Chapter ONE - Weebly

she was the mistress of her own fate and the fates of
everyone she met. She was several years younger than
Ethan, but she dispensed wisdom—or what she took
for wisdom—like a sage. Ethan thought of Sephira as
little more than a glorified brigand, lovely to be sure, but
wicked in every way. But he took great care in
concealing his true feelings. Because everyone else in
Boston, including Sephira herself, considered her nearly
the equal of no less a man than Thomas Hutchinson, or
even the governor of Massachusetts, Francis Bernard.
It wasn’t just that she was the most important
thieftaker in Boston, in all of the American colonies. She
was also responsible for much of the thieving and
violence that made thieftaking necessary. At least half
the gems and jewelry and other riches she returned for
reward were first stolen by men in her employ. She
took with one hand, gave back with the other, and was
paid handsomely for doing so.
Those like Ethan, who lived their lives in the streets,
saw the woman for what she really was: a charming,
clever villain. But to the unsuspecting, particularly the
wealthy, she was the person who kept Boston’s streets