Page 98 of A Liar's Twisted Tongue

“You’re bleeding,” Fleur whispers, holding my face.

“I must say,” I comment as I wipe blood from my lips, “I rather prefer words.” And even my own sound like a merry-go-round.

“Yeah, that’s cause you can’t fight,” Kai says, and I see Yuki and Jermoine still hold him back.

I bob my head around and end up laughing from the swirling room before I make it to my point… which was… I’m unsure.

“Bro, bro,” I hear Yuki saying. “Just cool it, bro. It’s not a big deal.”

“Come on, Kai, it’s just a stupid game.”

“Are you alright?” I ask Azaire.

He has a black and blue mark on his jaw. “Yeah,” he breathes.

Fleur wipes my face with a cloth that moves away red. I feel her magic, dulling the already dull sensation. It’s when my eye isn’t swelling that I realize it was ever swollen.

“Dude,” Jermoine says, looking at Kai who sits on the other end of the spinning room. “You got blood on the floor.”

Kai spits more blood on the floor and says, “Surely not the first time in a place like this.”

* * *

The next day, I awaken with a pounding headache and a kick. There’s a weapon, built to be used against the Arcanes.

There’s a girl, who might just be able to get us to them.

My feelings, my hesitancy about the matter have no meaning. I don’t allow them to. This is what has to be done—not kissing a girl and counting her freckles and any other actions of madness.

Yet, despite my sudden eagerness, it is a bit difficult to walk to Cynthia’s office in a straight manner.

“There’s something I kept from you.” I prepare to proclaim the whole truth to Cynthia, sitting on the davenport.

“Again?” she asks as if this is amusing.

“Again.” I don’t share the same amusement. No matter how hard I try to ignore it there is a panging, a pleading in my chest to not go forward.

I disregard it.

“The true reason I’ve been getting closer to Desdemona is because when I tracked Isa to the void, Desdemona almost stepped through my projection.”

I exclude my own feelings from the confession.

Cynthia’s eyes flare and she leans over her desk a little more. “Intriguing. Do you think she could make contact?”

“Unknown,” I answer. “Perhaps.” I spin my little silver wolf. Then I stand, setting the red knife on Cynthia’s desk. She looks down at it and up at me as I stand beside it.

“And this is?” Her fingers intertwine beneath her chin.

“Unknown. That’s the problem.” I sigh. “It burnt Desdemona’s skin to a crisp, even after Wendy detected no poison.”

Cynthia picks up the knife, holding each end against an index finger to the light. “Can I hold onto it?”

“You wouldn’t want to. It was used to kill a Soman soldier.”

“Hm,” she mumbles, setting the knife back down. “Use it against another Fire Folk and see if they have the same reaction, then bring it back to me.”

I take the knife, then I take my seat. “It’s not as though we have an overabundance of them running around here.”

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