chapter one

Thea stacked the books in her arms, balancing them precariously as she dusted the empty shelf. The particles flew up into her nose, but she bit back a sneeze. She didn't dare drop any of her master's books—that alone could be enough to lose her job.

She finished clearing away the dust with held breath, then returned the old notebooks exactly the way she found them. The rest of the shelves were just as dusty, so she tied an extra rag around her nose to avoid any more disruptive sneezes. Lord Malik's study was a vast and cluttered space that never ceased to be the worst part of Thea's day.

Everything had a proper place, but that place was never the same twice. The documents were off-limits, the drawers were off-limits, and even opening the windows wasn't permitted because the lord was so anxious about spies. All she was permitted to do was clean underneath the clutter and put it exactly back as she found it. Which was easier said than done when the notes stacked nearly as tall as his half-used teacup.

Even so, she was grateful for the work.

Thea went to work on the next set of shelves, making a mental note of where every item went so she could remember where to return it. It was hard for a mortal to find work in Olympia, especially when there were so many useful nymphs who could offer more than what Thea's two hands could manage. So, she couldn't leave any room for doubt. Everything had to be perfectly clean, yet perfectly untouched.

The last shelf was the most stuffed full of junk. Thea tugged the rag down from around her nose to get a better view of all the layered maps, compasses, and drawing utensils. She'd avoided cleaning this shelf the last few times she had been assigned to Lord Malik's study, but by the looks of it, none of the other maids had gotten around to dusting it on their rotations. It would be just her luck that Lord Malik would pick her rotation to complain about the shelf being left undusted.

Thea moved the trinkets, books, and pencils one at a time, careful not to shift even a cup of quills around so their feathers pointed in the same direction as when she began. She layered the items in an identical pattern on the floor, ensuring she could remember how to put it all back after the shelf was clean .

She set down the last tattered notebook and readied her rag for the dusting of a lifetime, but froze when she saw another piece of paper clinging to the back of the shelf. She dug her nails underneath it and pried it free from the oak, careful not to tear the fragile parchment.

What's this doing back here?

The paper was older than any of the others she'd come across in the study. The edges were brittle, and it was already yellowing with age. She flipped it over, narrowing her eyes on the contents with a curious mind she knew shouldn't be satiated. She instantly recognized Lord Malik's handwriting at the top, but the twisted, sketched image of his powerful maze looked different from the others she'd come across in the past. The heading was odd, too...

The Rose and the Labyrinth.

Footsteps echoed outside the study door, sending Thea into a panic as she looked down at the forbidden piece of parchment in her hands. Rule number one of working in Lord Malik's office: No snooping.

Drat.

Thea stuck the parchment with the rest of the shelf's contents on the floor, then hastily pulled out her rag to act as if she had only been cleaning. The door swung open in the midst of her scramble, and a pair of striking gray eyes latched onto her like a preying hawk.

"Hello there, Theabelle."

Thea didn't have to look to recognize Ceyden's smarmy voice. Lord Malik's son was the complete opposite of his private father. He loved it when eyes fell on him, especially Thea's eyes, even if she was rolling them.

"Do you need something, young lord?" Thea asked as she tried to make herself look too busy to interrupt. "My tasks are a bit lengthy for me to entertain much conversation, I'm afraid."

Was that a polite enough way to ask him to buzz off?

"Ah, yes, you did look rather busy while investigating my father's documents." Ceyden shut the door behind him slow and soft, trapping Thea in both the room and in her crime.

She froze, digging her hand into the rag as she took a subtle breath in through her nose. He saw her. Of all people...

"Investigating?" Thea turned around, cocking her brow with the most innocent expression she could craft while her heart pounded behind her ribs. "Forgive me, young lord, but I was merely inspecting your father's materials for dust. It's my duty to keep his study spotless, after all."

Ceyden crept forward, that devilish look in his eyes making her wish she had something stronger than a rag in her hands. "Goodness, Theabelle, I had hoped you were a better liar than that," he said with a slimy smile. "Lying is an artful craft that all future ladies must learn, but I suppose there's still time."

Here we go again...

