Painted Devils

An Instant New York Times Bestseller! An Instant Indies Bestseller! A scrappy former maid and jewel thief must outwit gods,injusticeand her own past in this sequel to the Indie Next PickLittle Thieves by Margaret Owen. Let’s get one thing straight – Vanja Schmidt wasn’t trying to start a cult. After taking down a corrupt margravebreaking a deadly curseand finding romance with the vexingly scrupulous junior prefect Emeric ConradVanja had one great mystery left: her long-lost birth family . . . and whether they would welcome a thief. But in her search for an honest tradeshe hit trouble and invented a godthe Scarlet Maidento scam her way out. Now that lie is growing out of controlΓÇöespecially when Emeric arrives to investigate and the Scarlet Maiden manifests to claim him as a virgin sacrifice. For his final test to become a prefectEmeric must determine if Vanja is guilty of serious fraud or if the Scarlet MaidenΓÇöand her claim to himΓÇöis genuine. MeanwhileVanja is chasing an alternative sacrifice that could be their way out. The hunt leads her not only into the lairs of monsters and the paths of godsbut also the ties of her past. And with what should be the simplest way to save Emeric hanging over their headshe and Vanja must face a more dangerous question: Is there a future for a thief and a prefectand at what price? From the indie bestselling author Margaret Owen comes the thrilling next installment in the Little Thieves trilogy with all new interior illustrations from the author.