The temptation . . . I could barely hold it back. Gold for Lonzo. Purpose for me. But at what cost? “I can’t. I have other commitments.”

   His eyebrows rose. “Oh. Some husband or lover?”

   “No!” My voice gave away too much, and Tom laughed.

   “Oh, I see. It’s one of those complicated things, eh? All the more reason to make your own way. And I saw your face when Lesser Tom flashed those coins we got from the judge. You have some debts, perhaps?”

   The possibility of paying off Lonzo’s bond and my own contract suddenly made me heady, but I tried to hide it. “Judge . . . you mentioned Judge Mathers?”

   “You know him?” asked Tom, interest clearly piqued.

   “Sort of. And I know what he does. The bribes. The shady sentencing of penal workers.”

   “Then you know he’s a bad man who breaks the law.”

   “We just broke the law.”

   “For the greater good, remember?” Tom’s voice hardened. “He sold off a few of our associates recently, to plantation work. Those sentences are far too long for petty theft. No one in my crew, but it’s an insult to our brotherhood. He’s never punished for what he does.”

   “What did you do to him?”

   “The usual. Let him know we’re watching. We stopped by his house, relieved him of a few things, put the fear of the wayward angels into him and his servants. No one died, if that’s what you’re wondering. I try to avoid friction with the militia if I can help it.”

   We came to a halt in front of the Dancing Bull, but I didn’t follow the other men in. “Tom—”

   “No more protests. You need more than money. There’s something burning in you. I can see it. You really want to be an avenging angel who rights the wrongs of the world? This is the way. Come back tomorrow night.” His face was alight with excitement. “I’ve got some grain from a job last week I’ve been meaning to dole out. Come see the other side of what we do.”

   “I’ll think about it,” I said at last.

   Tom caught my hand and kissed it as I started to move away. “Do more than think, Aviel.”

   “Aviel?”

   “An angel needs a name. Why not the heavenly defender of women and the innocent? Unless you think that’s sacrilegious.”

   I laughed as I began backing away down the street. “After everything else we did tonight? Hardly.”

   He bid farewell with a grand bow. “Then I’ll see you tomorrow, Lady Aviel.”

CHAPTER 20

   I DID COME BACK. AND IT DIDN’T TAKE LONG FOR ME TO become the hot topic of Wisteria Hollow’s nightly gossip. Well, not exactly me. Lady Aviel.

   In barely a week of working with Tom’s crew, the identity he’d given me had blazed through the city. Cape Triumph already had a few female pirates, but they didn’t seize the imagination the way I did. Part of that came just by being around Tom. As one of the city’s most flamboyant buccaneers, anyone in his company picked up a little glamour. He certainly had an abundance to share. But I was also younger than the other lady pirates, which somehow resulted in stories of incredible—and, in my opinion, exaggerated—beauty. Rolling that up with my angelic identity made me into something larger than life. Something otherworldly. A true angel of justice.

   And maybe that was because I really was out for justice, not just profit. Not every job was selfless, of course. Tom diligently sought out the city’s corrupt officials, but there was no question that his main focus was profit. I was amazed at how hard he worked for those luxuries and at how many he accrued. I was also amazed that, with the kind of prices he sold them for, he didn’t just build a palace outside the city and retire.

   Tom also kept to his word about having me distribute some of the more ordinary goods that fell into his hands. The people we helped knew I was one of his associates, and my work reflected well on him. But they also realized that the surge in his giving had happened at the same time I’d arrived. And they loved me for it.

   As for me? I earned five gold for that week’s labor. Five gold. Until working with Tom, I’d never even touched one gold coin.

   Those busy nights made for exhausting days with the Glittering Court. A handful of girls had already become engaged, and the Thorns were determined to see the rest of us locked into marriage offers as well. We didn’t get breaks.

   To everyone’s amazement, Adelaide wasn’t yet among the engaged girls. Warren had maintained his aggressive pursuit, and it seemed as though many men had backed off and conceded to what must be an obvious victory.

   “Have you seen Warren recently?” I asked her one night. We stood in front of our bedroom mirror, making last-minute tweaks before heading out to an evening event. “He hasn’t been at any of our recent parties.”

   She smoothed the skirt of her white silk gown. Its silver embroidery sparkled in the candlelight. “I think he’s busy preparing for his trip to Hadisen.”

   “Surely he’s not too busy for you,” I teased. His courtship left me conflicted. Whenever we did see him, he treated her like a queen—and with his impending governorship, he had the ability to make her one, at least by Adorian standards. On the other hand, it was hard for me to shake his role as an active organizer of the heretic hunters. I knew his opinions on heretics were shared by many residents, but I still wished she had a more open-minded suitor in the running.

   I had no idea if Grant had joined the patrols or not. I’d dutifully made note of any useful conversations or observations at the events I went to. I’d picked a couple of drawers in search of evidence. And I’d even gathered a few tips about the city’s underworld in my work with Tom. Everything I learned went to Aiana, but she never said how it was received. And Grant sent no message at all.

   Tonight’s dinner party had particular significance—because it was at the Chambers plantation. Cornelius had continued ardently pitching his father whenever we ran into each other. I knew he thought showing off the grandeur of their home would be the ultimate sell, and as our carriage pulled up to the opulent estate, I had to admit that he had good reason for pride.