Lie to Me

Chapter One: Everything Goes to Hell

I never meant to get involved with a conspiracy to kill the faerie king, but sometimes life has other plans for you. Looking back, I should have known something bad was going to happen when my sister asked me for help. She is the epitome of a beacon for trouble. I don't know what it is about her, but trouble flocks to her the way toxic boys have flocked to me.

In all honesty, I should have trusted my gut. I knew something bad was going to happen when my sister showed up randomly to the coffee shop I typically study at begging for a favor while missing her pinky finger.

I had been in the middle of starting my paper, at the peak of my writing game with absolutely nothing on the computer screen when she sat down in front of me, her eyes wild and her hand bloody.

"Mers, I need your help," she said by way of greeting, reaching across the table and chugging the rest of my latte with the unbloodied hand. I wanted to protest, but when you're missing an appendage, I guess it's allowed to steal caffeine.

"Unfortunately, Reese, I'm not a doctor. Have you gone to the doctor yet?" I asked, gesturing to her hand.

"Well, you know how they get about fixing magic wounds. But no. This isn't about that. Well, it kind of is. I guess it is directly related-"

"Reese, point. Get to the point," I interjected, trying to keep my voice calm.

"Right. Point. The point is I sold my life to a faerie and I need your help." She looked down and fiddled with the handle of the coffee cup.

"Hang on. Back up. You sold your life to a faerie?!" I couldn't help but raise my voice at that and a man at a nearby table shot me a glare. I ignored him.

"Yeah. I was at a party downtown and a guy offered me a pastry and I was drunk so I took it without thinking and it turned out that in exchange for the pastry, I had to give him one hundred years of service. Mers, he has my full name." Reese met my eyes and I saw the fear there.

I wanted to scream at her for being stupid enough to take something like that when we were surrounded by faeries, but I resisted the urge. It wouldn't do any good to lecture her on something that had already happened.

"Okay. That is a bit of an issue. Did he specify when the one hundred years would begin?"

"No. But I don't see how that plays a role in this."

"If he did not say when your debt began, you can determine that yourself. In theory, you could wait until right before you die to serve your one hundred years and there's nothing he could do to stop it. But the fact that he has your full name is another issue. Do you know who he is?"

Reese paused and then looked around, The guy who had glared at us and another girl in the back corner were the only ones in the coffee shop other than ourselves and the barista who was sitting at the counter on her phone. When she was sure no one was listening to us, she leaned in over the table.

"Lord Alaric Caitmar," she whispered. I tried to keep a straight face, though I was sure my skin had gone pale. Lord Caitmar was most well known for no one ever escaping a deal with him.

"Reese, I don't know-" I was good at figuring out loopholes and had even managed to work with the fae in the past, but this was out of my depth.

"Please, Mers. You're the only one who can help me. We all know what he does to mortals. I just need your help to get out of my debt with him. The time of the debt being called in doesn't matter when he knows my name."

She was right, of course. If he used her full name, he could call in the debt whenever he desired. It was a wonder she wasn't already there with him right now...

I paused and leaned back in my chair, narrowing my eyes slightly.

"Reese, if he knows your name already then why hasn't he called the debt in already? Why are you here with me right now?"

"I-I don't know. After the party last night, everything is a blur. I tried calling you. But you didn't answer. I knew I could find you here. I need your help." Reese's skin had paled even more and she had the face she had growing up when she lied.

"No. That's not true. You're lying to me, Reese. How did you know I would be here right now?" I shut my laptop and grabbed my bag from where it hung on the back of my chair.

"Y-you're always here. I knew you'd be here to help me."

I shook my head, slamming my laptop into my bag and slinging the strap over my shoulder. I grabbed my coat from where it had fallen on the floor and was already halfway to the door when it opened.

The person who opened it was gorgeous with eyes such a dark green they appeared almost black and white hair that came to his jaw. The man of the hour himself.

"Lord Caitmar," I greeted, quickly bowing my head and averting my eyes. If my sister was telling the truth and had gotten herself into a deal with him, I didn't want to join her fate by being disrespectful.

"Emerson Gray. Your sister told me a lot about you last night. She told me that you might be able to help me with something. For her sake, I hope that you're right."

"Did she? I'm sorry to disappoint, my lord, but I don't know how much help I'll truly be to you." I kept my eyes downcast and watched his feet as he walked towards me. I couldn't help but notice that he was wearing extremely nice black dress boots.

"I think you'll be of great help to me, Emerson," he said when he was right in front of me. He reached out and tilted my chin so I was looking at him and I tried not to flinch away from his touch.

"What is it that you need help with, my lord?" My voice trembled slightly as I looked him in the eye. He smiled coldly and tightened his grip on my chin.

"Everyone except for the Gray sisters needs to leave this store. Immediately." His voice was dangerously soft, but I could feel the magic in it. The other people in the store seemed to stand in unison and walked out, leaving their stuff behind.

I heard Reese shift behind me and I wanted to turn and glare at her. I had done my best over the years to fly under the radar and somehow she had put the attention on me.

"I'm sorry, Mers," Reese said. "He sought me out last night and asked me to introduce him to you. I had no choice."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. If I wasn't careful, that could be interpreted as a sign of disrespect to Lord Caitmar and disrespecting the fae never ended well.

"She's right. I've heard about you, Emerson. The law student who can navigate the faerie world and mortal world," Alaric offered me another cold smile before releasing my chin.

"I don't know what you've heard, Lord Caitmar, but I can't guarantee the accuracy. Especially if it came from other humans." I lowered my eyes again.

"You know the rules better than your sister," Alaric remarked, cocking his head to the side. "When I offered her the pastry last night, she didn't even hesitate to take it even though I suspect she knew who I was."

"My sister has always been more impulsive, my lord. If I may be so bold, what is it you want my help with?"

Alaric laughed and moved to sit at the table across from my sister.

"Come. Sit with us," he said. I knew it was an order more than a request so I obliged, pulling an extra chair over to the table. Reese gave me an apologetic look which I did my best to ignore.

"Mers-" Reese started only to look between Alaric and I and fall silent at Alaric's look.

"I'll cut to it, Emerson. I want your help in getting out of my bargain with the king." Alaric leaned back in his seat and looked me over.

"Why would you want that? I thought everyone swore an oath to always be bound to the faerie king," I said, shocked by his request.

"If I'm bound to him, I cannot kill him."

I couldn't help the look I gave my sister then. The trouble magnet had struck yet again.