Page 22

22

THE LIAR

Darina

It doesn't even take that long.

Junis splutters commands, clearly panicked. "Follow me. No, stay here. You will never hurt me, understood? You useless whore, what have you ?—?"

Then Caenan's here, my sister in tow.

I protectively lift my hand, preventing her from getting any closer, all my instincts telling me to put as much distance between her and the monster who hurt me.

"Ha. How good of you to join us, Lord Junis."

"What…I…" His eyes shift to me. "Tell him to leave me alone. Tell him to go !"

I quickly oblige. "Please leave him alone and go, Caenan."

I always noticed he was broader than most fae, with those large shoulders and all the muscles. The fact that he's more or less always wearing armor, even his dress jackets being covered in metal plates, only further that impression of colossal physical power.

It never occurred to me that Caenan could be just as terrifying as Loch or Ryther, when he wishes. He's just too nice . Helpful. Young, maybe—though everyone looks somewhere between mid-twenties and early thirties here. The worst I thought he was capable of was demanding I do an extra ten pushups.But when he steps toward Junis and chuckles in delight, I understand he can be just like the rest of them.

Junis has the sense to start to run, but Caenan's faster, grabbing hold of his wrist and twisting it behind his back in one smooth move. Junis tries to free himself, but Caenan's already kicking the backs of his knees. With a scream, the monster falls to the floor, on all fours like he wanted me moments ago.

Caenan casually steps over him and bends to press his knee to his back. Junis falls flat on ground from the pressure.

"That would have worked tomorrow," Caenan says cheerfully. "After we all vow to obey her. But see, she's not quite high queen yet, is she? So I guess I can do whatever I'd like to you."

His lips curve up. I can only imagine what he has in mind.

"Wait," I bite out, annoyed to have to do this. "If he dies, they'll question how, and why. That could be problematic."

Loch told me about fae trials. They'll push to know why Caenan hurt him, asking pointed questions until they understand that Junis, for all intents and purposes, had been attacked unprovoked while acting within his rights.

Rights that I shall revise promptly, but as things stand, my stupid mother's laws are still in place. They don't prohibit any of his actions so far.

"It'll be my pleasure to rid you of this filth, regardless," Caenan retorts.

"You'd be tried for murder . I'd have to condemn you or curse you or lock you up for life. No, we need to be within our rights, we need a game plan. Rachel, can you get Loch and Ryther? Wait, no."

I'm about to tell herI don't want her walking back there alone, but to my surprise, she holds her hand up, the commanding gesture stopping me .

"Quiet for a moment. I'm thinking."

I blink.

Rachel doesn't give me orders. Ever. No one does. And it feels strange .

I can't say I like it.

I don't stop her though.

"You guys can't murder anyone because you can't lie, right? That's what your court relies on."

Caenan frowns but nods.

"I have a question for you," Rachel says, taking another step, until she's standing right in front of Junis.

My skin crawls. I join her and take her wrist, pulling her back a little.

"What would you do to me if you were free to?"

"You? Why would I care about you, you disgusting worm?" he sputters. "You're not worth my time. I'd give you to the lowest of my servants, have you naked and in the dirt, rutting like a dog, until there's nothing left of you, and I'd let wild beast eat the rest. All of you. You have no power over me, unless you want to risk the wrath of all the lords!" He cries victoriously. "Let me go. Admit that I won, that she's mine for the year. I'll have her marry me, and name me her king. Fate has sent her to me!"

"That's what I thought," says my sister.

Then she moves out of my reach, closer yet to Junis, until she's right next to Caenan.

Before my baffled eyes, I watch her pull his heavy sword out of its sheath behind his back, with two hands.

"You'll say he threatened me with rape and murder, plus other general gross stuff. And I will tell your council I had no choice but to kill him to protect myself." She beams up at me. "I will lie ."

The stunned silence lasts only a heartbeat before we all realize one simple thing.

It will work. We can make this work. If every single witness were unable to lie, the court could have eventually uncovered the truth. But they can ask however many questions they want. Rachel would simply have to say…whatever she wants. That she feared for her life. That she thought he'd kill her. And she isn't his thrall, so she's well within her rights to defend herself.

"Wait." Junis's eyes are saucers.

My sister drags the sword to his throat.

"Wait, I surr?—"

She doesn't let him voice his surrender, lest anyone would ask about that. She presses the point across the skin, slicing it.

"Damn, that's heavy," she grunts, as thick, red blood drips down his throat.

She huffs a little, trying to reposition the blade as he gurgles.

He brings his hands to his throat, trying to close it.

"I'd help if I could," Caenan says. "But I can't physically be a part of this. Besides, I can't say I mind if he takes a long, long while to bleed out."

"Can I leave him like that, then?"

"Oh, yeah, he's dead. Just taking his sweet time about it." Caenan laughs heartedly. "That was clever, Rachel. Devious."

"Is that a compliment? It kinda sounds like one."

“I assure you, it is.”

She grins up at him. "It's just, when you said you'd be accused because you couldn't lie, I figured, hey, that's something I can do, right?"

"It is. And I would have done it otherwise, so I owe you, likely my freedom, if your sister was feeling magnanimous. Possibly my life."

He steps over the still-spluttering, grunting, bleeding future corpse and offers his hand.

"We were on our way to get you when we heard you scream," Caenan tells me. "I didn't think it wise for Rachel to remain at the revel after you'd left. Now, I see she can take care of herself after all."

"Hardly. You did all the hard work, pinning him down. All I had to do was lift that very heavy sword."

She hands him back the hilt of the blade.

He wipes it over his sleeve, before putting it back in its sheath.

I only see them through the corner of my eyes, because I'm still watching Junis writhe on the floor, slower now, like a wounded animal, and the red, red blood staining the floor. I don't even move when it gets to my feet.

He's dying.

Of all the threats around me, he was the worst. The only one to have physically made me feel so weak and helpless and disgusted with myself.

I didn't expect to be rid of him until the end of the year, if ever. I thought he'd be a constant shadow.

But my sister freed me. Avenged our parents. One breath, one last shudder, and he's dead, dead, dead.

I bring my arms around Rachel's neck and sob, relief like I've never known overwhelming me.

She squeezes me right back, like she completely understands.

I don't know how long we remain here, standing in a pool of blood. Until Ryther's called and handled the body, before carrying me up to bed.

I'm asleep before my head hits the pillow.