"I'm sure they knew exactly what it would mean," Dorian said darkly. "'Oh, Dorian thinks he has any clue as to what's going on? Let's prove just how wrong he is and make him a terrible person in the process."

His hand managed to find a real pebble that time, and he threw it, hard, watching it skip twice across the water before sinking.

"You'll have to forgive me my mood. I promise I will be better behaved in the morning."