Page 26 of A Liar's Twisted Tongue

“Bro,” Yuki slurs and holds out his arms. “There’s nothing but air.”

“Away from the smoke,” he says with a shrug.

Yuki mumbles something, takes another swig, and Azaire leaves.

“I got another bottle,” Jermoine says with a twisted smile. He holds up a bottle of vesi—full well knowing that I have more than I will ever know what to do with.

Since Kai and I have been… less than friendly, Jermoine’s swung from one to the other. He’s a Folk, so his natural inclination is tricky. Kai’s his kind, I’m his soon-to-be king.

Yuki holds up our half-full bottle that he’s drank the most of. I grab it from his hand and take another sip.

“More for me, I guess,” Jermoine says, hitting Yuki in the chest with the back of his hand.

Fleur slides in next to me with a soft “Hey” that doesn’t startle me—I could spot her bright white hair from a mile away.

“Hey.”

“We’re having a little…” she shakes her shoulders slightly and whispers, “after party, in the suite.”

I take another sip and say flatly, “The suite you share with my sister?”

Fleur smiles and lifts a shoulder. “Yeah, well,” her fingers slide into my pocket, depositing something, “if you’re interested.”

I turn to her for the first time, looking into her emerald eyes. Then I slip my hands into my pocket, pulling out her undergarments. I let my eyes shift down her body, smirking.

“You have two conflicts of interest,” I remind her playfully. “One’s your future queen and the other’s your best friend.”

“I can keep a secret.”

I reach around her, tucking her underwear into her back pocket, and my eyes can’t help but land on Calista, who has watched this entire encounter with sharp eyes.

“Remains to be seen,” I whisper in her ear when I hear a bottle crash.

“Hey, hey,” Yuki shouts, putting his hands on top of his head and backing away from Jermoine, who has a broken bottle in his hand and is pointing it at his throat. “I didn’t know she was your girl! Put the bottle down, man.”

It takes me two seconds to summon the abundance of shadows in the night, grabbing hold of the bottle-turned weapon and depositing it in the fire.

“Don’t touch my advisor,” I say.

“He said that?—”

“Don’t. Touch. My. Advisor.” I look at Yuki with a sly smile that he returns. “Should we show him how real men fight?”

“Absolutely!” Yuki jumps up and toward me.

“Clear the ground!” I shout to what’s soon to be my audience and step into the space between the fire pits. It takes seconds for everyone to get to the sidelines of our makeshift mat.

Yuki swings first, right for the jaw. I duck out of the way and come back up, my fist connecting with the bottom of his chin. He spits blood to his side and smiles, running to me and trying to tackle me. He’s unable to get me to the ground.

“Lucian!”

“What?” I call and Yuki takes me to my back, knocking the air out of me. He stands and holds his hand out to me.

“It’s a good thing no one expects you to fight,” he whispers before he walks the other way.

Calista approaches, grabbing me by the forearm and reminding everyone that I am inexorably taken. She pulls me away and behind a tree that offers no such privacy.

Lilac watches from afar.

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