Page 88 of Court of Lies and Deceit

“I didn’t take you for someone who had to force a woman.”

His grip tightens on her waist, and frustration pulses across his features. “I’m not. I have never forced anyone into my bed. Ever.”

“Thought so. Because with this pretty face of yours, you have never been rejected by anyone before, have you?” She gives him a knowing smile. “People have thrown themselves at your feet, begging for just one single night with you. Haven’t they?”

“That’s right.”

“Hmm.” Her smile turns mocking as she unlinks her hands from behind his neck and instead slides them down his toned chest. “Then my rejection must really sting.” She tuts. “Such a fragile ego you have, pretty boy.”

His hand shoots up, wrapping around her throat. “Careful, little viper.”

“Or what?” She rakes her hands down his chest before slipping them underneath the dark fabric. “You’ll come in your pants from my mere touch?”

Fire flares in his eyes, and he shifts his grip on her throat so that his thumb is pressing underneath her chin, forcing her to tilt her head back. “Oh the things I would do to you.”

“You couldn’t handle me even if you tried.”

She rolls her hips, grinding herself against him, right at the same time as she slides her hands back out of his clothes.

My heart jerks as something metallic catches the light.She did it!

Leaping to my feet, I grab at Isera’s wrists as if to pull her off Orion’s lap in a panic. Just as we agreed earlier, she shoves me off while discreetly slipping the piece of dragon steel into my hand. I pretend to stumble back and bend over to catch my balance on the sofa while I ram the thin piece of dragon steel down between my breasts, hiding it beneath the thick leather of my top.

Draven, who has also jumped to his feet, blocks Orion’s view of me while I perform the maneuver as he launches himself at Isera as well. Grabbing her by the shoulders, he wrenches her up and yanks her off Orion’s lap.

“I’m so sorry,” I blurt out, making my voice sound frantic and worried.

“Get off me,” Isera snarls, very convincingly, as Draven throws her to her feet behind him.

On the sofa, Orion blinks, looking disoriented.

“We’ll keep her in line,” I continue in that deliberately panicked voice, trying to keep him from realizing that we just stole the dragon steel from him. Pressing my palms together, I hold them pleadingly in front of my chest. It’s both to sell the worried act and as an extra safety precaution so that he won’t see any outlines of the dragon steel underneath my clothes. “Please. I promise. Just don’t… Don’t use your powers on us again. Please. I can’t handle another night like the last one.”

Orion at last seems to recover. Shifting his weight, he sits forward to hide the very distinctive bulge that is now pressing against the front of his pants. We all pretend not to see it.

“Ishouldpunish you all for this insolence,” he threatens, his voice hard. But he looks… flustered. Clenching his jaw, he drags in a controlled breath before locking commanding eyes on Draven. “Keep her in line.” His gaze darts to me. “Or my previous threat stands.”

Draven flares his wings wider, a snarl on his face at the threat to me.

But we have what we came for, and now we just need to leave before Orion realizes it, so I hurriedly reply, “Understood.”

Before anyone can say anything else that might screw this all up, I whirl around and start pushing Draven and Isera towards the front curtains. They thankfully follow along, and we beat a hasty retreat out of the Unseelie King’s private section.

Light and music and laughter meet us as we step back out into the massive room. Some people have started dancing closer to where the musicians are playing. Though it’s not the orderly ballroom dancing that I experienced in the Ice Palace. This is wilder. More uncoordinated. And more intimate. I raise my eyebrows as I notice a surprising number of people raking their hands over each other and making out in the other seating arrangements across the room. Maybe my first impression of this feeling like an orgy wasn’t all that wrong after all.

Halfway across the room, I spot Jocasta and the rest of our team. She is explaining something to a group of male fae while motioning expressively at Alistair. They appraise him, looking impressed as they nod. Alistair, in turn, looks like he can’t decide whether to puff his chest up with pride or run away and hide from the intense scrutiny.

We set course for them.

“That was…” Draven begins, glancing down at Isera.

She walks between us, her spine straight and her chin up, looking entirely unaffected by what she just did. At Draven’s words, she flicks a sideways glance at him.

“Surprising,” Draven finishes at the same time as I say, “Impressive.”

Isera casts a glance over her shoulder, back towards the Unseelie King’s still closed-off section. Then she lifts her slim shoulders in a shrug. There is an entirely unreadable expression on her face as she turns her head back and simply replies, “Whatever it takes to win.”

Apprehension flutters through my stomach as I’m reminded that we still have an entire game left to get through. A game that we still don’t know what it will entail. And if we fail, it won’t matter that we managed to steal back the dragon steel from Orion. We will still be trapped in here behind the wards.

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