Page 62 of Their Reckless Thief (The Below #1)

CELESTE

The summons arrived just after midnight.

I was in the study with Vincenzo, helping him organize some intel on the latest shipments, when he froze, his attention snapping to the envelope on the desk.

His eyes narrowed as he broke the fancy wax seal, scanning the letter quickly before cursing under his breath.

Worry tangled itself in my gut. “Bad news?”

His gaze wandered to me. “It’s a summons from the magistrates.” He tossed the paper onto the desk. “It means our precautions haven’t worked. They’ve heard whispers about the missing women and the tainted Phantomine circulating in our territory.”

I didn’t need to ask why this was bad news.

The magistrates’ oversight rarely came with leniency, and any interference from the highest governing power of The Below was bound to complicate matters.

My stomach twisted. Vincenzo had a tedious yet beneficial relationship with them.

They looked the other way when it came to Vincenzo’s various nefarious affairs, and he provided them with certain perks.

That delicate alliance, however, was built upon the notion that Vincenzo would keep everything running smoothly.

Lately, things were definitely not running smoothly.

“What are we going to do?” I asked, swallowing hard.

Vincenzo turned to Luca, who was leaning against the wall, watching the exchange with that usual, composed detachment. “I want you to handle it. You’re the best at convincing them, and we need the magistrates focused on anything other than our territory.”

Luca straightened, his expression unflinching. “Understood.”

Excitement and apprehension surged through me. “Let me go with you,” I blurted out, unable to keep the eagerness from my voice. “I’ve always wanted to visit the city of Tenebris.”

Vincenzo looked at me, a hint of surprise in his gaze. “This isn’t a sightseeing trip, Celeste.”

“I know, but…” I met his gaze evenly, feeling the thrill of possibility settling over me. He would do anything to protect me, and I had a feeling keeping me a secret from the magistrates fell under his idea of protection.

Luca tilted his head, assessing me. Whenever he looked at me like that, I was sure he could see right through my intentions.

His eyes glinted with an unreadable expression before he looked at Vincenzo.

“She could be useful. Celeste is quick to read people, and that’s exactly what I need at the magistrates. ”

A silent exchange passed between them, and Vincenzo finally gave a reluctant nod. “Fine. But listen to Luca, do exactly as he says, and don’t draw attention to yourself. The magistrates is not the place for bold moves or for you to run your fucking mouth. They are lethal.”

I nodded, ignoring his snide comment about my mouth, barely able to contain the excitement surging through me. Luca offered his hand, a faint, amused smile playing on his lips. “Hold on. It’s a longer trip.”

I took his hand, and the world around us disappeared into shadows, slipping away as if a shroud had fallen.

My stomach dropped, the sensation familiar yet disorienting, like being plunged into icy water.

I closed my eyes, focusing on Luca’s hand—the anchor that kept me tethered through the darkness.

The air became sharper, cleaner, tinged with something electric. When I opened my eyes, my breath caught at the sight before us.

The city of Tenebris was nothing like I’d imagined.

It was larger, grander, and filled with a restless energy that prickled my skin the moment we arrived at its gates.

The wards embedded in the castle walls pulsed faintly, invisible to any mundane observer, but they radiated a power I could feel in my bones.

No one could just slip in and out of this place, not even Luca with his veilstepping abilities.

The magistrates’ domain demanded entrance on its own terms, and for once, I felt the gravity of where we were.

An ancient, unyielding place a world apart from The Below I knew.

As we walked into the center of the city, I had to remind myself to close my mouth, lest I gawk at the spectacle before us.

It was as though every grand idea I’d ever heard or read about city life collided here in one chaotic, mesmerizing place.

Towering spires loomed above us, stretching so high they appeared to pierce the very fabric of the sky.

The buildings, many crafted from stone that had a faint iridescent glow, created an otherworldly atmosphere, as though the entire city had been constructed from fragments of magic alone.

Magical creatures mingled freely among the crowds, their forms ranging from subtly enchanting to openly monstrous.

