Oh no.
I swallow thickly around the last sip of my beer, only for the empty bottle in my hand to be replaced by another thanks to Brynne.
“Truth.”
He quirks his eyebrow and smirks. “What’s your favorite color?”
“I—what? You’re really asking what my favorite color is?”
“Are you choosing not to answer?”
“No, I just—black. Black is my favorite color.” I hold my the sleeve of my sweatshirt out as evidence. Hisblackeyes twinkle in the firelight and—God damnit. How did he play me so easily?
I swallow thickly and turn to Brynne, because I can’t handle being under his scrutiny.
“Brynne—truth or dare?” She smiles and claps her hands.
“Dare, obviously.”
“I dare you to go over there—” I point to the next closes bonfire, “and steal their alcohol.” She rolls her eyes but stands up and makes her way over. We watch as she talks with some of the guys and soon they’re all laughing together, but they don’t see her sneak three bottles into the waistband of her jeans behind her back, covering them with her oversized sweatshirt. She says her goodbyes and practically skips back to our fire where she pulls out bottles of tequila, vodka, and rum to our applause.
“They’ll thank me in the morning for not having hangovers,” she laughs and pours herself some vodka before passing the bottles around for everyone to share. She asks Evie next, and then we spend the next hour playing as the liquor flows and dares get increasingly more risky. Killian dares Luther to take hit of whatever’s in Thane’s vape pen and hold it for as long as he can without using his air magic. Brynne dares Killian to use his earth magic to create quicksand around the third bonfire until everyone’s neck-deep in the beach. It becomes clear that Cynthia, Calanthe, and Lyra are playing wingwomen to each other when their clothes slowly disappear with each round. I brace for the worst when Roth keeps picking me during his turn, but the smug asshole just asks me more mundane questions.
Cats or dogs?
Horror or romance books?
With each round that Roth ignores Calanthe despite her attempts to get his attention, she grows increasingly more indignant until finally, she cracks when I choose “truth” during her turn.
“Fucking Fate you are soboring. Figures you’re too chickenshit to choose dare.”
“I’m notchickenshit, I’m smart enough to not trust you farther than I can throw you.”
She laughs cruelly. “Everyone’s done a dare at least twice, and here you are playing it safe. What a fucking buzzkill.”
I narrow my eyes at her. “Let me guess, Calanthe, you want to dare me to do something embarrassing like skinny dip and then throw my clothes in the fire.”
She scoffs and says totally convincingly, “No. If you choose dare, I promise I won’t dare you to take off your clothes.”
I consider her before turning to Evie. “If she pulls any shit, will you light her hair on fire?”
Evie cackles and raises her glass at me. “You got it, boss.”
With a smile, I turn back to Calanthe. “Fine. I choose dare.” She confers with Lyra and Cynthia before, “If you pussy out, you have to chug the rest of this—” she holds up the half-empty bottle of rum up. “Good luck getting through the Crypteia with a hangover.”
“God you are so dramatic, what’s the fucking dare already?”
“You have to give one of them—” she points to the four Heirs, “—a lap dance to the song of your choice.”
Well, fuck.
I know I look like a deer in the headlights as everyone watches me. Especially the guys. Roth is staring expectantly. Thane is clear-eyed for the first time tonight. Killian swallowsthickly from where he’s now sitting next to Luther, who’s frozen in place.
I could refuse. I could leave right now and get some rest.
But maybe they were right to drag me out of my room.
Because when I look at Calanthe, her friends. The Heirs. I desperately want to show them?—
