The Phantom Thief.
"…So that's it."
Her purpose wasn't Alice, nor the north, nor even the Faceless Imposter. Which was me.
She had come chasing the Phantom Thief—the one who had humiliated her family in the west.
But the cruel irony?
The man she sought so desperately was no longer here.
He was already in the east.
The receiver stone grew heavy in my palm, as if it knew the weight of what I'd just pieced together.
Emma Voss wasn't here to celebrate Alice's birthday. She wasn't here to drink wine, flatter nobles, or exchange smiles over meaningless chatter. She was here for him. For the Phantom Thief.
And if she discovered the truth…
'She'll come for me.'
The thought pressed against my chest like a vice.
I wasn't afraid of Emma herself—no matter how sharp her tongue or how high her reputation soared in Solhaven's western courts. What terrified me was her persistence.
Her creed.
