A Tale of Two Thieves
They had crossed one another for years, two rival thieves forever arriving a breath too close to the same treasures, but never had they hunted the same prize until rumor led them both to an ancient relic hidden deep within a noble estate. She beat him to the gallery only by seconds, and when the struggle ended she had him flat on his back across the cold stone, one knee braced at his side, the other pinning his arm, her blade poised at his throat while his dark, knowing smile only sharpened her fury. "You knew I was coming." His voice came rough, almost amused. "I was counting on it." Then the relic answered the blood between them. A low golden light stirred through the room’s carved walls, the doors sealed shut, and the air changed, heavy with something old and waiting. In that terrible instant, she understood the truth too late. He had never feared losing the heist to her. He had lured her there because the relic would not wake for a thief alone. It demanded betra...
