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Graves made it seem like a problem that the queen was wearing the bracelet. But it wasn’t a problem.

It fixed everything.

“Even better,” she said.

Then she jerked the door open and strode out.

Graves was hot on her heels as she navigated the never-ending corridors. “You cannot think you’ll take it from her.”

Kierse smirked at him. “And why not?”

“She’s one of the oldest living dryads, and you are in her domain. She is queen of this domicile.”

“And tonight is the night where every person at the party can have an audience with her. Which includes me.”

Graves shot her an exasperated look. “An audience is not a private matter. It is in front of the entire court.”

“Are you questioning my skills?”

“Not at all,” he assured her. “But you’ll never get close enough.”

Kierse ignored him as she trotted down the last set of stairs that led to the receiving room. Midnight was approaching and with it, the end of the public audiences and the beginning of the ball. She had to get to the queen before that happened.

A pair of guards stepped toward her with menacing glares but backed off at the sight of Graves. Well, at least his threatening energy worked in her favor.

She moved into the dwindling line that led to the throne room. But Graves grasped her elbow and jerked her out of it.

“This is reckless even for you,” he argued.

She sighed. “Look, you aren’t even supposed to be here. I told you that I’d come back to New York when I was ready. I don’t know what part of that you don’t understand. I don’t need your help.”

“As flattered as I am that you think that I came all the way to Paris just for you,” he said with a pointed look, “you needed my help to extract you from that guard.”

She snorted. “Like I couldn’t have handled that on my own.”

“Without leaving a trail of bodies…”

“What were you even doing in that hallway anyway?”

“Lurking.”

She rolled her eyes. “Can you ever give a straight answer?”

“Can you?”

“I don’t have time for this…for you ,” she said, pulling away from him. “Contrary to what you think, I’m not acting reckless. I’m going to go scope out the room and the queen and form a plan from there. You can stay here—out of my way.”

But he grasped her elbow again before she could leave. “I am trying to keep you from getting thrown into jail.”

She laughed. “Like a jail could hold me.”

She’d broken out of a number of them long before she’d known she had magic. Growing up as a prodigy to a New York thieving master sometimes came in handy. As long as she didn’t think too long about the abuse she’d endured from Jason.

Graves looked her up and down as if reassessing her. She knew that look. He sized people up the way she evaluated objects. He was determining how much he could get out of her if he helped keep her out of a jail cell.

She jabbed her finger into his chest. “Don’t look at me like that.”

His gloved hand slid from her elbow to her wrist, tugging her palm flat against his chest. “Like what?”

She swallowed at the nearness. “Like you’re trying to determine my value.”

“We both already know what your value is.” His other hand slipped around her waist, drawing her nearer. Her breath hitched as his head dipped to her ear again. “Priceless.”

“Graves,” she warned.

“I can help you.”

Her eyes lifted to his mercurial gray orbs. “How?”

“I am…acquainted with the queen. Once she is in the ballroom, I can get you close enough.”

“For what price?”

“Must there be a price between us?” he asked almost gently.

For a second, he seemed earnest. As if he wanted to help her out of the goodness of his own heart. A magnanimous gesture for the man—monster—who had never done anything magnanimous.

Somehow that made her more suspicious.

There was an angle here that she wasn’t seeing.

That was how it always was with Graves. She didn’t miss the fact that he hadn’t answered what he was doing here in the first place.

Obviously he’d known she was going to be here, but he’d known she was in Dublin, too.

He could have flown across the pond at any point to interfere in her life.

What was different about Paris? Why accept this invitation?

And yet she couldn’t deny that she and Graves worked well together.

The weeks leading up to the winter solstice had proven that.

She recalled hours spent locked away in the Holly Library going over blueprints and vault sequences.

The feel of his body pressed against her whether in training or sex. All of it had been exquisite.

She cleared the image that conjured of her pinned against the stacks. Not helpful.

