Page 49 of A Liar's Twisted Tongue

“Put it out,” she demands. “You have to put it out!”

The fire travels in a line from the tree and directly to Desdemona. It takes me seconds to snuff it out with my shadows.

Desdemona turns on me, her face scrunching together in probable fury. Shoving me on the shoulders, she says, “I don’t need you to belittle me to start a fire!”

She’s much stronger than I would’ve given her credit for, almost knocking me to the ground. I’m excited to watch her wield a blade.

“What would you have preferred? That I fed you treats like a pet being potty trained?”

Her eyes burn into mine. “I hate you.”

“Good,” I whisper. “Power is emotion.” I tip my head toward the path of the forgotten flame. “So keep your wits about you.”

* * *

Azaire rubs his temples then tugs at his beanie and gives me a look that I know means he’s worried.

I told him that I acquired Freyr Alpine’s location.

“Okay.” Azaire doesn’t hide his exasperation. “Right now?”

“If you can spare it.” I worry right now is already too late.

“Don’t you want to think about this first?”

I’ve thought about this endlessly. Isa has a connection to the Arcanes—the first known kidnapping of my life, as the Arcanes are more partial to killing than keeping.

There’s certainly something going on within the small Marquees family that is waiting to be discovered.

“It’s a weapon Lorucille is working on,” I tell him, for a bit of inspiration on his end. Revenge and I were fast friends, longtime buddies by this point. Azaire was supportive until it became something possible.

He’s never enjoyed being red-handed, and although we both are, I won’t mind spilling more blood for the life that was taken from me.

“Like?” He points to one of Yuki’s swords.

“No. A weapon.”

He nods and tugs at his beanie. “What’s the plan?”

I hand Azaire the only photo of Freyr that Cynthia was able to find. Orange hair, a dust of freckles on his nose and cheekbones, a sharper face than most Folk.

Cynthia certainly meant this was Desdemona’s father when she told me Isa was closely linked to Freyr and not Dalin. Seeing as Freyr is alive, it’s a more convenient twist of events.

“Are you feeling up to this?” I ask Azaire while he examines the photo.

“Yeah.” He looks up. “I can do this.”

We portal out from my room to make sure Yuki will not find out we left and where to. Another annoying power of the Armanthine.

We exit through a lake that’s only a few miles away from the mountain region of the welders’ woods. The facility is carved into the base of the tallest mountain and faces east, the direction of the most deserted part of Lorucille. We follow the map Calista drew for me to the entranceway. It should be steel, which Azaire will be able to phase through. When I locate the entrance, I stay back, finding a comfortable place to hide, then I give Azaire a nod. It takes no time before he blends into the surrounding mountains and trees.

Azaire’s subconscious is a comfortable place for me, and with his lack of pushback it makes it much easier to travel through it and find my place.

I see the world through his eyes and I hear Azaire’s voice in my head. “Are you in?”

“Yes,” I answer.

Azaire walks to the entrance, cautiously checking for any sign of orphic life. The steel door is at least triple his size. He makes it through with ease.

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