Thorne's eyes darkened, a dangerous gleam flickering in them. “You are such a bad liar.” He took a step toward me, his movements swift, predatory. My breath caught in my throat as I instinctively took a half step back, but it was too late.
Before I could react, he was right in front of me, his presence towering, suffocating. He leaned in, his voice low, gravelly. “You know, if I wanted to, I could just take the truth.”
I felt it then—the icy tendrils of his power brushing against my mind, curling in like freezing fingers, invasive, cold. The pressure intensified, and I instinctively stepped forward, matching his aggression.
“No,” I said firmly, my voice cutting through the suffocating air. “Youwon’tdo that.”
Thorne’s lips twitched, a barely perceptible smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. “Why not? What are you hiding, little liar?”
I stood my ground, even as the creeping cold of his magic pressed against me. “Stay the hell out of my head, Thorne.” My voice was steady, though my heart was racing, “you aren’t welcome.”
His smirk faded, replaced with a calculating stare as he watched me for a long moment. Then, slowly, he pulled back, his icy grip on my mind dissipating, though the tension between us didn’t. “You are just so stubborn, aren’t you?” he said, voice rough.
“Learn to live with it,” I snapped, not giving him the satisfaction of showing fear.
I was already done with this scene. I wanted to leave. I spun on the spot to head to the door.
Leo, however, didn’t give me a chance to retreat. He blocked the door with a smirk on his face.
“Please. Stay.” It was a command, not a request. I swallowed.
I heard the door lock click.
I stayed near the entrance, arms crossed tightly, my body angled toward the exit. I could feel them watching me. Phoenix offered a slow, sad smile as he pushed off the couch and crossed the room toward the small sideboard where a collection of bottles and mismatched glasses waited.
“Drink?” he asked, his tone smooth but quiet, as if trying not to spook me.
“No.” My voice came out hoarse. “I’m not staying long.”
Slade didn’t say anything. He was half-shrouded in shadow, his eyes on me like he was watching a puzzle form in real time—one he hadn’t quite figured out yet. He swished his brandy glass in his hands, looking away. His brow twitched, like he might say something, but the words never came.
Thorne stepped slowly towards his chair, stiff and tense, his arms dropping to his sides like it took effort to stop himself from clenching his fists. “She doesn’t belong here.”
“Neither do most the people who end up in this place,” Leo said lazily, flopping down into one of the velvet couches with a dramatic sigh. “Don’t be such a killjoy.”
“I’m serious,” Thorne snapped. “She shouldn’t be here. You shouldn’t have brought her.”
“I didn’tbringher,” Leo said, gesturing toward me with a lazy flick of his fingers. “She walked in on her own. Well, more or less. Besides, I knew we all needed to have a little chat.”
I shifted uncomfortably. “Why?”
Slade’s head tilted, just slightly. Phoenix sighed. Something else was going on here, but I didn’t know what. There was a tension in this room, but for the first time I didn’t think it was all because of me.
The air was too thick, too heavy. I felt like I was missing something vital.
Thorne exhaled harshly and moved to stand beside the window. “This is a bad idea. If she gets caught in here—”
“She won’t,” Leo said.
“You don’tknowthat. Ashton and Vasquez have spies everywhere.”
“We’ll be fine!,” Leo repeated, slower this time, as if daring anyone to argue.
Phoenix handed him a drink, then poured another and set it on the table near me without a word. I didn’t touch it. The air in the room was thick with things unspoken—curiosity, caution, and something colder I couldn’t quite name.
I hated that they were all looking at me like I was some sort of curiosity. Some wild animal that had wandered into their den and hadn’t realized she’d made a mistake.
“Ok, I’m leaving,” I muttered.