“Just spit it out,” she said instead.

“You’re going to dislike this enough for that to be the cost anyway,” he said as he drew her out of their nook.

She blinked at him. “What does that mean?”

“Smile,” he commanded. She bared her teeth at him, and he chuckled. “There you are.”

A clock chimed midnight as one wall of the throne room opened to a magnificent ballroom straight out of a faerie tale. Everything was gilded and marble and towering chandeliers. It was almost too beautiful to look at let alone hold hundreds of people while they drank, danced, and celebrated.

Graves led Kierse into the ballroom, and her first look at Queen Aveline took her breath away.

She was solid as the tree she derived her name from, with ample cleavage spilling out of her ornate golden gown.

Her skin was as brown as tree bark, and her eyes were the vivid blue of a spring.

She had a defined dimple when she smiled at her adoring subjects.

The layers of her dress accented the curve of her waist but didn’t hide her full figure and round stomach.

And there on her wrist was the goblin bracelet.

“We should—”

“Not yet,” Graves interrupted.

“But—”

“Dance with me.”

Her eyes widened as she watched couples join the dance floor. “I don’t know how to dance.”

“I’m good enough for the both of us.”

She shot him a look. “So modest.”

He smirked. “If you keep complimenting me, I’ll think that you like me.”

She clenched her jaw to keep from sputtering in indignation. He took her hand and twirled her in place. At the end of the turn, Graves drew her into him, positioning their arms properly—his against her waist, hers on his shoulder. Then their hands met and she swallowed, looking up into his eyes.

“Ready?”

And before she could even think to say “ no ,” he drew her out onto the dance floor.

They merged with the crowd already moving in time to the classical music played by the musicians against one wall.

Her back was stiff through the first few steps.

She was thinking too much, and she knew she was thinking too much.

She was a thief. Her footwork was impeccable, but this was completely out of her repertoire.

“Relax,” he said.

Easy for him to say. He clearly was incredible at this. It shouldn’t have surprised her, considering he was several hundred years old and had grown up in a time when this was standard for the upper classes.

“Relinquish control,” he coaxed. “Let me lead.”

That was the problem. She didn’t do well giving up control. And doing that around Graves had only ended in disaster.

But as he guided her around the sparkling ballroom, she could feel herself melt into him.

He made the steps feel effortless. One dance turned into a second, slower number.

He drew her in closer until she could breathe in the scent of him.

Practically taste him on her tongue. It was too close, too much all at once.

Being like this with him addled her senses.

She needed to regain the upper hand or she’d never survive him.

“The plan?” She forced the words out through her teeth.

He gave her a knowing look. “I’ll make the introduction. You steal the bracelet.”

“That simple? What part of it am I going to hate?”

“Can’t ruin the fun,” he promised.

They stepped off the floor, and as soon as they were separated, she inhaled sharply.

There was still an inferno raging in her body at the feel of her hand clasped in his.

Her cheeks flushed as she followed him through the crowd.

She was irritated with herself for letting Graves steal that reaction from her body.

He was the liar. He’d betrayed her. He shouldn’t be able to elicit this response.

The queen sat on a gilded throne, watching the crowd with a smile on her round face. Guards stood on either side, and a group of simpering nymphs were seated around her, laughing and pointing out dancers.

When the queen’s eyes found Graves, she tilted her head back and laughed. “Well, if this isn’t a surprise.”

She came to her feet, and all the other nymphs jumped up as well. She fluttered her fingers, dismissing them, and then gestured for the pair to come forward. Graves tucked Kierse into his side, and together, they approached the queen.

Kierse hadn’t factored in that she was literally meeting a royal monster sitting on an actual throne.

She wasn’t usually dazzled by pretty much anything, but the queen was gorgeous and regal and daunting.

When Graves drew her to a stop, Kierse forced herself back into her body and dipped into some sort of curtsy.

Graves grinned at her before inclining his head at Queen Aveline.

