"So, how'd you damage your wing?"

Arietta sighed, leaning against the wall. "Accident as a child. My brother was a little too strong for his own good as a child, and, you know, he went a little too far. My parents couldn't afford to get the damage treated."

"How sad."

"I don't appreciate your sarcasm, Rhydian."

"My apologies. What's your name again?"

"Evette. Evette Briarwhisk."

"And you're a faerie, correct?"

"Yes. No iron, of course."

"Absolutely." He turned away from her, and Ari took the opportunity to swallow down her fear. Lying was not her strong suit at all -- that was solidly Indi. As a firm believer in honesty being the best policy, she tried to avoid lies at all costs.

But a few months ago, things had changed.

The Ace -- shorthand for 'Ace of Spades', a new criminal's calling card -- had begun to target those with disabilities. Sirens who lacked the trademark hypnotic voice, or dhampirs without an immunity to sunlight, or fairies and faeries alike born with deformed wings. Such as Ari herself.

It had been Indira, Ari's twin, who was the first in the Noxtus household to realise what the link was between Ace's newest victims. And it had been Indi who declared that the two of them would catch the criminal. So, naturally, she had to start lying a bit more.

"No, Mum, we're just going to meet our friends." We're hunting down a criminal who targets people like me.

"We're not going to do anything stupid!" We're hunting down a criminal who targets people like me.

"Yeah, we're just on Crown Street." We're staking out past crime scenes of The Ace of Spades to hunt down a criminal who targets people like me.

Their parents believed her. Their friends believed her. 

And most importantly, Ace seemed to believe her lies as well.