Page 51 of Court of Lies and Deceit

I’m jolted back to reality as Draven leans closer and brushes his hand gently down my thigh. His casual touch sends a flood of warmth through my body and makes the uncomfortable storm of emotions inside me calm again. I let out a long sigh.

Tearing my gaze from the market before us, I instead meet Draven’s beautiful eyes. “Yes. I was just… lost in thought.”

He brushes his hand over my thigh again, making my spine tingle. But before he can say anything else, Isera surprises us all by speaking without being forced to.

“They’re restless,” she says, her cold eyes on the people strolling through the large market square. “Can you feel it?”

“Yes,” I reply immediately.

I don’t even need to use my magic to feel the restless tension that seems to hover over this entire city like a cloud. I’ve spent my entire life reading the situation around me, always alert and on the lookout for that moment when the mood in the room shifts and someone is about to get angry, so that I can try to defuse the conflict before it happens.

“Isn’t it just anticipation?” Galen asks, glancing between me and Isera. “Excitement before the games?”

“No,” I reply. “This feels different. There is a tension in the air that isn’t there if it’s only positive emotions.”

Isera nods. “They’re bored. Restless. Crawling up the walls waiting for something to happen.”

“It’s why people are arguing so much about which faction will win,” I finish.

Alistair gives both of us a look as he drawls, “And why is this relevant again?”

I watch Isera, waiting for her to reply. She doesn’t. And that dangerous glint remains in her eyes as she just slides her gaze back to the restless market before us.

“Becauseweneed to win these games,” I reply, shifting my attention to the others instead. “This is entertainment for these people. Their favorite type of entertainment. The contestants on the regular teams, like the White Faction, are practically celebrities.” Resting my elbows on the wooden table before me, I draw both hands through my hair before heaving a sigh. “Youall heard what Jocasta said before we left. It’s not just about winning. It’s about making sure the crowd is entertained.”

“And everyone hates us,” Draven finishes with a shrug.

I shoot him a half-hearted glare at his awful peptalk. But he is in fact right, so I just sigh again and echo, “And everyone hates us.”

“Alright, how should we play this, then?” Galen asks, looking from face to face. “There are six teams with six people on each team. Our entire team needs to win these games.” He focuses on me, Alistair, and Isera. “You three have done something like this before during the Atonement Trials. So, what’s the best move?”

Alistair scowls at him and shakes his head. “How should I know?”

“You’re one of the few people who actually had a group of allies during the trials.”

“Allies. Right.” He snorts, as if the idea is laughable. Then a sharp glint appears in his eyes. “And where are thosealliesnow?”

It takes me a second to realize.

“Dead,” I blurt out, staring at Alistair. “Maximus, Jeb, Tommen, and that other guy too… They all died during the Atonement Trials.”

Alistair meets our shocked stares with unapologetic eyes. “Yeah.”

Across the table, Galen watches him, his expression now slightly guarded.

“What?” Alistair challenges. Crossing his arms, he leans back in his chair. “I’m not a team player.”

Isera cuts Galen a flat look. “Neither am I.”

I shrug. “Yeah, I have no idea how to win properly either. I practically cheated my way through the whole thing.”

Draven lets out a huff of amusement. “Don’t I know it.”

Drawing my eyebrows down in a mock scowl, I elbow him in the ribs. But he’s still wearing his dragon scale armor, so it does absolutely nothing to make him wince. He grins at me, clearly pleased with his win.

“True,” Lyra muses, her gaze sliding to Alistair. “In terms of pure strength, I suppose Trevor should’ve been the third winner.”

“Don’t look at me,” Alistair says, raising his hands. “That one wasn’t actuallymyfault.” Then he nods at Isera instead. “She’s the one who almost cracked his head open with a block of ice so that he had to drop out.”

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