Dark Harmony
Page 28
“Show me your wings, Janus.”
For a moment, nothing happens. The Day King continues to stare at me with spellbound eyes. Then he frowns and staggers a half step.
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 glamour you.” 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, “I do try 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
We spend a painful number of hours sitting in that room, going over the battles that occurred in each respective kingdom. And just when I think we’re all about ready to wrap things up, we recap things all over again. And again.
In the countless hours that have passed (there’s no sense of time here, just endless midday sun baring down on the palace), I’ve managed to throw back an alarming amount of that emerald alcohol.
“Well, I think that’s it for now,” Janus says, rising to his feet. He looks at me with laughing eyes.
I give him a quizzical look, then turn to Des, who’s biting back a grin as he stands.
Why do I feel like I’ve totally missed the joke?
I push out of my chair, staggering, then nearly falling.
Whoo. Too much alchy. Act normal.
“Cherub?” Des asks, grasping my forearm.
“Hmm?”
At least the godforsaken meeting is finally over.
“It’s godsforsaken here,” Janus says. “We have more than one god.”
Whoops—I said that out loud?
“You did,” Janus says.
Damnit. Shut up, mouth.
Now the Day King’s lips twitch.
“I’m still thinking out loud, aren’t I?” I say.
“C’mon, baby siren,” Des says, escorting me out of the room. “You had fun with that liquor, didn’t you?”
Janus calls out from behind us, “Why don’t we meet again first thing tomorrow—”
Ewww, no more godsforesaken meetings. Pleaseandthankyou.
“Callypso Lillis, your attendance is optional,” he says.
Fuck on a ferry, I’m still thinking out loud.
“Desmond,” Janus continues, “you’ll both be staying in your usual rooms. I trust you can find your way to them?”
“We can,” Des says.
“Good. Then you two have a pleasant evening—and please feel free to use any of the royal amenities while you’re here. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Bye-bye,” I say over my shoulder, waving to Janus. “Oh, and sorry for insulting you … and glamouring you.” Even as I say it, my skin flickers, brightening and dimming at random.
Uh oh. Just how drunk am I?
“Very,” Des says, leading me out into the hallway.
I groan. “Why didn’t you stop me from drinking?”
He huffs out a laugh. “I did that once, back in Malibu. Remind me again how well that went over?”
I let out a giggle that ends in a hiccup. “I was so mad.” Mad enough to throw my entire liquor supply at him.
I lean into Des. “I smell like death. Why do I smell like death?”
“Janus is burning bodies, remember?” As the Bargainer speaks, a small smile pulls at the corners of his lips.
Oh, yeah.
I subtly sniff myself again. Ew, I don’t just smell like death—I smell like a corpse screwed a trash can and it didn’t end well.
Des’s lips quirk.
“Did I just say that out loud?”
He glances down at me, his expression mirthful. “You did.”
“Ugh,” I whine. “Why do I keep saying everything I think?”
I mean, my filter isn’t the best on any given day, but this is just ridiculous.
“Callie, that dark green alcohol was aelerium liquor—it compels you to tell the truth. Or in your case … tell the world each and every little thought that crosses your mind.”
Wait—what?
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I’m sorry, when did I ever give you the impression I was forthcoming with information?”
I lean my forehead against Des’s arm and let out another groan.
“How long have I been speaking my mind?”
“Just during the tail end of the meeting.”
I don’t know what constitutes the tail end of that long-ass discussion, but the longer it dragged on, the more inappropriate my thoughts became.
“So Janus knows I was sweating so much I was worried I’d leave a butt imprint on his chair?”
“Yep.”
“And that I needed to pee really, really badly?”
“Yep.”
“And that I wanted to bang you?”
“Now, cherub, that one’s just a given.”
I howl.
“Why didn’t you say anything?” I whine as Des leads me through the castle.
“We went over this already.”
“You drank it too,” I accuse him. “Why aren’t you spilling your guts?”
“Because I stopped at one drink.”
Unlike me.
“It’s a sign of good faith to drink aelerium liquor during times of trouble,” Des continues.
