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“We got arrogant,” Dain corrected. When I looked at him, his eyes were bleak.

“We didn’t lie to you about our business.

We’re thieves, Ezabell. Really good ones.

We stole from the rich in Saldu, trafficking in luxuries and ancient artifacts, and we built a reputation for stealing things no one else could.

We made a lot of money, but we also thrived on the fact that no one could catch us. ”

“And then we learned about the Pyrikion ,” Nikolas said.

The name meant nothing to me. “A valuable?”

“A legend,” he said. “We heard rumors that Viraxes possessed a magical chalice that dated from the time before the Covenant. The Pyrikion was supposedly filled with liquid sunlight. Those who drank from it gained strange powers. Viraxes got his hands on it over a century ago.”

“So he is elfkin,” I said. “If he’s lived that long, he has elven blood in his veins.”

“Likely,” Dain said. “But he’s never admitted it, and few are willing to question him.”

Helios let out a harsh laugh. “And you two idiots decided it was a good idea to steal from him?”

Nikolas’s lips thinned, but his voice stayed level. “We had a buyer—an eccentric collector who offered us enough gold to ensure we never had to steal again.”

“Who?” I asked.

“The buyer asked to remain anonymous,” Nikolas said. “But he paid half up front.”

“And you managed to take this chalice?”

“We did,” he said, his eyes taking on a faraway look. “It was a masterful heist. We disguised ourselves as guards and infiltrated Veraxes’s tower. The Pyrikion was encased in a steel vault with no lid or locks. Only Veraxes could open it. But…” Nikolas hesitated, his gaze going to Dain.

“I opened it,” Dain said. “When I need to, I can heat just about anything. It’s one of the gifts I inherited from my elven ancestor. But my magic burns out quickly.”

Nikolas continued, his expression haunted. “We took the chalice not knowing that Veraxes enchanted it with all sorts of traps and safeguards. When we attempted to deliver it to the buyer’s agent, we dropped it?—”

“ You dropped it,” Dain said.

“I dropped it,” Nikolas conceded, “and the damn thing shattered. The sunlight vanished in a puff of smoke. But the chalice…” He paled.

“What?” Helios prompted, leaning forward.

The faraway look returned to Nikolas’s eyes, but now he seemed to glimpse a nightmare.

“It spoke,” he rasped, “but not out loud. The pieces floated into the air, and a terrible voice filled our heads, cursing us to die unless we returned the sun or something of equal value. The curse also requires us to never stop searching for a replacement. Otherwise, we die.”

I stared, the gravity of his words sinking in. “How are you supposed to return the sun?”

“We can’t,” Dain said. “Viraxes knows this, so he waits for us to steal something valuable enough to compensate him for the Pyrikion’s loss.” His gaze strayed to the dead giant. “But it appears he’s grown impatient.”

“He wants us dead,” Nikolas said, “and he’s not content to wait for the curse to finish us off. We’ve tried to stay one step ahead of him, but we’re not always fast enough. And his bounty hunters have drunk from the Pyrikion. This isn’t the first time they’ve tracked us down.”

Helios spoke, almost to himself. “That’s why they haven’t found you.”

I turned to him, frowning. “What do you mean?”

Helios gave me a thoughtful look. “Every time you and I have separated, you’ve been attacked. You created me. You can’t carry your magic across the Covenant, but I can. Maybe I’ve shielded you in some way, interfering with this curse.”

Dain and Nikolas shared a look of surprise. Dain turned to Helios, hope flickering in his blue eyes. “So you’re saying the curse can’t penetrate your magic?”

Helios shrugged. “I’m not saying anything for sure. But it makes sense.”

“Would’ve been nice to know that before,” Nikolas muttered.

I stared at him, a horrible suspicion forming in my mind. Pieces clicked into place.

The easy way Dain had accepted our connection.

Their eagerness to help me find the sunstone.

Their silent exchanges whenever Solbarren was mentioned.

“What did you intend to give this sorcerer?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Nikolas looked away, a shadow falling over his face. Dain’s shoulders lifted as he drew an unsteady breath.

Horror crashed over me, quickly followed by a wave of bitterness—and anger. Because I’d been so stupid.

“You want the sunstone,” I said, my voice dull in my ears. “This whole time, you’ve pretended to help me look for it, when really you planned to steal it.”

Nikolas held up his hands. “Listen, Bel?—”

“Don’t call me that!” I shouted, clenching my fists. “I am Ezabell Kasreneth, Crown Princess of the Summer Court, and the sunstone is mine .”

He flinched at my outburst. Then he straightened, his dark eyes sober. “Maybe we wanted to steal it at first, but it’s not like that now. Things changed, Ezabell, I swear?—”

“Your word means nothing to me,” I said, fury vibrating in my chest. “You lied to me. You said you operate on a code, never stealing from the innocent. You used me. Oh gods, I fucked both of you.”

Helios startled, his body wavering. “What?”

Nikolas shot him a dark look. “It doesn’t concern you, sunbeam.”

I grabbed my scarf from the ground. Hands shaking, I looped it over my head and covered my ears. “You won’t find the sunstone without me. Good luck outrunning the next bounty hunter.”

Nikolas started toward me. “Ezabell?—”

“Stop right there,” Helios hissed, darting into his path. His body flared impossibly bright, and Nikolas threw up a hand to shield his eyes. Steps away, Dain did the same.

“I never want to see either one of you again,” I said, my throat burning. I turned and stalked from the clearing, tears threatening to spill. The Dokimasi tugged hard, urging me to turn and walk back to Dain.

I ignored it. The quest was mistaken. Under no circumstances was I supposed to align myself with a thief.

The tears clogged my throat. I swallowed hard and kept walking.