Akhio can steal luck. He has a slight problem using it, though. Case in point: when he was only eight years old, he accidentally killed his best friend, was kicked out of his village, and caused magic practitioners to become the most persecuted group to have ever existed. All in the span of a day.

Now, ten years later, he’s determined to live a quiet, uneventful life working as a server in a gambling house. He steals bits of luck from the gamblers to stay hidden from the inquisitors, who plan to kill or enslave every last magic practitioner in hiding like Akhio. Especially Akhio.

All in all, he has no need for dashing, annoying strangers—but a dashing, annoying stranger is exactly what Akhio gets. Young Lord Cillian makes his heart race: he smiles, he teases, he sets people on fire with nothing but a twist of his hands.

Not only does that attract Akhio, but it also attracts a whole bunch of inquisitors.

Now Cillian wants Akhio’s help to find a powerful mage for the rebellion of the very people Akhio doomed. Saying no would be easy, if Cillian didn’t smile so much. The only question is: whose past will catch up with them first?