Page 23 of Heart of Thieves

“He could have them write it down, for one.”

I purse my lips. I should have thought of that, but I’d been so desperate to avoid violence I hadn’t been thinking much at all.

“Or,” Enzo says, “he could hire my brother to steal their secrets.”

I flinch at the mention of his brother, a gunshot echoing in my ears, but I force myself to stay focused.

“We’ll stay vigilant,” I say. “We’ll be careful.”

He nods, pursing his lips. “I suppose that’s our only option now.” I can sense more words hovering inside him, bottled up in his chest, and I hate that in spite of the Unbreakable Lie’s reassurance that I trust him, he’s still wary.

I don’t know if we’ll ever get back to what we once were.

“What have you been up to?” I ask, hoping he’ll mention Nocturne so I can persuade him not to track her down. Or maybe so I can prove to myself he’s not keeping yet another secret from me.

But he just shrugs. “Recounting the plats in the treasury. Soren and Isla are going to do a supply run, so I needed to see if they should hit a bank or two while they’re out.”

My stomach sinks. I want to demand an answer, to accuse him of hiding things, to point out the hypocrisy of his requiring my total loyalty and honesty without offering his own in return. But the Unbreakable Lie holds every shout, every barb, every retort captive behind my teeth.

“Speaking of which,” Enzo continues, utterly unaware of my inner battle, “I know the last time we talked about it, you said you were saving the Unbreakable Lie.” He holds up a hand as though expecting me to jump in. “I still completely respect that. You won the tournament, and the game was your idea. You don’t have to share it with me.”

“What are you getting at?” I ask.

“What if I paid you for it?”

“Paid me?” I frown. “You want to buy the Unbreakable Lie?”

He nods. “How much would you want?”

I consider for a long moment, hating the desperate hope glimmering in his eyes. He probably wants to use it to fool Nocturne somehow, or Nic. Perhaps me.

“You can buy it,” I find myself saying.

He brightens, eyebrows lifting. “Gods, thank you, Lola.” His cheeks flush with excitement. “How much do you want for it?”

“Just one thing.” The words are cotton in my mouth. “My heart.”

His smile fades, and his eyes dart back and forth between mine like I’ve struck him. His throat bobs as he swallows, and a rush of panic cascades through me from him, stabbing my nerves and tingling the tips of my fingers and toes.

For a tiny, heart-stopping moment, I wonder if he might agree. Wonder how I’ll be able to explain to him that I’ve already used the Unbreakable Lie—or would the Unbreakable Lie prevent me from even telling him? How would I respond if he gives me what I have desperately wanted for so long?

He sighs and pinches his nose, squeezing his eyes shut. “You know I can’t, Lola.”

Every bit of air whooshes out of me.

“I could give you soullight on my own terms,” I say softly, though I know there’s no point to arguing—it’s not like I could even give him the Unbreakable Lie if I wanted to. “I’d willingly let you siphon emotion from me whenever you need it . . . Just let me choose.”

His chest rises and falls in short bursts.

“I’m not going anywhere, Enzo.” I tighten my grip on his forearm. “I promise you.”

When he finally opens his eyes, they are distant, as though he’s in an entirely different world. He shakes his head once. “No.” He pulls out of my grasp and exits the room without a second glance. The door slams shut behind him.

My fingers curl. I slam my fist into my pillow once, twice, three times, before shoving my face into it and screaming.

The moonshard is gone. Nic is further out of reach than ever. Enzo will keep me caged as long as I live.

I will never be free.