Caterina turned back to Daphne Elizabeth, not smiling at all anymore, her steely expression made even scarier because she was still wearing her bloodred carnival half-mask, unlike Alaric or Daph. “What do you want?”

“I w-want all the lying to be over,” Daph said, her voice trembling. Jaya could tell she was making a monumental effort to not slur her words. Or maybe the fear of Caterina’s wrath was enough to sober her up. She turned to Alaric. “Enough’s enough.” To Caterina, she said, “You never responded to my—my text. It’s been a long time now, Caterina, and I really think we need to talk this out.”

Caterina’s face was frozen behind her half-mask. “What text?”

Daph looked from her to Alaric and back again. “The… the text I sent you. About Alaric and me? Alaric said you didn’t want—”

Alaric laughed, loud and braying. “I must’ve given you the wrong number, Daphne Elizabeth. Silly mistake. I’m sure we can pick this conversation up tomorrow.”

Daph appeared completely confounded. “You… you gave me the wrong number?”

“What text?” Caterina said again, with much more menace in her voice this time.

Daph met her eyes and straightened her shoulders. “I’m sorry, Caterina,” she said. “But Alaric and I began seeing each other over the summer. It… it kind of just happened and I’m not proud of it. I tried telling you over a text; Alaric gave me your number.”

Caterina turned slowly to Alaric. Jaya could almost hear tendons creaking. In a strange, wooden voice, she said, “You were going to let Daphne Elizabeth text this to me? And you weren’t going to say anything?”

“No,” Alaric said, putting his hand on her shoulder, which she shrugged off savagely. “Of course not. I was going to tell you; it was my idea, but Daphne Elizabeth was scared.”

Daph gasped. “What? Alaric!”

He regarded her blankly.

After a long, crackling pause, Daph laughed. “Oh… my… God. I’m such a fool. You really are a gobshite.”

“A what?” Alaric said, drawing himself up to his full height.

Daph ignored him and turned to Caterina. “I’m so sorry,” she said sincerely—or as sincerely as she could say that while also being plastered. “I—I consider myself a very honest person. But this…” She ran a hand through her short red hair, leaving it mussed. “I lost my mind. It had nothing to do with you, Caterina, and everything to do with me.” Giving Alaric a disgusted look, she added, “And a bit to do with your boyfriend.” Turning fully to him, she said, “I don’t know what kind of spell you put on me, but it’s over.”

Alaric smiled arrogantly. “How can it be over when it was never begun?” He obviously thought he was being very clever.