There were fae with wings that shimmered like glass in the daylight, shifters who wore their dual forms like a second skin, and even wraith-like figures slipping through the throngs like shadows given human form.

Merchants called out from their stalls, their voices layered with charm and enchantment, hawking everything from enchanted jewelry to glowing elixirs.

Luca walked beside me, his presence as steady as an anchor, but I could detect the faintest trace of amusement as he watched me take in the sights.

“Not quite like Vincenzo’s territory, is it?” he asked, his voice carrying just enough for me to hear above the bustling crowd.

“No,” I whispered. “It’s… it’s like nothing I’ve ever encountered.”

The air here was different too—potent and heady—layered with the aromas of incense, rare spices, and an underlying note of something metallic that sent a shiver through my body.

We rounded a corner, and I stopped in my tracks.

In front of us was a grand courtyard, dominated by a fountain unlike anything I’d ever seen.

Water cascaded from the mouths of intricate stone figures—part creature, part human—caught in eternal expressions of agony or ecstasy.

Each droplet shimmered with an iridescent light, casting reflections that danced over the marble floor like ghostly apparitions.

Around the fountain, people mingled in elaborate robes and gowns, their clothing embroidered with symbols I couldn’t decipher but knew were woven with power.

“Stay close,” Luca murmured, his hand brushing against mine. “The people in Tenebris aren’t always as friendly as they appear.”

I nodded, inching closer to him as we approached the gates of the magistrates’ stronghold, the so-called castle that rose before us like a dark fortress.

The architecture here was brutal, designed for intimidation over beauty, with sharp angles and tall, narrow windows that watched us as we ascended the steps.

Guards stood at attention, their eyes sharp beneath their helmets, each one armed with weapons and an unmistakable aura of enchantment that made my skin tingle.

Luca exchanged a brief nod with one of the guards, and he led us into the stone halls.

The heavy air that pressed down from every angle swallowed the echo of my footsteps.

This was the heart of power, the place where decisions were made and futures decided.

And here we were, like insects in the grand scheme of the magistrates’ world, bound by their rules, their whims.

I barely had a moment to catch my breath before Luca pulled me aside. “Remember, let me do the talking. We’re here to smooth things over, not stir up trouble.”

I nodded, steadying my breathing as he straightened his coat, and together, we made our way toward the magistrates’ chamber.

The silence in the chamber was almost deafening.

The three figures before us—ancient, stoic, and exuding a quiet power—sat like statues behind a raised stone table.

Each of the magistrates looked distinct, yet very similar: really old, but really fucking hot, and with eyes that had seen far too much.

They wore robes of a severe black with an embroidered crest on the chest that glinted in the dim light.

One had hair like molten silver, falling in a curtain that caught the faint light, making him look less like a person and more like a god carved from moonstone.

Another, with skin kissed by some ancient fire, watched us with smoldering amber eyes, his expression sharp enough to cut.

The eldest was harder to read, his frost-like gaze piercing through me, as if he could see every thought I didn’t dare voice.

It was impossible not to feel dwarfed—not just by the grandeur surrounding me, but by the weight of their scrutiny.

Luca took a step forward, his expression betraying nothing of the tension I knew he had to be feeling.

I held myself still at his side, every instinct telling me to mirror his calm, though every inch of me itched with nerves.

Even as I focused on keeping my shoulders back and my spine straight, I could feel the prickling sensation of their gazes, like they were peeling back my layers to find out if I was worth their time or if I should simply be dismissed.

The eldest among the magistrates cleared his throat, the sound shattering the uneasy silence. “We have an issue that needs settling.” His piercing gaze landed on Luca. “It appears that you and your associates are not keeping up your end of the bargain.”

Luca inclined his head respectfully. “Magistrate Eldric, we are aware of the issues that have arisen. We’ve been actively working to address them?—”

The second magistrate, whose golden name placard read Caladorn , raised a hand, silencing Luca.

