The Princes of Tangleforest by Dorlana Vann Page A

anywhere.”
    “Well, Tanner, I’m afraid we can’t proceed any further.”
    “Julia…” Tanner pleaded with his eyes. And wondered why the hell she was doing this to him.
    Julia stared at him for a second. Tanner watched her determination finally soften into quiet tears as she pressed her lips tightly together. She shook her head and walked into the other room. Darla followed, shutting the doors behind them.
    “Now that we have the women out of our hair, we can have some fun. Clear the table, boys.”
    Johnny picked up their cards and put them away while Sean went over to the bar and brought back a tray with five different-colored shot glasses, setting them on the table.
    “This game is really simple,” Zachary said and handed Tanner a silver flask. All you have to do is pour the contents of this into one of the cups, and I’ll guess which one.”
    “Whatever,” Tanner said. Lame. Wanting to get on with it, he started unscrewing the lid.
    “One minute, before you do that…” Zachary said. He turned to Sean. “The tie, and let Tanner see it first.” Sean showed Tanner a dark tie and put it up to his eyes. “Can you see anything?”  Zachary asked.
    “No,” Tanner replied.
    Sean took the tie back and tied it around Zachary’s eyes. Zachary turned around, no longer facing Tanner. “Now pour the contents into one of the glasses.”
    Tanner glanced inside the glasses at what appeared to be water. He smelt the top of the flask—no odor—and decided to pour its contents into the red cup.
    “Did you pour it?”
    “Done.”
    “This is very important,” Zachary said, still facing the opposite direction. “So please pay attention. Saying nothing else, and slowly, one by one, from your left to right, tell me the colors of the glasses.”
    Tanner shrugged his shoulders and glanced at the twins and noticed that they were suddenly fidgeting. “Blue… pink… red… purple… yellow.
    “Here are the rules,” Zachary said as he turned around. “The first rule is the most important one. Do not tell me, under any circumstances, where you poured it… or I will make Jules drink it.”
    Tanner felt his heart quicken by a tad. Something was wrong.
    “Is that understood?”
    “I don’t know.”
    “You agreed to play,” Zachary said firmly.  He snapped his fingers in the twin’s direction. Sean, with napkin in hand, snatched the flask from Tanner’s hands. “You got it?”
    “Yep,” Sean said.
    “There is no turning back now,” Zachary said. “So you had better listen up.”
    “Look,” Tanner said, not liking the new smart tone Zachary fed him. “I don’t do threats.”
    “You poured concentrated liquefied arsenic into one of the five glasses. It is odorless, tasteless and deadly toxic. I will guess which one you poured it in by drinking one at a time until only the glass with the arsenic is left.”
    “Yeah, right.”
    “I understand your skepticism. Nevertheless, let’s not forget rule number one; if you in any way indicate or try to give away the true identity of the cup, I will make Jules drink it. Are you willing to take the chance that this is a joke?”
    “That would be murder! Games are one thing, but that’s stupid.”
    “Yes, you would have murdered her, by being ignorant. Your fingerprints are all over your flask that you purchased online.”
    Tanner looked at the flask that Sean held with the napkin. Sean pointed at its corner. “You even splurged for initials.”
    Tanner stood up abruptly, his heart already believing what his head didn’t want to admit.  “I don’t want any part of this.”
    “It’s only a game,” Zachary mocked. “Do as I say, and we’ll get through this. Now I don’t plan on anyone dying here tonight, so follow the rules. This isn’t my first time. Let yourself enjoy the adrenalin rush. Sit.”
    If pure adrenalin made you feel like you were going to puke, Tanner wanted no more of it. He thought about all of Julia’s warnings, about everything she