Liar's Game

By Anna Wolfe

The Seer yanks his chain, and Silas could swear she does it for fun. Knowing that she manipulates everyone around her hasn't helped him at all. His little band of misfits has come apart. Edie is gone and refusing to speak to him. Mark is still trying to figure out how to control his ability and the Seer has ordered him to keep the boy in the dark. And Callie tempts him with a life he cannot have. A seat on the powerful Witches Council has opened up and Silas is stuck in the middle of the machinations unfurling over which faction of the witches will gain the upper hand. Angry witches, lies, and murder are just the start. Events in the Windy City will push Silas to the edge and reveal an unexpected enemy.

“There is another world touching ours that is filled with demons or, at least, that’s what we call them. They call themselves something else entirely, though that is neither here nor there. Every now and again, human beings manage to pull these demons through to our side. The human dies, of course, and the demon gets a person shaped suit to live in. We call these creatures the demonridden.”

• Language: English
• Publisher: Anna Wolfe
• Release date: Feb 1, 2016
• ISBN: 9781311994134

Anna Wolfe

I'm a college professor with a Ph.D. so new it squeaks. I have a husband, a heterolifemate, and two cats. I'm willing to try any food I've never eaten at least once. I have jumped out of a plane (awesome), blown fire (also awesome), learned that having accelerant soak into your sports bra hurts like hell, and am a pagan (please note that this does not mean I'm a satanist).

Book preview

LIAR'S GAME

Book 5 of The One Rises

by

Anna Wolfe

* * * * *

Copyright 2015 by Anna Wolfe

Cover Art by Kip Ayers

Editorial Work by Tara Schlagenhauf

Discover other titles at Anna Wolfe's Smashwords Page

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

The contents of this novel reflect the work and views of the author. The contents do not reflect the views of any other person or institution.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface

PART ONE

Chapter 1: Silas

Chapter 2: Callie White

Chapter 3: Silas

Chapter 4: Callie

Chapter 5: Silas

PART TWO

Chapter 6: Mark Little

Chapter 7: Silas

Chapter 8: Hyacinth Martel

Chapter 9: Callie

Chapter 10: Silas

Chapter 11: Callie

Chapter 12: Mark

Chapter 13: Jiye Paik

Chapter 14: Jiye

Chapter 15: Mimi

Chapter 16: Mark

Chapter 17: Silas

Chapter 18: Mark

Chapter 19: Mark

Chapter 20: Silas

Chapter 21: Mark

Chapter 22: Jiye

Chapter 23: They

Chapter 24: Callie

Chapter 25: Silas

Chapter 26: Spider

Chapter 27: Alexander Vermuelen

Chapter 28: Callie

Chapter 29: Silas

Chapter 30: Silas

Chapter 31: Mark

Chapter 32: Callie

Chapter 33: Silas

Chapter 34: Mark

PART THREE

Chapter 35: Callie

Chapter 36: Ina Hammond

Chapter 37: Callie

Chapter 38: Luis Rivera

Chapter 39: Mark

Chapter 40: Mark

Chapter 41: Ina

Chapter 42: Edith Carter

Chapter 43: Luis

Chapter 44: Edie

Chapter 45: Rashida Singh

Chapter 46: Mark

Chapter 47: Hatter

Chapter 48: Mark

Chapter 49: Callie

Chapter 50: Callie

Chapter 51: Danielle Reyes

Chapter 52: Callie

Chapter 53: Silas

Chapter 54: Callie

Chapter 55: They

Epilogue: Onuc and Oniki

About the Author

Sample Chapter

Glossary

PREFACE

First, let's deal with the technical stuff. I denote thoughts by using italics. If, in the process of downloading this book, that formatting gets lost, you're going to be very confused. I've had some folks have difficulty with the formatting so below is a test italic sentence.

Is this sentence in italics? If so, yay! If not, something has gone awry.

