.”

There had been no panic on his face, no moment of how am I going to get out of this? I should’ve realized, then, that only a mage could have been so sure in his ability to free himself. Well, a mage, or someone really skilled with his hands.

As my own excitement asserted itself as the dominant emotion running through me, I found myself coming to terms with the fact that he was both.

“The crown the Recondites stole has been lost to us for some time,” Mason said, his words cannon-balling through my daydream, “Several decades, in fact.”

“And you’ve found it again?” I asked.

“I have intelligence suggesting the crown is in the city, yes, and where exactly in the city it might be.”

“Might be? You don’t know for sure?”

“The Recondites have many temples scattered throughout Boston. They are all protected by magic, and their people are fanatics to the extent that getting one of them to talk is challenging at best. I am confident, however, that the crown has been found.”

“Where?”

“There is a temple on Beacon Hill, a highly fortified bastion of Recondites and their servants, assistants, staff members. The crown was recently brought to the temple, though I do not know why.”

“Maybe they heard about what you did to my family and they’re getting ready for an attack.”

“The thought had crossed my mind, yes, and if they plan on using the crown…let’s just say it’s safer in our hands than theirs.”

There wasn’t a single thing in the world that I could imagine would be safer in Diaboli hands, but from what I’d heard of the Recondites; they were zealous enough to sacrifice themselves—as well as any innocents nearby—If it meant taking out even one of their enemies. As much as I didn’t want to agree with Mason, he was probably right about this one.

“So, you want me to infiltrate a Recondite temple, steal your crown back, and make it out without getting killed?”

“I would care less about your safety and wellbeing if it wasn’t absolutely vital to the success of this mission… so, yes.”

I shook my head. “I don’t know the first thing about the Recondites, only stories. I’ve certainly never come up against one in battle.”

“If you are clever, you should not have to battle any of them.”

“Look, I can move through solid walls and doors, sure, but there’s going to be more than solid obstacles between me and that crown. Magical defenses, guards… I’m not a spy. I don’t know anything about infiltration.”

“That’s why Lucien is going with you.”

My eyes widened. “He is?”

“I am?” Lucien asked.

Mason turned his attention toward his son. “I have taught you everything you know,” he said, “Now is the time for you to put these skills to good use.”