She was looking anywhere but at me, watching Verena make her speech. I didn’t hear a single word of it. My heart was hammering, despite the cool mask I always slipped on around Prudence.

I didn’t know why my first thought had been to make her dance with me—and I was even more baffled that I’d let the idea slip past my lips. But as she’d looked at me just after I won, her eyes widening enough that I could see the little ring of brown around the green, I’d felt an unnatural urge to get closer to her. Making her squirm was just an added benefit.

“… Cannon and the Powders!”

I heard Verena announce the band, but the sound that replayed in my mind had nothing to do with our leader’s speech or Cannon’s musical talent. Prudence had giggled. Her whole face lit up with joy as she looked up at the stage, clapping along with everybody else.

When the band began to play, she finally looked at me, and her face tensed. My stomach twinged as I noticed the spark in her eyes dissipate as she took me in. Now what?

I held my hand out for her to take, half-expecting her to turn and walk away even after I’d begged her to come with me. I’d actually said please. “Do me the honors?”

She narrowed her eyes at me, then slowly raised her hand and placed it into mine. The second I had a hold of her, I pulled her close. She let out a surprised little gasp as I placed my other hand around her waist, but her free hand found my shoulder—a silent permission for me to start swaying.

Her eyes danced with fire as she stared up at me with slightly parted lips. She was probably waiting for me to reveal my malicious intentions for making her dance with me. Truthfully, I hadn’t exactly figured that out myself.

I couldn’t help but notice every detail when she was this close to me. God, she was beautiful. A beautiful, manipulative liar, who’d recently reminded me why I fled Erobred to join the Rebellion. Ah, there it was. The reason for my otherwise irrational urge to have her alone and pushed up against me.

“The moment you told me I was just like the Defenders in the city, I wanted to hurt you.”

I watched her eyes for any sign of fear or discomfort, but I could swear I felt her body ease into my touch instead.

“Then, at training today, I saw it. I felt it. The tyrant they taught me to be. The bully I try so hard to suppress, he resurfaced.” I’d taken pride in defeating her, glee in pressing my forearm into her throat with such force that I felt her frantic pulse under my skin. I gulped, praying that the embarrassment didn’t show on my face. “It’s hard to extinguish a part of yourself when it’s been seared into you since your first breath.” I’m sorry.

I twirled her around so that she wouldn’t see the hurt in my eyes. Something compelled me to keep talking. The way she looked at me as I caught her waist again, almost pitiful, told me I had her full attention. It seemed like she’d momentarily let her guard down to hear my story. To understand me better. The truth settled in me then, turning my stomach. I wanted her to know me, too.

I wouldn’t tell her who my father was—but I was almost certain that she’d met him—that whatever she was doing here, she was doing it for him.

What a sobering thought.

As the song faded, I released my grip on her and took a step back. This woman, as much as I couldn’t figure her out, didn’t seem selfish enough to work with him and do his evil bidding. Yet, here she was… doing exactly that. And I couldn’t tell anyone, given the circumstances of how I knew. I wasn’t ready for the word to spread that the notorious chief warden was my father.

“Let’s get a drink.”

Her words pulled me from my thoughts and my gaze snapped to hers. She gave me a little half-smile and tilted her head towards the drinks-table. For a moment, I was sure I’d misheard her. Surely, she didn’t just suggest that she wanted to, voluntarily, spend more time together with me?

But without waiting for my answer, she turned on her heel and started walking. I shook the feeling of warmth that was spreading through my system and followed her. Mind racing, I stared at her copper hair billowing down her back and the green dress that clung to her curves. The two colors combined were lethal—like a forest fire. Dangerous, beautiful, burning…

Shut up, brain.

I grabbed a mug of the regular mead for myself and one of the sweet, disgusting stuff for her and handed it over. Taking a big gulp, I looked at her doing the same over the rim of my mug. She closed her eyes as if she was savoring the taste.

Her tongue darted over her lower lip to catch the drops of liquid there, drawing my attention to her perfectly shaped mouth.

