Page 124 of The Fake Divination Offense
“Well, going out that night worked for me at least—that was when Orok and I met.” He blinks up at me, still with that faux innocence. “You were celebrating your lawsuit win that night, right?”
Seb keeps his eyes on Aaron, analyzing him for a reaction.
I try again. “It’s really not—”
“Oh, shit.” Aaron punches my shoulder. “That’swhat that night was for? Damn, I had no idea. I thought it was another pre-season team hang. I should’ve been there.”
Seb grins. “Let me guess: Orok’s invitation was justhey, come have a drink? No explanation? Yeah, sounds about right.”
“If I’d known it was for that, I really would’ve come. That was a big victory, Monroe. I was impressed you did that. Stood up for yourself. We all were.” He bats his hand at the room. “You know we were hella intimidated when you got signed to us, right? Your stats, yeah, but also how you kept your composure through the lawsuit and all the press shit you got hit with. You’re, like, god-tier.”
Damn it, I haven’t even really crossed the threshold into the bar area, and I’ve already been hit with far, far too much emotion.
Heat scalds my face at the sincerity in Aaron’s eyes. “Thanks. I—I’m really glad to be here,” is all I can muster.
Aaron grins. “Hell yeah. Let’sparty.I heard tell of karaoke?”
Darian manifests like that word summoned him. “We all need to be significantly drunker before that. Harsaf, shots.” And he hooks Aaron’s arm to haul him away.
Seb wings a smug eyebrow at me. Meanwhile, Bel is not so subtle, beaming as he grabs my belt and jostles me. Neither of them says anything, just living in the fallout of Aaron’s words.
No. I will not cry at a bar. Without even having a drink yet.
I scrub the heel of my hand against my cheekbone. “Well. Shit.”
Seb smiles at the crowd and leans toward Bel. “Who’s next?”
Bel points at a rogue talking with Marlow. “Her. She’s nice; there’s no reason she shouldn’t have been there.”
Seb holds his fist out. Bel bumps it.
I grab both their wrists. “Wait—what is happening?”
They look up at me with very different, yet somehow similar, expressions. Seb’s lips pucker and his head dips to the side in a clear, unspokenisn’t it obvious?while Bel bites his lower lip to counter his grin, his eyes sparkling.
“We’re going to find out why the rest of these people stood you up,” Seb says.
“While the Hellhoundsdoseem like good people,” Bel adds, “we should make sure, right?”
“They—I—” I shake my head. “Theyaregood people. It’s fine; you don’t have to—”
“Oh, yes, wedohave to,” Bel interjects. “We have a mission tonight. Or, Seb and I do—I assume you don’t want to come, but I amdefinitelyreciting all the sweet things everyone says about you.”
Seb cracks his neck. “Time to go all Protective Best Friend on these bitches.”
“Hold this for me?” Bel shoves the rock into my chest. “We’re keeping it, by the way. Think of a name.”
My brain is having an impossible time catching up, so I fumble the rock and stutter out, “A… aname?”
I look down at the rock like it might’ve metamorphosed into a puppy without my noticing.
“Yeah. People keep pet rocks.” Bel’s face pinches in horror. “You don’t think that’s actually apieceof Phei, do you?”
“I—I doubt it.”
“We can ask.” Seb juts his chin across the room. “Let’s question Phei, too.”
“I’ve been with the Hellhounds for almost a whole season.” Gods, it’s like trying to talk down a car wreck. “There’s no need to—”
