Page 97 of Of Sword & Silver

“I admit, Kyrie does talk in her sleep a bit. She said something about it while she had a fever.” She glances nervously at Morrow, who’s gallantly trying to hide his astonishment behind his thick red beard and large hand. “You said it wasn’t about winning, though, so I didn’t think it was cheating. But I did think it might hurt her feelings if you all insisted she was as horrible as she pretends to be.”

Tears threaten, stinging my eyes. I feel like a complete idiot, and I’m not sure why.

“Kyrie,” Lara says softly, wringing her hands. “Is this true?”

“Caedia’s right,” I say, too loudly, leaning forward onto my elbows and blinking rapidly. “Who’s next?”

They’re all staring at me, though.

I inspect a floral pattern on the rug with interest.

“I’ll go,” Morrow says, also too loud, causing everyone to wince.

Gratitude wells in me. He’s not very slick, but he is kind.

Morrow holds up one finger. “My best friend growing up was the girl I was supposed to marry, and when she ran off with another, I joined Lojad’s ranks.” A second finger joins the first. “Or, I ran away to join Lojad’s ranks because I thought I could make more of a difference there than on my family’s farm.”

A quiet breath rushes out of me as everyone sizes up Morrow’s truth and lie, and I scoot further into the divan so my back can rest up against it. The Sword touches my ankle as I tuck my leg underneath me, and there’s a question in his eyes.

Like he wants to know if I’m alright.

Like he cares.

I look back to Morrow.

He’s smirking, seemingly pleased that the four of us can’t make up our minds about him. Except I’m so distracted by the Sword that I hardly remember what it is I’m supposed to be thinking about.

Which is a very, very bad sign.

I need my focus now more than ever before, to pull off the heist in just a few days’ time.

“You have to guess,” Morrow says, clearly off-put by how poorly we know him.

I’m not about to open my mouth. Nope. I am fine to sit here and let someone else be the center of attention.

“The girl who broke your heart. She drove you to Lojad,” Lara finally says, one eyebrow arched in challenge.

“What,” he blusters. “You don’t think me the type to want to make a difference?”

“They’re both true, but only partly. The trick is, you think it’s all because of the girl because it makes it easier for you to handle that you weren’t able to make a difference,” Caedia says in that sing-song way of hers.

Morrow shrinks back as if he’s been slapped.

The Sword gives me a long look, and I do my best to avoid meeting his eyes because I’m suddenly afraid I’ll start laughing and Morrow will be even angrier at me.

Besides, I don’t want to give Lara a reason to point her finger at me again, either. It makes me a little too nervous, especially after seeing what she was capable of with the manticore.

“Well, I never thought of it like that,” Morrow finally says, a shade paler than before.

“I like this game,” Caedia says, finally setting the mortar and pestle down and perching on a sapphire-blue armchair. “Lara, you next.”

Lara scrunches her nose, a faraway look in her eyes.

“I make up fortunes for people sometimes when Nakush doesn’t guide my hand. It’s made me very good at reading more than cards.” Her nose scrunches again, and her gaze flits across my face, finally resting on Morrow’s. “I spent more time the last two years learning offensive magic than honing my ability to see the future.”

Caedia’s peering at her, one hand under her chin, foot tapping fast as a hummingbird’s wings.

“The first one’s the truth,” Morrow says, and I blink because I thought for sure the second one was.

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