Three Trials (The Dark Side Book 2)(43)

“Anyone have a clue why he sounds betrayed?” I stage-whisper.

“No,” Kai says from beside me, confusion written all over his face.

Lamar looks between the four of them, who are all staring at him like he’s just tipped over the edge of the weirdo cliff.

Lamar has a moment of confusion cross his features when he sees it written all over theirs. I’m not sure if he’s mimicking subconsciously, or if he’s genuinely confused by their confusion.

It’s all really confusing, if you want my opinion.

Then his eyes widen as though he’s just realized something as he takes a shaky step back.

“You truly have no fucking clue who I am, do you?”

“Yes…” Gage’s drawl is exaggerated, as though he’s talking to a crazy person. “Your Manella’s boyfriend.”

“Only because the royals don’t believe in marriage of any kind,” he feels the need to defend. “But at least you said boyfriend instead of lover,” he goes on.

Noted.

“That’s all you know me as? You’re not just playing some game?” Lamar asks as though this is a very crucial question.

The quad exchanges a look of confusion, and Lamar takes a step back. “Son of a bitch. How the hell did she do that?”

“He’s not making a damn bit of sense,” Ezekiel points out.

“Thank you,” I groan. “I was worried that I’m just stupid.”

“Is that how you have a balance now?” Lamar says as though he just thought of something that makes him a genius.

“I’m about to go whole and shake him down for answers that make sense if someone else doesn’t do it for me,” I say on a sigh.

Ezekiel is grabbing Lamar in the next instant, but Lamar simply winks, and we’re suddenly in a windowless room full of elegant décor.

“And we’re in hell,” I say on a sigh. “Again.”

But the pain vanishes, and I make the phantom shirt disappear to reveal the bruise is finally gone.

“She’s better, isn’t she?” Lamar asks, and I quickly make my shirt reappear and dart a gaze up at him.

He’s not looking at me. Whew. Thought he could see me.

His eyes are on the four guys who are all slowly looking away as though they were studying the healed injury as well.

“Feeling much, much better,” I tell them. “Don’t kill him yet,” I add to Ezekiel, whose lips twitch as he takes a step back and releases Lamar.

“She just told you not to kill me yet, didn’t she?” Lamar asks with an excited grin.

“You heard her?” Jude growls, as though Lamar has committed a grave offense.

In the next instant, Kai is behind him, a sword pressed to the base of his neck.

“Either you’re being very cruel right now, Paca, or they’re not the only ones who lost their memories. Which means everything I just think I figured out will be null and void, and you might very damn well let them kill me. Which means I’m an idiot for bringing you all here without alerting anyone.”

He clears his throat.

“A big, dumb idiot,” he says nervously as he looks around, waiting for someone to crack a grin and tell him we’re all kidding.

No grins are cracked.

“I can’t hear her. I just know that’s something she’d say if she was toying with me. But I’m starting to think she genuinely has no clue who I am. But why would she save me in that damn prison if she didn’t know me? She knows my role with spirits and—”

“She doesn’t know your role with spirits, but I’m really intrigued, because I’d also like to know,” Jude tells him, smiling wickedly as Kai steps a little closer with that sword, bearing in a bit, just barely not breaking the skin.

“You should sharpen your blades some time,” I tell him. “Apparently you’ve all gotten volatile and lazy this past month when I wasn’t around to make you awesome.”

Ezekiel blows out a harsh breath, as though he’s silently imploring me to shut the hell up.

“I think it’s time I explain a little better,” Lamar says a little less confidently, keeping his hands raised to show he’s no threat. But I’ve seen a lot of power roll out of him.

He could easily knock them away long enough to disappear. Or possibly kill one.

That has me on high alert as I cross my arms over my chest and pay attention to his every movement. Lake taught me to never be caught off guard again.

No wonder the guys are so paranoid. Now I finally get it. You just can’t trust people associated with hell. Who knew?

I never trusted her, of course, but they spent centuries trusting her—even caring for her.

I’m so glad she’s dead.

“You see, we worked really hard to keep you out of the trials, because—”

“It was you?” Kai growls, at the same time I say, “That’s a terribly stupid way for him to start this explanation.”

Jude snorts, then looks really angry when he has to fight a grin while he’s trying to be really pissed off. It results in him glaring at me as he finally straightens his face.

“For a reason!” Lamar shouts.

Kai barely eases back.

“For a reason,” Lamar says again, swallowing thickly.