“It’s always a good day when I get to see you, Avie,” Graves said with a charming smile.

“‘Avie,’” the queen said with a laugh. “You haven’t changed in all your years, you devil.”

Graves took another step in. “I have, actually.”

Queen Aveline looked between Kierse and Graves with a question in her blue eyes. “And who is this?”

“My wife,” he said evenly.

Oh .

Well, no wonder he’d thought she wouldn’t like this plan. The wife bit had gotten her out of one situation, but she hadn’t intended to let him continue to use the incorrect moniker.

Still, the queen took her in at the word. Kierse had never felt so underdressed in her life. Her slip dress had been perfect for the outdoor Beltane festival but hardly felt fitting to meet a queen. There was no derision in her expression, though. Only appreciation.

“A wife,” Queen Aveline whispered. “I am so rarely shocked at my age.” Her eyes cut to Graves. “You? Married?”

“Allow me to introduce you to Kierse McKenna.”

“My dear,” the queen said.

“Your Majesty,” Kierse said with another little bob.

“Oh, you must be something spectacular to have caught such a man.”

Kierse met her gaze. “I generally find him to be the lucky one.”

Queen Aveline smiled in amusement. “As you should.” She gestured for Kierse to come closer. “We’re always the catch, aren’t we?”

“I can hear you,” Graves said with a laugh.

“I sure hope so,” the queen said, turning to Graves and pointing a finger at him. “I don’t have the time right now, but I must have the whole story. You cannot leave a single detail out. For instance, why does she not have a ring? I know you have many jewels in that old house of yours.”

Graves flashed his teeth. “If only I could get her to wear one.”

Kierse snapped her eyes to him. “I would wear one. You keep choosing incorrectly.”

The queen laughed. “There you have it, Graves.”

“Tell me what you would wear, my dear, and it shall be yours,” he promised with an earnest expression on his sharp features.

“If I have to tell you, then you’ve lost the game.”

“Noted,” he said with a knowing smirk.

“Personally, I’m a fan of something understated,” the queen said, enjoying the spectacle. She put her hand on Kierse’s and winked. “Or a family heirloom.”

Kierse looked at Graves and gestured to the queen as if to suggest he take her advice.

She was purposely keeping the queen’s attention on the scene they were making.

Because while she and Graves were a good distraction, the sleight of hand she had to perform was next level.

She’d already admired the bracelet while they’d been speaking, and once she got the clasp undone, the rest was easy.

Her heart was pounding so hard she was sure someone would discover her deception by its racing beat. She tucked the bracelet into her small bag with her pickpocketed invitation. Time to get out of there as fast as they could.

“Another day,” Graves assured her. “Tonight you have your ball.”

“Yes, yes,” the queen said. “Are you in Paris long?”

“I have business tonight and then back to the city, I’m afraid.”

“The city. As if there’s only one.”

“There’s only one for me,” Graves said with a shrug.

“Next time, then.”

Graves kissed her hand and made their excuses. But Kierse didn’t release her breath until they disappeared into the anonymity of the crowd.

“Nicely done,” he said as he escorted her out of the ballroom, heading swiftly toward the nearest exit. His hand rested on the small of her back, directing her down another hallway away from a set of guards.

“How many exits do you know?”

His smile dropped her stomach. “All of them.”

“Let me guess—you were here when it was built?”

He shot her a look that she interpreted to mean yes . Of course he had been.

They were nearly out of the palace when Kierse asked, “How long before she realizes?”

A cry went up behind them.

“Keep going,” Graves said at the same time she hissed, “Don’t look back.”

Their eyes met, and they both smiled. Finally, they were on the same page.

Kierse forced her steps to stay even despite the fact that all she wanted to do was dash out of the palace. But no one knew that they’d stolen from the queen yet, and running would certainly give them away.

Footsteps pounded behind them, and a man yelled out a word in French.

Graves cursed under his breath and said, “Run.”