Page 126 of A Liar's Twisted Tongue

I stand across the counter from Eudora, sucking down another delicious dish she’s made with a meat I’ve never had and before yesterday would’ve never admitted to, when suddenly I can’t move. My torso is knitted together all the way up to my neck. Eudora looks at me, then behind me, and her green eyes glow.

I hear panicked chattering and something else. When I can move again, I turn around to see two Folk, one with a knife and both being held together by vines.

One of them electrocuted me, and the other was going to stab me.

“Get. Out. Of. My. Kitchen.” The vines tear away, and the kids run.

Her face is red, with exertion or anger, I don’t know.

“How long have you known?” I ask.

Eudora smiles at me, but it’s the kind of sad smile that I always fear will be coupled with pity. “No one from Utul is as hungry as you are.” She reaches over the table and pats my hand.

I go through the day with eyes on the back of my head. I knew the attacks would come, even without Leiholan’s warning. Still, I’ve never been so abruptly popular. Suddenly, everyone wants to fight me. A sore difference from when everyone avoided me.

Now they want to see if they can kill the septic scum.

Well, I have seven throwing blades strapped to my ribs and thighs, and I’m not afraid to plant one in someone’s skull if they so much as think of killing me.

But even with this new popularity, the one person whose avoidance is the most annoying is doing just that—seeing as she is my roommate. I don’t think Aralia would try to kill me, but sleep has eluded me lately and the dreams are still coming on strong, so I took the extra step of not sleeping last night.

After a thrilling hour of studying the gods—and if I don’t count the angry stares, no more attacks—I meet Aralia outside of her first-period class, like every day.

She doesn’t smile when she looks at me.

“Hey,” I say.

“Hey,” she says slowly. “I have to go see Mr. Bayley, so I’ll see you in class?”

“Yeah, sure,” I say, but I know she would’ve asked me to join her yesterday. She didn’t say much to me last night or this morning.

And she doesn’t say much to me in Elemental Magic either.

In combat class, Eleanora walks toward me, proclaiming abruptly that she can “take me.”

“Anyone could,” Jermoine says. “She’s septic.” He smirks and lifts an eyebrow at me.

“I wouldn’t piss her off.” Leiholan nods at me once, and I do just as we practiced. I turn to the back of the classroom with almost as much speed as a Nepenthe, unsheathing one of my daggers and letting it fly. Right into the eye of my target.

Eleanora rolls her eyes, but Jermoine narrows his and says, “Nice show. But what’s Leiholan got in your corner? Any reason he’s protecting you?”

“He’s no more than a pain in my ass. You? You’re gonna be a sack of burnt flesh if you take another step closer.” This time I smirk. Not that I could do that. They just have to think I can. Lucky for Leiholan’s plan, I’m a great liar.

“You’re not allowed to use magic in this class,” someone says from behind me.

I smile and even add a little laugh for the show.

“Watch me.” I don’t take my eyes off Jermoine. He’s double my size, could easily take me on the mat, and I have no business threatening him. But his shoulders drop ever so slightly, and I take it as defeat.

“Partner up!” Leiholan says. “We’ll resume challenges tomorrow.”

Yuki walks to me, and I try not to give him any of the attitude I’ve been feeling. He’s been nothing but cordial to me, and I doubt he knew what Lucian was going to do. We fight like usual, and one out of the seven rounds I land on top, with my blade to his throat.

And I’ve never been prouder.

I don’t like expecting attacks, but at least I’m prepared when I’m thrown across the room by wind in Elemental Magic the following day. Pinned against a wall with a backache I’ve already experienced, I try to take a step forward and the feeling of a thousand pins filling my calf sends me back.

Though it’s nowhere near as bad as when Hogan’s magic did the same to me on my first day here. The electrical barrier.

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