Page 78 of Court of Lies and Deceit

My heart leaps when I realize what it is.

Orion Nightbane.

He is still sitting on his grand throne in the otherwise empty section reserved only for him. Even from this distance, I can almost feel him stewing in silent annoyance as he watches us.

Isera summons an ice spear.

And throws it straight at him.

I gasp as the ice spear shoots through the air and slams into the wood of the Unseelie King’s throne. Right next to his head. To his credit, he doesn’t so much as flinch. But I swear I can still see the shock in his eyes, even from this impossible distance.

Down on the sand, Isera spreads her arms wide with dramatic flair and gives the audience a theatrical bow. Then she flashes Orion a wicked grin and blows him a kiss.

The crowd completelyerupts.

Whoops and cheers and screams of approval explode across the whole arena. They’re so loud that the very air practically vibrates.

My stomach lurches as a strong hand suddenly grabs my forearm and yanks me down. I half jump, half fall down through the trapdoor with Draven next to me. Two seconds later, Isera leaps through as well.

A jolt shoots up my legs as we hit the soft sand below, but Draven quickly wraps his arm around me, keeping me steady. Tilting my head back, I glance back up through the trapdoor.

From down here, we can see the space where Draven, Isera, and I used to stand for a few seconds before the trapdoor slams shut again.

Two distinctive clicks echo as the locks reset, waiting for the next team to unlock it. Given that both the Red Faction and the White Faction are up there, they will likely be forced to battle each other for the privilege of being the second team through the door.

Behind me, Alistair lets out a low whistle. “Throwing a spear at the Unseelie King and then blowing him a kiss?”

We all turn to face him, even though his gaze and his question are clearly directed at Isera. She just looks back at him, her expression unreadable.

He chuckles and shakes his head at her. “And here I was, thinkingIwas the drama queen in our group.”

A laugh rips from my lungs. A laugh full of mirth and exhaustion and utter relief. We did it. We made it through the door first. And now, we will be the team that is invited to the Unseelie King’s celebration, giving us a chance both to woo the crowd so that we will have a better chance to win the final game and also to steal the dragon steel back from Orion.

The others laugh as well, sounding as exhausted and relieved as I am. And even Isera almost smiles before she manages to hide it behind an impassive expression again.

She lifts her slim shoulders in a nonchalant shrug. “We were told to entertain them. So I did.”

Oh, she sure did.

I let out a long sigh.

Now, we just need to figure out how to actually steal the dragon steel back from a no doubt furious Unseelie King.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Idon’t make it more than three steps into my room back at Jocasta’s faction house before the door is slammed shut and I feel a thunderstorm looming behind me.

“What the hell were you thinking?” Draven snaps, stalking up behind me.

We were allowed to eat and bathe in the private rooms underneath the arena while we waited for the other teams to finish the game, which took longer than I had expected. So I’m fed and clean and the ache from when the Red Faction tried to strangle me with a whip has already healed, but I’m still exhausted and not in the mood for this argument. So I drag in a long breath before turning to face the furious dragon shifter behind me.

He’s standing there, tall and powerful like the ruthless commander he is, still in his black dragon scale armor, looking incredibly out of place in this elegant room. Sheer white drapes flutter gently in the warm breeze that blows in through the open windows, and bright sunlight glints in the unlit faelight gems that have been placed into swirling holders made of gold. The bed, covered in sheets in cream and gold, has been made perfectly by the people who came in to clean while we were atthe game. And in the middle of all that serenity stands a furious shadow of death.

“You’re gonna have to narrow that down,” I reply, meeting Draven’s gaze.

His golden eyes flash with lightning. “You know exactly what I’m talking about!”

“We won, didn’t we?” I retort, feeling the anger rise in my own chest.

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