Fables & Other Lies

256 Pages·2020·0.32 MB·english

by  Claire Contreras [Contreras

FABLES & OTHER LIES
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR
CLAIRE CONTRERAS
Copyright © 2020 by Claire Contreras
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and
retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
For Gia Guzman, my Wela.

CONTENTS
Foreword
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Epilogue
About the Author
Also by Claire Contreras
FOREWORD
My paternal grandmother, the woman who helped shape who I am today, was illiterate. In lieu of
reading stories to me, she’d re-tell folklores she knew. Folklores that are make up the fabric of the
Dominican Republic, but originated in Africa.
She seemed to have an endless library of these stories. Sometimes she’d mention them while
cooking. Other times, she’d use them to head warnings. I don’t think she meant them to inspire me,
but, they sure found their way into this book.
Although this isn’t a folklore per se, I included some in the story.
I absolutely loved writing this book. It very much provided the escape I needed from the reality
(or alternate reality? Lol) that is 2020. I hope it does the same for you!
Xo,
Claire Contreras
PROLOGUE
“I
found her,” he said loudly.
Someone walked quickly into the room. I turned to see the guard who’d been standing by the door.
“Sir, I am so sorry, I didn’t—”
“The search is over. I found her,” River said again.
“What are you talking about?” My heart pounded in my ears.
“This woman will keep me company tonight,” he said, ignoring me.
I wasn’t sure who he was speaking to anymore, but then I turned and noticed the tent drapes had
been pulled open and the line of women and the people standing all around outside the tent could see
us. Maybe I’d drunk too much tequila, but I could have sworn he just said I’d be keeping him
company tonight.
I turned to face him. “I’m sorry, my name wasn’t on the list. I wasn’t even—”
“You’re my pick, Penelope Guzman.”
“But I didn’t even sign up for this.”
“You didn’t have to.” His smile was wolfish, territorial. “I’m the host of Carnival this year and
I’m choosing to spend my night with you.”
“I . . . ” I looked around again, at a loss for words. I was entirely too inebriated to fully grasp
what was happening, so I said the first thing that came to mind: “Our families hate each other.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.” He was no longer smiling, but he looked just as amused as he
did a minute ago.
There was a glow in his eyes, a glint. He still didn’t look nice, but the adrenaline coursing through
me was too palpable for me to turn away, to yank my hand from his, and if I’d really been analyzing
what I was feeling, I would classify it as excitement. The most powerful man on the island, the most
sought after, the most mysterious, the one I was told to never, ever summon by name, was holding out
his hand for me. I set my hand over his and he held it gently as he watched me. I left it there, ignoring
the shiver that slithered down my spine. Wela was going to disown me for this. I felt that warning in
the pit of my stomach and it was only then that I pulled my hand from his.
“What happened, little witch? You remembered who you were?” River chuckled.
“I’m not the witch here.” I met his gaze. “And I’m not little.”
“No, not at all.” He looked amused. I was annoyed.
“Why’d you pick me?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“There are a lot of women on the island.”
“Why’d you stand in line?”
“I thought it was the bathroom.”
“Really?” He brought a fist up to cough into it, hiding a laugh.
“I’m not joking.” I clenched my shaky hands into fists.
“I didn’t think you were.”
I swallowed. “So, why would you pick me?”
“Why would I not?”
I blinked, shaking my head. We were getting nowhere fast. “What am I supposed to do? As your
chosen companion, I mean.”
“Spend the night with me.”
“Oh.” I was finding it difficult to breathe, let alone speak. “And if I don’t?”
“You have to.”
“Says who?”
“The law. You should thank your father for that one. Oh, that’s right, you can’t.” He grinned; it was
a slow, sexy grin that made my stomach flip despite myself. “You either spend it with me or spend it
in jail, and you know the conditions of these jails.”
“I don’t like to be given ultimatums.”
“If you don’t like ultimatums, you shouldn’t have come to Carnival. The moment you did, you
sealed your fate.” He closed the distance between us again. “As a matter of fact, the moment you
came back to the island, you sealed your fate.”