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Next to me, Des sips his drink, a delighted expression on his face.

“How are you—” Janus breaks the sentence off with a groan. Bending forward, his wings burst from his back, the gold-tipped feathers shimmering.

When he glances at me next, he no longer looks dazzled. Nope, the Day King is p-i-s-s-e-d.

He stumbles towards me, his expression murderous. “How dare you—”

“Stop,” I say.

He freezes in place. “This is—”

“—what I do,” I say. I step in close as he flashes me a hateful look. “I am a siren. I glamour people—and now, thanks to the lilac wine Des gave me, I can glamour fairies as well.

“I can glamouryou.” My eyes drop to his lips. “It doesn’t matter that you’re a king or a powerful fairy. Even you can fall under my thrall.”

He frowns at me.

“This is how I stopped an army without killing them all.

“Now,” I say, “tell me truthfully: if I release you from my glamour, will you attack me?”

For several seconds, Janus works his jaw, a muscle in his cheek feathering. Finally, he says, “No.”

I back up. “Too bad,” I pout. “It’s so much fun when my victims put up a fight.”

Janus has reverted to looking at me with curiosity and no little amount of want.

I sit back down and grab my tumbler. “Is this safe to drink?” I ask, pointing to my glass.

“Yes.”

“Oh good.” I take a sip. “I release you from my glamour.”

Janus staggers back a step. “Gods above.” Hastily, his wings disappear. “That was …”

“Horribly invasive,” Des says. “I know. Isn’t my mate exquisite?”

Janus takes a seat, waving his hand. His shattered glass stiches itself back together, the liquid reforming in the tumbler. It floats back into his hand, and he takes a long drink.

“I could have you thrown in the gallows for what you just did,” he says contemplatively.

The room darkens just a touch.

“Is that a threat?” Des says, his voice calm. “It sounds awfully close to one.”

“How do you even live with such a creature?” Janus asks, his gaze sliding back to me. Despite how shaken he is, he looks halfway interested.

I smile, baring my teeth at him.

“I try not to piss her off.”

I guffaw at that, my skin dimming.

“Alright,” the Bargainer concedes, “Idotry to piss her off, but only because she has especially twisted ideas of revenge.”

Janus shakes his head. “You two are a fucked up pair.”

Chapter 16