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“The cauldron is an ancient Celtic artifact created by the Tuatha de Danann,” he told her simply.

“There are four, and each was created as a means to help an advancing army. The spear that could never be defeated. The sword that revealed the truth to help any strategy. The cauldron to feed an army and heal their injured. And the stone to proclaim the true king.”

Kierse had read all the tales of the objects back in Ireland. She knew this much, and she wondered if Graves was going to expound on his hypothesis. The spear had been more than a spear, after all.

When he didn’t immediately, she decided to test him. “And what happens if you bring them all together?” she asked with a lift of her chin.

Graves’s eyes went dark. “Together they can do great magic.”

“Like a spell?” she pushed. The last time she’d asked him why he was trying to collect all four objects, he’d said that he was preparing to perform a very powerful spell but hadn’t elaborated.

“The legends may be hyperbolic, but they suggest you could do great, great magics, the like we haven’t seen since the gods left this plane.”

“Shit,” Laz hissed.

“Don’t get them all together,” Gen said. “Check that off my list.”

Kierse snorted. She wondered which of those “great” magics Graves could ever want to do. “And you just want them ceremonially.”

“Something like that,” he said before glancing away.

“Okay, now that we know to not bring them all together, what exactly does the cauldron do?” Gen asked again.

Graves lifted one shoulder. “I’ve never touched it, Prophet Genesis. Read the cards and tell me.”

“You have theories,” she argued.

“He always has theories,” Kierse agreed.

“Is ‘feed an army and heal the injured’ not enough to go after it?” Laz asked. “That’s treasure to most.”

“It is,” Gen agreed. “But we have food, and we have healers, doctors, nurses. I just thought it would be more…magical.”

“It is,” Kierse said at once. “Isn’t it?”

“There are rumors, legends,” Graves began slowly.

“All legends have a kernel of truth,” Kierse whispered.

Graves inspected one of his gloved hands.

“It is a grail, of sorts, but it was around before the more notable one. There are stories that say if you drink of its power, it can give magic where there is none, heal magic that has been broken”—His eyes lifted to Kierse’s—“even change the makeup of your blood so that a half blood becomes a pure blood.”

Kierse’s breath caught. Was he suggesting that the cauldron could turn her fully Fae?

That would solve many problems if her magic truly was broken, as Graves and Lorcan had both suggested.

At the same time, she didn’t know if she could ever give up the humanity her father had given her.

She had just gotten used to the idea that she was half Fae.

She wasn’t sure she was ready to be fully Fae .

“Oh,” Gen said softly. “Well, that would be valuable, wouldn’t it?”

“Yes,” Graves said. “And it’s what I offer all of you. When we steal the cauldron, you’ll each get a chance to use it.”

A stillness filled the space at that proclamation. Kierse had already made her bargain with Graves, but she could see each member of his team shift in place as they weighed what exactly they could get from something so powerful.

“Whoa,” Gen whispered, nudging Kierse. “That’s a lot.”

She nodded.

“Think carefully what you’d like to get out of this, but keep your eye on the prize.” Graves turned his attention to each of them in turn, ending on Schwartz. “Tell me you have better news about the owner.”

“Never met the guy. Was hired by an underling who I don’t think has met him, either. None of the other guys have. They call him the Curator.”

“Like he lives in a museum,” Graves mused.

“That doesn’t inspire confidence that he’d sell the cauldron to you,” Laz noted.

She could see on Graves’s face that he’d already had the thought.

“You don’t think they’re here to sell it,” Kierse guessed.

“No, I don’t.”

“If we’re not going to buy it and we’re not going to steal it, how are we going to get it?” Kierse asked.

Graves said nothing. She could see the wheels turning in his head. He didn’t like being without all the information.

“We’re going to steal it,” Graves finally said.

“What? But I just said…”

He smirked. “Oh, I know. But the gameboard has been set. He’s expecting us to steal it. So we’ll do exactly what he expects.”

“And play a game of our own?” Kierse surmised.

“If all goes well and people are as…magnanimous as we hope, I’ll buy it,” Graves conceded.

“When they’re not?” Gen asked softly.

“Then we’re going to use the opportunity against them. We need more information on the owner, the business, where the cauldron is being taken, when it is being transported,” Graves said. “That way we can do a proper heist for it without everyone we know standing in our way.”

“Is this where I come in?” Laz asked with a grin.

“Yes. While Kierse is the distraction,” Graves agreed.

“Wait, distraction?” Kierse asked.

Graves’s eyes traveled down the length of her. “Do you remember that lovely dress you wore to Imani’s party?”

Kierse flushed at a memory of being nearly nude in sheer black with nothing but diamond pasties for modesty. “Yes,” she said, hoping she didn’t sound as breathless as she felt.

“We’ll need something similar,” he said with dark bedroom eyes. “We need to make an entrance.”