“Word has reached us of the missing women,” he said, his tone laced with disdain, “and of the tainted drugs filtering into your territory, which have resulted in overdoses. It’s becoming a serious problem.

Multiple deaths, and the gods only know where the women are.

That is something we will not tolerate.”

The third magistrate, Vaelen, leaned forward, his voice hard with a quiet, simmering threat. “Our patience grows thin, Luca. This is Vincenzo’s problem to solve, and yet here we are, dealing with the fallout of your boss’s failures. We will intervene if he cannot take care of it himself.”

Luca’s jaw tensed, but he held his composure.

“We’re doing everything in our power to remedy the situation, but The Shadow is difficult to contain.

We believe he’s been targeting us, taking the women, poisoning the supply.

” He paused, glancing at each magistrate in turn.

“These are not easy challenges to overcome, but we’re making progress. ”

Eldric scoffed, his nose wrinkling in disgust. “The Shadow’s cesspool of a territory is hardly worth saving.

We have avoided entanglement with that wasteland for centuries, and with good reason.

It’s past saving. And yet, we’re expected to sit by while it spills into our world? While it stains the Veil itself?”

I watched Luca carefully, noticing the subtle way his shoulders squared, the barest clenching of his fists.

He nodded slowly. “With all due respect, Magistrate, regardless of The Shadow’s territory or its reputation, it still houses a large population.

Complete desolation of the territory surely isn’t the answer.

Nevertheless, Vincenzo and I are responsible, and I assure you that we’re working tirelessly to keep these issues contained. We need time, nothing more.”

The magistrates exchanged a look, communicating silently before Eldric spoke again.

“Very well, Luca. We will allow you one month to resolve these issues.” His voice dropped, and a shiver slid through my body at the finality in his tone.

“Fail, and we will have no choice but to intervene. The Veil Guard will be dispatched to make arrests, and we will see to it personally that this problem no longer plagues our city. By whatever means necessary.”

Luca inclined his head, his face a perfect mask. “Understood.”

Just as he stepped back, the heavy wooden doors of the chamber creaked open, breaking the tense silence. A guard stumbled in, his armor clinking noisily, a stark contrast to the quiet that had ruled the room. “Apologies, Magistrates,” the guard began, his face pale. “But I?—”

Eldric’s hand rose slightly, and the guard froze in his tracks, his words dying in his throat. The silence was suffocating. Eldric’s pale eyes locked onto the man, and the air seemed to thrum with an almost imperceptible vibration.

“You were told,” Eldric said, his voice as calm and deliberate as ever, “that we were not to be interrupted.”

The guard’s knees buckled, a strangled gasp escaping his lips as his hands flew to his head.

His body trembled, and a choked, guttural cry escaped him as he crumpled to the ground.

His agony was palpable, radiating through the room like a dark ripple of power.

I could only watch, frozen in horror, as Eldric’s cold gaze remained locked on him.

My pulse thundered in my ears, my instincts screaming at me to intervene, though I knew there was nothing I could do. Luca remained rigid beside me, his posture screaming restraint, though I caught the faintest twitch of his jaw.

“Enough,” Caladorn murmured, his tone light, almost disinterested.

Eldric blinked once, releasing the guard from his torment. The man collapsed completely, panting as though he’d just surfaced from drowning.

Vaelen leaned back in his chair, his silver hair gleaming in the dim light. “Let this serve as a reminder of what happens when our commands are ignored.”

The guard whimpered but managed to push himself shakily to his knees. “Forgive me,” he croaked. “It won’t happen again.”

Eldric didn’t bother replying, his attention already shifting back to us as though the interruption had been nothing more than a minor inconvenience. “One month, Luca. Not a day more.”

As we turned to leave, the weight of the Magistrates’ expectations pressed down on us. The stakes of this deal were higher than Luca had let on. I couldn’t shake the image of the guard writhing under Eldric’s gaze. One month to fix this. If we failed, there wouldn’t be another warning.