ara

lips. This was just the beginning, and I was already tired. But it was a different kind of exhaustion than

the keyboard, a familiar rhythm. I opened an encrypted browser, the sc

iation painted in excruciating detail. Seraphina, with her saccharine smile, had "

urse, a high-

shion blogger who had gleefully exposed me. The laughter, the whispers, Julian's furious, disappointed face-it was all sear

lay would have a

oing to play h

and illicit transactions I'd discovered on Julian's laptop in my first life. He used i

cessing a private, invitation-only marke

For the right price, Nyx could procure anything-extinct artifacts, unrelea

I didn't search for Atelier. I sear

e by Edmond Delacroix. The one that was

you g

rice is

hesitate.

Nyx: "I don't w

Everyone knew Nyx charged fortunes-cryptocurrency, art

Consider it... a debt. I'll c

e screen. "I'm not into k

, "I won't

und very convi

ud. "I'm not sure I bel

you the truth. The Nightingale will be delivered in three days. Biometric lock.

went dark. Nyx

,The first chess pi

ly wrapped box arrived, delivere

id, his face a professional blank. "He said it is a gif

sion. "Please thank Miss Croft for

t life. The Atelier counterfeit. It was a beautiful lie, the fabric and stitching expertly done. I

r it. I would n

eatureless case. "Package for Vance," he grunted. The del

on on his handheld device

nd bolted, I placed the ca

eath

rom Moonlight Thread, a fabric so rare that only three bolts had ever been produced. The embroidery depicted a nightingale in flight, its wings stitched with silver and platinum

er disa

closet, separate from everything el

he party wearing the "genuine" Atelier, believing she had already w

g something she could ne

a new number in my contacts. It belonged to Arthur, Caspian's impeccably polite and e

yself in need of a partner for the Croft's party. Would it be possible for you to help me invite a guest? Specif

would be too overt, too soon. But his power, w

me back in u

loyer gave clear instructions. Any request y

l that's left is