Second, there's a glossary at the end of this book. I try to use the words I've developed for this world with enough context so you can figure out what's going on, but glossaries can be nice to have. Third, if you haven't read the first three books, you should still be able to enjoy this story (though I recommend checking out the other books, especially since the first one is free). Fourth, this book contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language that is not appropriate for children. Finally, I've included a brief blurb to remind you all of where we left off in our story.

Bitten (Book 1)

Through acts of will, human beings can pull creatures from another world into our own. These creatures ride human bodies and possess wide-ranging sets of abilities. The demonridden are powerful, greedy, and always hungry. A human that has been bitten by a demonridden (and survives) develops their own demon-forced sets of abilities and appetites. Like their more powerful creators, the bitten mostly feed on human emotion: blood, sex, anger, fear, greed, joy, and so on. Some bitten serve their creators and others flee from the demonridden that created them.

In Bitten, Callie White enters into the shadow world of the demonridden and must figure out how to survive. After months of hiding on the streets of Chicago, a group of knowledgeable and well-trained bitten find Callie and begin to help her learn the skills she will need to remain in control of her abilities.

Oh, and there are witches: earth, fire, air, water and the clairvoyant spirit witches. Witches live in enclaves ruled by priests and priestesses. Two of the most powerful witches are the High Priestess (or Priest, depending on gender) and The Seer.

Addicted (Book 2)

Set six weeks after the first book, Callie is beginning to settle into her life as one of Silas' recruits. Life, however, is always complicated. There are many bitten in the North American Free Territories who believe that the demonridden should be destroyed. Others believe that safety lies in the magical binding (the Covenant) the witches used to defeat the demonridden at the end of the Great Demon War. Silas is dedicated to preserving the Covenant and many see him as the leader of the bitten. Those who would eliminate every demonridden, though it violates the Covenant, believe that Silas must be gotten rid of before they can succeed. As Silas' most conspicuous recruits, Callie, Mark, and Edie are caught up in machinations to change the balance of power among the free bitten.

We also learn of the One, an ancient demonridden that was forced into sleep approximately 5,000 years ago. Everybody is afraid of the One waking up and so the rules of the Covenant are different in Australia (where the One sleeps).

Ensnared by Magic (Book 3)

A month after the events in Book 2, Mark finds himself in the middle of a power struggle between the High Priestess and the Seer. While it is not entirely clear why the two witches are at loggerheads, the question of how to stop the One from rising is at the center of their disagreement and both women are prepared to sacrifice others to maintain power. The Seer agrees to help Silas cover up the fact that he killed one of the demonridden (something bitten are forbidden from doing under the Covenant).

Poisoned by Deceit (Book 4)

Set four weeks after Book 3, Silas & Co. headed out to San Francisco at the behest of the coven leader of the Bay Area enclave who also happened to be Edie's ex-mother-in-law. Edie successfully made amends for losing control of her ability years ago and nearly killing her ex-husband. In the process, she helped to uncover a nasty situation: someone figured out how to help latents—witches who never developed magical power—survive being bitten by the demonridden. Mark had a brief meeting with the Seer where she recommended sleeping with Mimi again and that she could see thousands of years into the future. Phaedon learned Silas' true identity and died as a result. By the end of the book, Callie also believes that she might know Silas' secret.

PART ONE

MID-DECEMBER

Chapter 1: Silas

Silas stood in the kitchen and stared down at his coffee. It was late and they'd only just gotten back from the West Coast. The others had promptly vanished into their rooms, no doubt to stew and generally hate his guts. He leaned forward and inhaled the rich aroma of coffee made properly. He hadn't done more than catnap since the disaster that had been his trip to the Bay Area enclave.

Edie is going to leave. The thought made him restless and angry. It wasn't that he needed her to stay, but he didn't want her to leave hating him. Again. He hated the blood contract that bound him. It killed anyone who discovered who he really was and he had no control over the memories it stuffed into people's heads as it hid his existence. It's better that she leaves before I get her killed. He carried the coffee to the living room and sat down on the couch. I don't want her to hate me. I hate that she hates me.

