Book excerpt: Curtis Vance doesn't believe in magic. Magic doesn't put food in his belly, neither does it put a roof over his head. But thieving does. And he's good at it. The best, if his reputation is to be believed. Until a self-proclaimed sorceress comes looking for a thief. She's dressed like the night, speaks of monsters and myths, and she'll stop at nothing to get what she wants: a legendary Dragon Eye gem, said to grant its wielder the power to move continents. The sorceress is clearly insane, but Curtis hasn't met a challenge he can't overcome - or steal from - and the Dragon Eye gem proves too much of a temptation. All he has to do is survive her. He didn’t expect her stories of magic and monsters to be true. He didn’t expect to fall for her in ways that terrify him. But most of all, he didn’t expect to find himself trapped between the devastating power of a forgotten relic and his duty to save a people who would see him burned alive for his crimes. Curtis Vance doesn't believe in magic. But it believes in him, and if he can't stop it, his world will burn. DragonCon 2017 finalist for Best Fantasy Novel