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Sirena held out her hands, accepting her claps and high fives from her friends. “All right, useless. Either drink or your punishment is to lick the armpits of everyone here.”
I downed the mug so fast half of it dribbled down my cheeks. Setting it down, I noticed the pain in my hand had already gone. This game was meant to be played for a long time. Wouldn’t do for agony to make me tap out early.
“Third question. Is there someone around this table that you want to have sex with?”
Keep your cool, Vanda. This game ends only one way, with Sirena Cirillo on her knees.
Expression smoothing out, I replied, “Yes.”
Her smirk flickered. Ten seconds counted down as she searched for a sign of a lie, like me screeching in pain. All I had to do was keep eye contact with her—
I glanced at Alex, inside warming at the private smile he had just for me.
“Lie!” Sirena bellowed, making me jump.
“Nope. That was true.” I kissed the rock as proof. “As punishment, turn into a chicken... and cluck.”
Titters broke out among her friends. She silenced them with a single look.
Sirena downed her ale, then launched into the next question. “Who around this table do you want to have sex with?”
I blew a hard breath out of my nose. After all Alex was doing to protect me, I wasn’t about to let a stupid drinking game ruin it.
“You, of course, Sirena.” I smiled with all my teeth when she recoiled. “I’ve never been with a woman before, and you’re so pretty and evil, it’d be like having sex with one of those femme fatales in a— Fuck’s sake!” I flung the rock away, tears springing to my eyes. Verity stones burn hotter the longer you hold them. Now I fucking knew that.
“Lie,” Sirena deadpanned. “Your punishment. Catch a dryad and kiss her.”
The words were barely out of her mouth before shrieks and wails assaulted my ears. I turned in time for the first twig to smack me in the face. More dirt and sticks followed, raining down on me from everywhere.
“All right, all right,” I shouted over the demigods’ howling. “I get it. Consent not given. I’ll take the penalty.”
I drank my second glass. I wasn’t worried yet. I had eight more until I was out, and Sirena only had one more question until it was my turn.
“Last question, who do you want to have sex with standing at this table!”
“Nice try, Sirena,” Theron broke in. “You can only ask a question once. You forfeit your turn.”
Theron picked up the verity stone and handed it to her.
I never wanted to touch that thing again. How fitting it was used to train soldiers to survive the horrors of enemy capture.
“You got this, Aella.” Daciana squeezed my shoulders. “You’ll win.
“Right, Ionna? Doesn’t the future say she’ll win?”
Ionna bobbed her head up and down, then side to side. “The future says that no matter which way this goes, it’s going to be an interesting game.”
“Don’t disappoint, Vanda.” Sebastian gazed into my eyes with that infuriating intensity of his. “There’s no mercy in Punishment or Penalty.”
“Okay,” I said. “First question. Fuck, Marry, Kill. Between Theron, Alexander, and Sebastian, who would you kill? Who would you fuck? And who would you marry?”
“Ooooh.” Sebastian laughed. “I did want you to make it interesting.”
“And she failed.” Sirena gripped the stone. “Don’t know why you’re going soft on me, trash, but it won’t work.”
I rolled my eyes. “Stop stalling. Answer.”
“Fine. I’d marry Alexander. Kill Theron and—” She winced.