He set the coffee down untouched and prowled across the living room. Perhaps some music will help. And maybe I should bake something. He set the volume low and scrolled through his music collection. A nagging sensation of wrongness tugged at the back of his mind. He paused, finger hovering over the screen, and swept his eyes over the living room. A book was missing from the shelf.

Adrenaline rushed through his veins. Not just any book. The text about the demonborn. The book about me. He forced himself to control his breathing and heart rate as he replayed the memory of their arrival home. Mark, Edie, and Hatter all went directly to their rooms. Callie got fruit from the… Callie!

Racing across the house, Silas hoped he wasn't too late. He attempted to turn the handle of her door and snarled when he found it locked. He kicked the door open. Even as he did so, he spread his power out over Callie's room as thickly as he could. If Callie was going to die, at least he could make sure she was the only one.

Callie looked up, her mouth hanging open in shock. The book was open on her lap.

Stop! He bellowed the words. If you want to live, stop!

The girl scrambled off the bed and away from him. The book tumbled to the floor and, mouth set in a firm line, Callie threw her power at him, shoving him against the wall and then pinning him there. Her power pulled up loose bits of paper and dust until the air crackled with them.

You stay the hell away from me! Callie pointed a finger at him.

Stop. Stop thinking about me. Stop thinking about anything. Or you die and not by my hand. Silas wriggled against the weight of her power until he slipped free. Before she could hit him again, he held his hands up in an effort to be nonthreatening and begged, You have to forget.

Yeah, well, I can't. Callie folded her arms over her chest. And you and your siblings were scary as fuck so just stay the hell over there.

Silas winced and then a sick ball of dread opened up in his stomach. And now she dies. I'll have to pass it off as a suicide, but after the events in San Fran, Edie and Mark will be at risk. They will both have to leave. And soon. Only Callie didn't die. One moment turned into ten and still Callie stood there glaring at him. Shock rippled through him, and for a moment, he couldn’t hear anything. The room wavered under his feet, and he stumbled forward until he could sit on the end of the bed.

Silas? Callie's voice sounded like she was speaking from the end of the tunnel. Dokuz?

She butchered the pronunciation of his name and still she didn't die. Silas stared at her. How? How is this possible?

Her power dropped away and she edged closer. Are you okay?

He grabbed her wrist and yanked her towards him. Callie let out a shocked squeak, and he could feel her gathering her power. Why aren't you dead? They were nose-to-nose as he growled the question.

I don't know. Callie shook her head as she spoke. To be honest, it still doesn't seem possible that you're… what? Four hundred? Silas, that's crazy.

Say it. Silas bit off the words as a sudden, wild hope sprang up in his chest.

Uh, what? Callie tugged her arm and when he didn't let go, she glared down at him. Let go of me or I'm going to knock you clear across the room.

My name. He enunciated as he released her wrist. Everything. Tell me who I am.

Callie rubbed her wrist and narrowed her eyes at him. Dokuz, born in 1603, the ninth demonborn to survive his birth and Gabriel's youngest offspring. Mated with Sekiz.

Silas flinched to hear her say the words. And still she does not die. She was looking at him like he was a mad man, but showed no signs of burning up from the inside out. Silas let out an involuntary sob and then pressed his head into his hands. I don't understand. This shouldn't be possible.

When he looked up, Callie had gathered up the book and stood on the other side of the room. Her gaze was fixed on him, almost unblinking, as she set the book down on top of her dresser. How did you survive Gabriel's purge? She looked ready to bolt.

She's afraid of me. The one person, other than the members of Conclave, who knows who I am and she's terrified. Silas started to laugh and once he started, he found he couldn't stop. Even Callie pressing herself into the corner and pulling up her power didn't slow the laughter down. He fell back on the bed and laughed until tears rolled down his face.

Finally, the laughter wheezed to a stop and Silas could push himself back up into a sitting position. He wiped at his face with his hands. You should be dead.

