Page 95 of I Dream of Dragons

“Stop talking,” Jai growls, pushing hair out of his eyes. “Don’t be a bastard.”

“Really?” Arkin grins wider. “Rae?—”

“You don’t get to chat with me or tease me,” I say coolly. “I don’t know if we’re friends, Arkin. Remember when you stopped me from leaving the garden, you and Tru?”

He blinks. “I beg your pardon?”

“When the king wanted to talk to me before the second trial?” I get up from the bed. “You and Tru stood guard at the enclosed garden and didn’t let me leave.”

“You are mistaken,” Arkin says, his grin fading. “That wasn’t us.”

“Yes, it was. I know your voices.”

“Ark?” Jai is frowning. “What is she talking about? Is it true?”

“You believe her over us?” When Jai doesn’t reply, Arkin’s shoulders slump. “You take her word over ours? You’ve known us since forever.”

“Not forever,” Jai says quietly. “Now talk.”

Arkin gives him a flat look. “Are you accusing me of something, Jai?”

“I don’t know. Are you guilty of something?” Jai stands, his considerable height and powerful presence sucking the air out of my room. “Tell me the truth.”

Arkin gives him a long look. “Fine, she is right, it was us that night. We are royal guards. If we were on duty, guarding the king, what’s it to you? What does the little human lady want from us?”

“The little human lady,” Jai growls, “would like to know on whose side you really are, as would I.”

Arkin steps forward, snarling in Jai’s face. Eddies of dust swirl around him. His hands clench into heavy fists. “If you don’t know who your allies are, then you’ve already lost.”

“I thoughtyouwere my allies.”

“Are you asking me again?”

“You have to admit, your behavior could be described as erratic,” Jai says.

“And yours as that of a moonstruck fool, but who cares, right?”

“Careful, Ark.”

“Or what? You’ll strangle me with your shadows? Call a drak down to bite my head off? Use your fists, perhaps? Do you want a brawl?”

“No, brother. I don’t want any of that.” Jai’s voice is deadly quiet. “I want to know why you prevented her from leaving the king’s presence, as she says. That’s all.”

“Because the king told her to stay put.”

“And what were the odds that you and Tru were standing guard right there, right then?”

“The odds are a matter of the Gods, brother. I have no power over them.”

“Ark…”

“By Zuma’s balls, careful what you’re doing, Jai. Infatuation is one thing. Accusing your best friends of treason quite another. You’ve lost your head. Remember who has always had your back when you needed it. Don’t break that trust.”

“This isn’t an infatuation. And I could tell you the same thing.” Jai is looking right into Arkin’s eyes.

And it’s Arkin who breaks the eye contact first, for what that’s worth.

Something is off here. Both seem to be telling the truth, but unlike with magic, lies are harder to detect.