“Until you arrived, nothing reminded me as much of home as you do.” Apparently, I couldn’t stop spilling my thoughts to this woman. Perhaps she’d cursed me, forcing me to replay the memories of her company long after they’d passed. Longing for her to understand why I had to expose her. “You, coming from the prison… I want to believe you, trust me. I just can’t.”

“Then why would you even tell me all of this?” Her face fell, and the bright smile I’d got to enjoy for a while finally slipped from her face.

Good. However my traitorous heart reacted to her presence, I couldn’t fall for her. Because I knew she was lying, not just to me, but to everyone. Nothing could explain her little story that would make me believe her. She hadn’t escaped—it was simply impossible. Even if she had managed to get out alive, the guards would’ve been able to locate her within minutes. No, she’d been let go by Elio Boaz. She was on a mission for him.

I will stop you before you have the chance to further manipulate me into liking you, Prudence.

“Because I think you and I are similar in many ways. I think that’s why we collide at more than just your little lie about escaping the prison.”

Hurt flashed across her features, reddening her cheeks. Then I saw her slip on that same cold mask I knew so well. My stomach actually twisted at the hateful glare she shot me. God, I had to push her away now, before she could dig her pretty claws into me further. Had to stop thinking about the times I’d had her close: pinned down beneath me at training. Her chest pressed firmly against mine as we danced.

Stop. It.

“That clears things right up,” she spat, turning on her heel to leave.

On impulse, I grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. My mind was racing as fast as my heart. “You hate yourself more than you’ll ever hate me. That’s why you lash out.”

Fuck, I needed to get away from her before I said something I’d regret in the morning. If she’d just admit the truth to me, I wouldn’t have to push her away. I was fairly certain I would divulge my deepest, darkest secrets to her before sunrise if she’d just grant me the same in return. But the look of disgust on her face told me that she was no longer interested in my company.

“How would you know?” She said, trying to wrench her hand free. I loosened my grasp and let go.

“Because that’s why I lash out, too.” Her harsh expression softened. I noticed that every time I shared another tidbit of information about myself, she seemed to show a little more interest and become a little less hostile.

The band started to play another slow song. I should’ve chosen five dances as my punishment for her, so that I had an excuse to lead her back out there. I decided to try my luck, lifting my hand in question along with a brow.

She stared at me in disbelief for a moment before a smile curled her rosy lips. “Another dance, then? That wasn’t part of the deal.” She set her mug down on the table and I did the same.

“Yet, you accepted,” I said and tightened my hand around hers before she had time to reconsider and led her closer to the band.

I pulled her close again, and a fresh waft of that sweet, unplaceable scent infiltrated my nose and made my drunken brain think things it definitely shouldn’t. “You look lovely tonight, Prue,” I had to admit it at some point, seeing as I hadn’t been able to take my eyes off her hair as it caught the light of the flames. I hadn’t missed how the dress hugged her figure either, lacing at the top of her chest.

I ran a hand down the soft skin of her arm. Just tonight. Then I’d distance myself, clear my mind and figure out what she was up to. I leaned in closer, wondering if she’d let me kiss her. She placed her hand on my chest but didn’t try to stop me. I hoped she wouldn’t be able to feel my racing heart against her palm.

I let my lips brush the shell of her ear and inhaled slowly. Her hair smelled incredible. I closed my eyes and shook the thoughts of her beneath me from my mind. If I took it further than this, I wouldn’t stand a chance. I had to draw the line before I got a proper taste of her.

But if I let myself believe she could somehow be telling the truth, only to be able to feel her lips on mine, would it be so bad?

yes—it would be devastating.

Everyone else here believed her. If anybody was going to stop this woman from destroying everything the Rebellion had worked for, it had to be me.

With a last, slow breath, I made up my mind, though I wished for a moment I didn’t know her secret. But I had to be sensible. I squared my shoulders and squeezed her hand in mine for a final time before I spoke.

“Such a shame you’re a lovely, little liar.”