Page 37 of A Liar's Twisted Tongue

“Show me her picture.”

Cynthia goes to her bookshelf, one that is filled with all sorts of illegal text. At this moment, she only pulls out a yearbook. Surely enough, when she shows me the photo I see a younger version of the woman I saw in my projection eight days ago.

She faked her death. “Is this all I get for a favor?”

“No. You’ll have to find Freyr Alpine.” She’s egging me on, pushing me to ask the right questions. One of her favorite mental exercises.

“Where can I find Freyr?”

“He works in a secret welding facility, at the northern end of Lorucille’s mountain region.”

“Do you have exact coordinates?”

“I do not.” She raises a single eyebrow. “Keep an eye on the girl for me, would you?”

I stand to exit. “I was already planning on it.”

* * *

Back in my suite, it takes Azaire one glance to say, “Again?”

It must be the dangling shoulders, or the darkened eyes, or something else entirely that only someone who knows you can sense.

“Again.”

“Maybe Wendy could make you something to take the edge off?”

“There’s no replenishing life force,” I say, though he knows as I lay on the couch in languor.

“She’s a talented healer, maybe there’s something she could do.” Azaire sits next to my feet and looks down at me, shrugging. “It never hurts to ask.”

Asking, needing, can hurt. It can hurt her to know the truth of my kingdom. But there is another question entirely piquing in my mind. “How do you know she’s a talented healer?” It was only last week that they’d had their first conversation in years.

Azaire tugs on his beanie. “Oh,” he says, “uh…”

I sit up abruptly. My voice shakes as I say, “No.” Azaire’s cheeks redden. “Tell me you’re not in one of the volunteer groups.”

“It just happened,” he says, as if that will make it any better. “I know there’s nothing you can do and…”

“What did they do to you?” My voice sounds like I have not spoken in years.

Azaire looks down, still tugging on his beanie. “A few stab wounds, broken ribs, and a black eye.”

I exhale shakily. “Zaire?—”

“I’m not going to say it’s not a big deal, because it is, but I know you’ll make it right when you can. I can hold on until then.”

“No,” I seethe. “The next time someone tries to raggle you in, tell them I’ll have their heart in my hand by the end of the day.”

“Lucian,” he says softly. “I appreciate it, but you look like you’re one step away from Lusia doing you in for good. I’ll take the punishment because I don’t want to see that happen. No surrender, okay?”

No surrender.

I was alone, looking out past the Great Sea that I sometimes wished I could escape from.

Azaire sat next to me. It was silent for a while, not the kind where you’re fishing through your brain to find something to say. But the kind where you forget that there could be something to say at all. Azaire broke that silence when he asked, “Did they do something?”

“No.” I shook my head, but I couldn’t stop the tears from stinging my eyes. “No,” I croaked.

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