And that's funny? She edged towards the door.

No. With the madness of the laughter gone, all he felt was tired. How do I make you not be afraid of me? He winced and rolled his shoulders to ease the tightness. He needed her to have an answer to his question.

Callie chewed on her lower lip and stared at him. He could tell when she went to confer with the memory-sets because her pupils expanded to the edges of her irises and her gaze went distant. When her gaze found his again, Silas straightened his spine.

Show me. She stepped forward and held out her hand. Show me how you survived.

***

Chapter 2: Callie White

Callie was pleased that neither her hand nor her voice shook. I wish I was wearing a bra. She'd changed into shorts and a tank top before opening the book and was regretting that decision as well. This is really happening. He really is one of the demonborn.

Silas stared at her hand for a moment and then met her eyes. How does this work?

Callie gave him a lopsided smile. I'll admit, I don't have much practice. She took another step forward, until she could feel the heat of his body, and wiggled her fingers at him. But I know I need to touch you. Oh, hey, that didn't come out right. Callie ignored the potential innuendo and didn't drop Silas' gaze.

He placed his wrist in her grasp and the icy feel of his mind brushed against hers. And you're going to have to drop your shields. Like after you, uh… Callie stuttered for a moment and then recovered. Like after you got decapitated.

Silas licked his lips and then closed his eyes. It took several minutes, but suddenly his mind was easier to read. It curled up around her in a spiral, and each memory fluttered as if in a breeze. Okay. Good. Callie inhaled and exhaled. Now, think about… She didn't even have a chance to finish her thought before she fell into a memory.

Sekiz lay sprawled over Silas/me, sweat drying on her warm brown skin. Silas/I drew one hand over her curves and sighed with pleasure. The last year had been chaotic. The Seer had effectively managed to prevent the demonridden and their vassals from feeding on humans or witches. Vassals could feed on each other, but the demonridden were starving. His/my father, of course, had figured out he could feed on the demonborn and used that to wring concessions from his enemies. And yet, this was the longest uninterrupted time he'd ever had with his siblings. All thirteen under the same roof and they could generate their own power. Though Gabriel kept them busy, there was always time to skinkiss.

We cannot leave them on their own, my love. Sekiz stroked her hand down his/my chest.

Who? Silas/I asked.

The vassals who've fled their masters' courts. She began to nibble her way up his/my neck. There's already rumors of an army of escapees amassing in the hills.

An army that will do what? Silas/I asked with a huff of laughter. The demonridden will crush them.

That's my point. Her deft fingers trailed down his/my chest, pausing to pinch the nipples. The vassals must also be set free and they must find their own place.

Silas/I tangled his/my hand in her hair and pulled her mouth to his/mine. You have a scheme, he/I whispered against her lips and then the salty sweetness of her mouth flooded his/mine.

Someone cleared their throat loudly. Silas/I rolled over and grinned at his/my eldest brother. Bir was fully dressed in black cotton pants that were loose at the top and narrowed at the calves. His long-sleeved white top was tucked in and the sash around his waist was bright red.

Most honored eldest brother, Sekiz said as her hand slipped around Silas'/my waist and down to his/my growing shaft. How can we be of service?

Bir's sharp white teeth flashed from behind his beard. Wicked child.

Silas/I was unable to hold back a groan. Tell me you've come to join us.

Sadly, no. Our father summons us. Bir's gaze settled on the movements of Sekiz's hand. You and I, Dokuz. No others.

How long do we have? Silas/I asked. When the summons didn't name a time to appear, the understanding was that they were to get there immediately.

An hour, Bir replied.

Sekiz's laugh vibrated against his/my back. Plenty of time.

Bir's grin was wider this time and he wasted no time shucking his shirt. From his back and sides, four mobile, arm-like appendages lifted away from his torso. Anticipation tightened in his/my belly. Sekiz's hand stroked…

Callie stumbled back, tumbling onto her behind, as her skin went ice cold. She scuttled back until she hit the door. Silas slid off the bed and onto his knees. Beads of sweat stood on his forehead. Callie was so cold she couldn't feel the tips of her fingers and her lips were numb. Her muscles were spasming involuntarily, and she bit back a cry of pain.

