Free Inquest by J. F. Jenkins

his brother sharply in the back with his cane.
    Scowling, Zes rubbed at the spot where he'd been poked, then his gaze locked on Teague. "This is important."
    Everything around Teague began to blur as people rushed by and the dance progressed. Almost like someone had pressed the fast forward button on a remote. Just as time started to slow down again, Zes said something to his date and got up from the table. He walked to the balcony outside. The air was cool, but refreshing. Teague took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. For some reason, he felt anxious and like he was suffocating. None of it made sense, because he loved dances and group gatherings. But Zes doesn't. Zes hates this kind of stuff. Maybe I'm feeling what he did.
    Briefly, Zes closed his eyes. "She likes me. What's my problem? Why can't I like her back?"
    "Because you still love me," a soft female voice said from behind him.
    He faced the source, as did Teague, and found Cheyenne Loveless, wearing a long, slender, black-sequined gown. Her hair was pulled back into an elegant bun, and she wore dangling diamond earrings that sparkled under the lamp light.
    "Ch-Chey! Are you okay?" Zes rushed to her side and held her close. For someone who was supposedly over her, he didn't embrace her as such.
    She let him hold her for a few seconds before pulling away from him. "What I am isn't of any concern at the moment. I need you to tell me straight and simple. Do you still love me?"
    "I..." Zes swallowed. "That depends."
    "On?"
    "On you."
    Her expression darkened and she leaned toward him, her blue eyes narrowing as she poked his chest with her index finger. "How I feel about you shouldn't impact how you feel about me."
    "I wasn't talking about that," he snapped. "What I mean is, I know you're in love with Denver or something equally as stupid. The thing is, there are so many different versions of you it's hard to keep up. There's the girl I first met. I love her . Then there's the girl who doesn't make any sense and is nothing like the one who originally came to Vala. That girl I'm not too into. Nor am I into this aggressive, bossy version you're showing me now."
    Cheyenne laughed. "Oh, honey, you need to learn. Women are so much more multidimensional than men are. One day we're good, sweet, innocent girls, and then the next we're going to devour you. If you want sweet Chey, I can certainly bring her out again for you. The thing is, it'll cost you."
    "It's probably not something I want to pay." He glared at her. "Multidimensional sounds like another way of saying you don't know who you are."
    "I know who I am." She pressed herself close against him. "The question is, do you know who you are?"
    Swallowing, Zes took a step back. "I've got a good idea."
    "The sweet, kind martyr?" She ran her hands along the length of his suit jacket. "I've seen you be just as wild and aggressive as me. You want to know what else I saw?"
    "No, I don't think –"
    She leaned up and whispered in his ear. "You liked it."
    "We can get you help," he said firmly.
    "And I can get you help."
    "I don't want it."
    She smirked, and Teague realized then that Zes wasn't talking to Cheyenne but Persephone. There was a glimmer of magic pulsating around her. "You do. Look me in the eyes and tell me you –"
    "There you are!" Noel called out from the doorway back inside. She skipped over to Zes. Cheyenne disappeared into a soft, violet poof of smoke before she arrived. "Who were you talking to?"
    Zes shook his head. "One of my brother’s many fans." He put a hand on Noel's shoulder. "It's kind of cold out here, so maybe we should head back in."
    His gaze went past her and settled on Teague. "Don't judge me. This is –"
    "Important too," Teague whispered.
    A wave of dizziness washed over him. His eyes closed for a brief moment, and when he opened them again, he found himself lying on a plastic-covered pillow that was part of the Crow's Nest playground setup. Groaning, he rubbed at his eyes, trying