Fate's Edge

exactly how things would play out between them, and she had decided against it. And she was right. One hundred percent right. He was a scoundrel, and he would use her. Both of them would have the time of their lives while they did. But in the end, he wouldn’t be caught, and she refused to try.
    It was said that there was honor among thieves; there wasn’t. But there was honor between him and Audrey. Well, aside from the theft of the cross, which she had taken rather badly. She could’ve led him on, she could’ve seduced him into her bed—not that it would have taken much. He’d climb a mountain to taste her again, and then, when he was comfortable and happy, she could’ve tried to trap him with guilt. Most men got married because they were comfortable where they were, and breaking free was too hard and too unpleasant. She didn’t go that route. No, she told him up front that he wasn’t good enough for her.
    And why exactly was that? He was good at what he did. The best thief, she’d said. The best swordsman, the sexiest man she’d ever met. The genius conman. Genius. She told him he was better than her father, for crying out loud. It wasn’t often a woman said something like that.
    It wasn’t like he couldn’t provide for her. Not that he ever intended to marry, but if he did, his wife wouldn’t want for anything. He was a Mar, after all. Mars took care of their families.
    Besides, if he ever did bring Audrey to his house, she wouldn’t stay home and bake pies. She would insist on going with him. Now that would be an unbeatable pairing. The things they could accomplish together . . . It was almost too tempting to contemplate. Not only did Audrey understand his schemes, but she could change direction on the fly. She had no trouble improvising under pressure, and say what you wanted about her aversion to violence, when push came to shove, she’d blow an enemy’s brains out. In their world, there would be no unlocked doors. It would be so much fun.
    Kaldar pushed himself back from the rail. Unfortunately, their cooperation would end after they retrieved the diffuser bracelets. That was, after all, the goal of the whole exercise. Where would she go after this was over? Her old job and identity in the Broken were burned. She’d have to start fresh. And do it quietly, too. If they pulled this off, Helena d’Amry would make it her mission in life to hunt them down . . .
    Kaldar froze.
    His mind painted an image of Audrey, funny, beautiful Audrey, dead, hanging off a tree limb. Or worse, sliced to pieces. Or skinned alive. The anxiety punched him right in the gut with an icy fist. The Hand would kill Audrey. They would murder her. She was hellishly smart and slick, but the Hand simply had too many resources, and Audrey knew next to nothing about them.
    Kaldar paced along the balcony. She would die. No more bright smiles. No more laughter. No more sly winks and wide-open eyes.
    He lived in a bitter cold place, a deep darkness where he plotted revenge on the Hand for all their wrongs, past and future. Audrey was like a ray of sunshine in the middle of his night. She had lifted him out of the dark hole he had dug for himself into a place where he laughed, and his mirth and humor were genuine as long as she stayed around.
    The Hand would crush that light.
    He could live in a world where Audrey existed, even if it was far away from him. He was never fond of the idea of suffering nobly; still, he could resign himself to living without her if he knew that she was happy somewhere. The Hand would not take her from him. They had taken two-thirds of his family, they had killed Murid, and he would be damned if he let them butcher Audrey while he cowered in the shadows like a frightened dog with his tail between his legs.
    He loved Audrey. The realization came to him, plain and simple. He would give anything to keep her safe. The only way to do that would be to know where she was at all times. If he had to marry her to keep her safe, he would marry her. He would be respectful and responsible and all the other things that turned his stomach. If he knew she would wake up next to him, safe and happy, it would be worth it.
    Kaldar stopped pacing. It was decided, then. He would marry Audrey.
    He just had to convince her to see things from his point of view.
     
    THE church sat abandoned, its doors flung wide open. Helena marched through them, the rest of her team moving quietly behind her, afraid to make a sound. Inside,