W-w-what the hell w-w-was that? Callie asked once she could mostly stop her jaw from chattering.

Sorry, Silas gasped, sorry. He wiped his face with one shaking hand. I do not know why I thought of that moment first and it has been too long since I... He trailed off and his gaze went distant.

Callie slid into a breathing exercise. She was so turned on it was painful. Minutes went by and her breath and body returned to a resting state. I thought Sekiz was your mate.

Silas' eyebrows rose. She was.

Then why… Callie trailed off as her face caught fire. Asking someone why they fucked their brother wasn't a question she'd ever thought she'd have to voice. Oh god, and his sister. Callie reminded herself that all of the demonborn had different mothers. Yeah, not helping. Half siblings shouldn't have sex either.

Half of Silas' mouth twisted up in a smile. We were not monogamous. None of us were, my siblings and I. Bir had a mate too. Onuc, one of the youngest. He shifted until he could lean against the bed. Skinkissing was too much fun and we all had to eat when we were apart from the others.

Callie hoped she had control of her face. There was no need for her to show her repugnance when he was opening up a raw wound. Then, she thought back to all the times Silas had tried to tell her that he could burn her to a crisp if he lost control of his power. She hadn't believed him, not really, and she was only now realizing how dumb she had been. Did you almost kill me just now?

Silas' mouth thinned and he nodded. It's been a hundred and eighty some years since I last skinkissed with my own kind. My control sometimes slips.

That's why that moment came back to you first, Callie said as she crossed her legs. It felt soft and well-worn. You've re-lived that memory a thousand times. The last time you skinkissed. Every time he's trained me, he's risked killing me. The thought sent goosepimples racing across her skin.

He flinched and the color drained out of his face. In a hollow voice, he said, Yes.

How can you feed on humans? Isn't that more dangerous? How can you feed on anyone and be sure you won't kill them?

They taste like nothing, like dust. The skin hunger does not stir. Silas gave her a long, searching look. You are more afraid now than you were before we started.

Callie returned his look and pinched her eyebrows together in a frown. No one knows who you are? At all?

Silas shook his head. The Conclave knows.

Ouch. No wonder he's so lonely. The thought made Callie pause. His memory of his dead mate and brother seeped with loneliness, guilt, and shame. No more thinking about sex. And I need a little more distance from the memory, so don't try to shove it at me. She drummed her fingers on her knee and then added, Think of what you want to show me now, before I touch you. And close your eyes.

Silas did as she told him and Callie pushed herself to her feet. Crossing the room in two steps, Callie knelt and touched the back of Silas' hand with one finger.

***

Chapter 3: Silas

Silas was suddenly standing in his father's throne room. After the Seer had ended the Great War, she'd left the demonridden to starve for a year. Then, she'd called for a meeting of all the Elder and Younger demonridden. It had become the first Meeting of the Conclave and it had happened in Gabriel's territory.

Silas watched his father's mouth move and remembered the orders he and his brother had been given. It was easier, this time, to remember that what he was looking at was nothing more than a memory.

Silas, why are we here? Why show me this? Callie's voice echoed in his head.

Baba Roga was late to the gathering. Gabriel said the Seer was getting impatient and we were to go locate Baba Roga and escort her to the palace. Silas watched his father's face closely.

Callie made a tsking sound and said, Still in the dark. I can't sense as much this way. And why would Gabriel care if another Elder demonridden was late?

He told us the Seer had demanded it. I thought I might see whatever Bir saw, if I could look at this memory through your ability. But I see nothing. He'd always wondered if there had been some way he could have done more to save his siblings.

It's your memory. There won't be anything there that you don't remember. What did Bir see? Callie asked.

Silas had to close his eyes as the world blurred around him, and then he was striding