Page 95 of Their Reckless Thief
The air smelled of spices and magic, tinged with that metallic scent right before a storm broke. Then there were the shops—rows and rows of them, their displays filled with things that didn’t belong anywhere near the human world. Enchanted jewelry shimmered like stardust. Weapons with runes etched into their blades pulsed faintly, as if alive. In one window, a bottle of something black and viscous seemed to watch us as we passed.
“Not quite your average shopping trip, huh?” I nudged Vivian, trying to cut through the tension that had been lingering between us for days.
She shook her head, a small, almost disbelieving smile on her lips. “Not at all.”
Dorian walked a few paces ahead, his voice carrying over the din as he gestured toward the bustling marketplace. “There’s more going on here than meets the eye. Sure, it looks like a functioning city—and it is—but the real power isn’t just in the Veil Guard or the magistrates. It’s in the underbelly. The clubs, the black markets, the things that happen behind closed doors or under the cover of darkness.”
I furrowed my brow, trying to piece together what I already knew about The Below with what Dorian was saying. “But the magistrates… they run the government here, right?”
Dorian cast me a wolfish grin. “On paper, sure. But the people who really hold the power? That’s us. Vincenzo runs the clubs, the blood markets, the sex work, the drug trade. It’s not the magistrates who keep things running smoothly, it’s the underbelly.”
I glanced at Vivian. She was listening intently, though her expression betrayed a mix of fascination and unease. I couldn’t blame her. The Below wasn’t just dangerous—it was seductive, a place where the lines between right and wrong blurred until they disappeared entirely.
The crowd thinned as we reached a quieter corner of the market, where the air was cooler and the magical hum of the city seemed to fade. Dorian turned to us with a grin, his golden eyes catching the light. “Wait here. You haven’t had the full experience of The Below until you’ve had ice cream from this cart. Trust me, it’s worth it.”
Before I could protest, he was gone, weaving through the crowd toward a line of carts in the distance. That left me and Vivian alone for the first time since this little tour began.
The silence between us stretched, heavy and awkward. I shifted on my feet, my gaze darting to the shop windows as if they could somehow save me from what I knew was coming. Vivian wasn’t one to let things lie.
Sure enough, she broke the silence. “Celeste… I’ve been thinking.”
I braced myself. That sentence never led anywhere good. “What’s up?”
Vivian crossed her arms tightly over her chest as if she was hugging herself. Her voice was quieter than usual when she finally spoke. “I’ve been an ass. I know it.”
I blinked, caught off guard. “Viv, you don’t have to?—”
“No, I do.” She sighed. “When you tried to pull that job at Vincenzo’s mansion, I was so fucking pissed. Not just at you, but at myself too. I know you were doing it for us—for all of us.”
My chest tightened, guilt and frustration swirling inside me. “It wasn’t just for you guys?—”
Vivian nodded, her lips pressing into a thin line. “But it was. You always think about us. And when I thought you were dead…” Her voice cracked, and she looked away. “It scared the hell out of me, Celeste. I was so angry at you for putting yourself in danger, but the truth is, I didn’t know how to deal with losing you. I can’t lose you.”
Her words hit like a punch to the gut, the raw emotion in her voice cutting through every layer of my defensiveness. “Viv…”
“I’m sorry I’ve been so distant. I didn’t know how to process it all. I still don’t. But I can’t keep pushing you away.”
I pulled her into a hug, holding her tightly. The streets around us faded into the background, the noise and movementreduced to a distant hum. For the first time in weeks, it felt like we were on the same page again.
“I’m sorry too,” I whispered, my throat tight. “For scaring you. For being so fucking impulsive. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
We stayed like that for a moment, the tension between us melting away as we clung to each other. Vivian had been my rock through so much, and it killed me to think that my choices had made her feel like she couldn’t rely on me.
When we finally pulled apart, Dorian was standing a few feet away, three ice cream cones balanced precariously in his hands. “What’d I miss?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
I wiped at my eyes quickly before he could notice. “Oh, you know, just girl talk.”
He grinned, handing us the cones with a wink. “Well, here’s to a little sweetness, huh?”
As we ate, the tension between us eased even more, the cool sweetness of the ice cream a strange but welcome contrast to the heaviness that had been weighing us down. Dorian’s hand brushed against mine as we walked deeper into the city, and I relished his touch. It was a small thing, but it anchored me, made me feel like I wasn’t walking this path alone.
The Below’s winding streets glowed faintly in the twilight, the magic that infused every corner of it humming beneath my skin. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I belonged here, like this chaotic, dangerous world had a place for me.
Even if I wasn’t sure I deserved it.
29
CELESTE
