Lie to Me

Chapter Three: I feel like crap

When you get choked out, you wake up feeling like shit. I can attest to this. Imagine the worst hangover of your life and multiply that feeling by two. My head pounded mercilessly and it hurt to swallow and breathe.

Somehow, I had wound back up at my apartment though I didn't know how. I was still in the clothes I had been wearing earlier minus my shoes. I tried to remember exactly what had happened, but everything was foggy and I gave up after a while, drifting back to sleep.

When I woke up again, I heard voices outside my bedroom door. I sat up and winced. My head was still pounding and light filtered in through the holes in my blinds. I reached over to my nightstand where my phone usually was only to realize it wasn't there. I looked around to see if I spotted it anywhere and sighed when I couldn't find it.

I groaned as I stood up, rubbing my face. I was exhausted, but I had stuff I had to get done. Panic seized me as I realized I didn't even know what day it was. I had a paper due soon and I wasn't sure getting choked out by a fae lord counted as a reason to miss a deadline.

I was halfway across my room when my bedroom door flung open to reveal my roommate and a woman I didn't recognize. My roommate looked concerned whereas the woman looked annoyed.

"I'm sorry, Em. She insisted that she come in. Said she needs to talk to you about plagiarism," my roommate, Kendall, said with an apologetic look.

"Plagiarism?" I raised my eyebrow at the woman. "I'm sorry, but who are you?"

"You can leave us," the woman said to Kendall, walking over to my desk and pulling out the chair.

Kendall looked at me and I nodded, turning my attention to the woman as she left, closing the door behind her.

"Who are you, really?" I asked the woman as she sat down in the chair and looked at me expectantly.

"Lord Caitmar sent me to check on you after your encounter yesterday afternoon. I'm his... assistant of sorts. You can call me Lila," she said, leaning back in the chair and staring at me curiously.

"You can tell Lord Caitmar that while his concern is appreciated, I'm fine," I said, crossing my arms.

She continued to stare at me, her eyes an unnervingly pale blue. I was about to ask her to leave when I felt magic fill the air. I tensed slightly and she smiled.

"Did you feel that?" She asked, noticing my posture.

"Feel what?" I kept my face impassive. I had never told anyone that I could sense magic before Alaric and I figured he must have told Lila.

"The magic. Alaric said you claimed to be able to sense it. Along with checking on you, I'm here to test your claim. It wouldn't do well if he couldn't trust you. I suspect he'll want to make a new oath with you to ensure that you never lie to him." I tried not to laugh at that. What could he possibly offer me in exchange for that kind of oath?

"Does that amuse you, Emerson?" Lila asked, frowning slightly. I quickly regained my composure and shook my head.

"I don't know why I would agree to a revised blood oath with Lord Caitmar. Now, I must ask that you please leave. I need to finish my school work and I can't do that with you sitting at my desk." I kept my tone as polite as possible trying not to let my frustration show. I still didn't know what time it was and I had so much homework that I needed to complete. My encounter with Alaric and my sister had set me back hours.

"Lord Caitmar can be very persuasive when he wants to be. And I will leave once I know whether or not you can truly sense magic and if you can resist it as you claimed." Lila gave me a tight smile and I felt the magic once more as she called it to her.