For a moment, nothing happens. The Day King continues to stare at me with spellbound eyes. Then he frowns and staggers a half step.
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 glamour you.” 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, “I do try 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
We spend a painful number of hours sitting in that room, going over the battles that occurred in each respective kingdom. And just when I think we’re all about ready to wrap things up, we recap things all over again. And again.
In the countless hours that have passed (there’s no sense of time here, just endless midday sun baring down on the palace), I’ve managed to throw back an alarming amount of that emerald alcohol.
“Well, I think that’s it for now,” Janus says, rising to his feet. He looks at me with laughing eyes.
I give him a quizzical look, then turn to Des, who’s biting back a grin as he stands.
Why do I feel like I’ve totally missed the joke?
I push out of my chair, staggering, then nearly falling.
Whoo. Too much alchy. Act normal.
“Cherub?” Des asks, grasping my forearm.
“Hmm?”
At least the godforsaken meeting is finally over.
“It’s godsforsaken here,” Janus says. “We have more than one god.”
Whoops—I said that out loud?
“You did,” Janus says.
Damnit. Shut up, mouth.
Now the Day King’s lips twitch.
“I’m still thinking out loud, aren’t I?” I say.
“C’mon, baby siren,” Des says, escorting me out of the room. “You had fun with that liquor, didn’t you?”
Janus calls out from behind us, “Why don’t we meet again first thing tomorrow—”
Ewww, no more godsforesaken meetings. Pleaseandthankyou.
“Callypso Lillis, your attendance is optional,” he says.
Fuck on a ferry, I’m still thinking out loud.
“Desmond,” Janus continues, “you’ll both be staying in your usual rooms. I trust you can find your way to them?”
“We can,” Des says.
“Good. Then you two have a pleasant evening—and please feel free to use any of the royal amenities while you’re here. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Bye-bye,” I say over my shoulder, waving to Janus. “Oh, and sorry for insulting you … and glamouring you.” Even as I say it, my skin flickers, brightening and dimming at random.
Uh oh. Just how drunk am I?
“Very,” Des says, leading me out into the hallway.
I groan. “Why didn’t you stop me from drinking?”
He huffs out a laugh. “I did that once, back in Malibu. Remind me again how well that went over?”
I let out a giggle that ends in a hiccup. “I was so mad.” Mad enough to throw my entire liquor supply at him.
I lean into Des. “I smell like death. Why do I smell like death?”
“Janus is burning bodies, remember?” As the Bargainer speaks, a small smile pulls at the corners of his lips.
Oh, yeah.
I subtly sniff myself again. Ew, I don’t just smell like death—I smell like a corpse screwed a trash can and it didn’t end well.
Des’s lips quirk.
“Did I just say that out loud?”
He glances down at me, his expression mirthful. “You did.”
“Ugh,” I whine. “Why do I keep saying everything I think?”
I mean, my filter isn’t the best on any given day, but this is just ridiculous.
“Callie, that dark green alcohol was aelerium liquor—it compels you to tell the truth. Or in your case … tell the world each and every little thought that crosses your mind.”
Wait—what?
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I’m sorry, when did I ever give you the impression I was forthcoming with information?”
I lean my forehead against Des’s arm and let out another groan.
“How long have I been speaking my mind?”
“Just during the tail end of the meeting.”
I don’t know what constitutes the tail end of that long-ass discussion, but the longer it dragged on, the more inappropriate my thoughts became.
“So Janus knows I was sweating so much I was worried I’d leave a butt imprint on his chair?”
“Yep.”
“And that I needed to pee really, really badly?”
“Yep.”
“And that I wanted to bang you?”
“Now, cherub, that one’s just a given.”
I howl.
“Why didn’t you say anything?” I whine as Des leads me through the castle.
“We went over this already.”
“You drank it too,” I accuse him. “Why aren’t you spilling your guts?”
“Because I stopped at one drink.”
Unlike me.
“It’s a sign of good faith to drink aelerium liquor during times of trouble,” Des continues.