"Considering I don't aspire to elevate to the status of lady anytime soon, I don't see why the craft would benefit me," Thea said a bit more tartly than was likely wise to her employer's son. "Besides, I wasn't lying."

"That's more like it." Ceyden grinned. He ran a hand through his dark blonde locks, the way he always did when he was trying to flirt. "That's the confidence a lie needs. Perhaps you'll make a decent noble, after all."

"Did you miss the part where I said I have no interest in becoming a lady?" Thea said sharply, her muscles tensing as Ceyden continued to close the distance between them. Maybe she could snap the rag at him like a whip? Though that would certainly get her dismissed from the staff...

"I heard you. I just didn't believe you," Ceyden said with a sly lift of his brow. "I know all about you, Theabelle Aynna, and those adorable little sisters you have, who are all struggling to get by. I find it hard to believe that you wouldn't be interested in a life where both you and your family would be well provided for. A life that only I can offer you."

He stopped right in front of her, giving her a full view of his tall figure, chiseled jaw, and dazzling smile. There was no doubt that Ceyden was handsome, but that was pretty much where his good qualities ended.

Well, there was his money, too...

But no money in the world is worth my dignity.

Thea hated the way Ceyden looked at her. His eyes always lingered too long on her figure before meeting her eyes, and his tone always sounded condescending, as if a meager mortal like Thea couldn't possibly understand what he was talking about. His divine gifts weren't much better than her own skills. Lord Malik's puzzle magic manifested in him as some sort of locating gift, useful for finding missing objects and, more commonly, Thea. His late mother was a mortal, just like Thea, so you'd think he'd show a little more respect, but that was too far below his lofty gaze.

"Ceyden, I'm flattered, but I have no interest in marrying at this time," Thea said frankly, lifting her chin to meet his stubborn gray eyes. "Now, if you'll excuse me; I have work to do."

Thea tried to push past him, but he stepped in front of her, laughing to himself as he stopped her so easily. Smacking him with her rag was growing more tempting by the moment .

"Hold on there, Thea." Ceyden wagged his finger at her, once again treating her like a child instead of a potential courtship. "We still have to cover the issue of your snooping. I don't want to tell my father what I saw you doing... so, perhaps, we can come to an understanding between the two of us."

For the love of Fairmyth...

Thea glared at him. "What do you want, Ceyden?"

"For a small crime like this?" Ceyden motioned to the fallen parchment. "Only a small fee. A kiss, perhaps?"

Thea threw up in her mouth a little, only managing to keep it down with a firm swallow. Her pride simmered, stirring up an anger that could be comparable to one of King Zion's electrical storms. She needed this job; her family needed her to keep this job. Yet, she knew that if she gave into this one payment, that would be the end of her freedom. Ceyden wouldn't stop finding ways to get more out of her until he had a ring stuffed on her finger.

"No," Thea said, her heart threatening to beat out of her chest as her blood raced with panic.

Ceyden staggered back a step. "No? Theabelle, darling. Think about it, if I tell my father what you did—"

"Then I would lose my job," Thea finished. " And if I stopped working in your home, then you likely would never see me again. Unless you're willing to seek me out in the alleyways of the capital? Is that what you want, young lord?"

Thea held her breath as Ceyden eyed her down, sizing up her bluff as much as she was sizing up his. Would he really report her to his father?

A second later, Ceyden sighed, then stepped aside to allow Thea to pass. "I'll let it slide this once," he said in a tone low with warning. "But only because I care about you, Thea. If you care about that family of yours, you might want to consider being a bit more flexible."

Controllable, you mean?

"I appreciate the concern, Ceyden," Thea said with a silent breath of relief. She moved back around to the shelf, hastily wiping it down so she could get out of the cursed study. "But I can take care of myself."

"You can't always," Ceyden said as he moved back toward the door. "And when the day comes that you realize that, remember who offered to give you a life worth living."

Ceyden stepped out into the hall, leaving Thea alone with the dust. She lowered her rag with a deep sigh of relief, grateful that her job was still secure for another day.

His money isn't worth my life .

Her family, on the other hand, was worth a lot more...

She only hoped Ceyden wasn't right.