No one stepped in. The people around them had shifted just enough to give her room, watching without interfering.
A couple people down the bar from her, Calix sat, watching with a smile.
He waited until the altercation had subsided, until she was alone, then he pounced. Weaving between bodies as naturally as the wind, he made his way to her side. Leaning in, he whispered something low in her ear.
She turned and snapped back immediately, her eyes filled with fire.
He laughed. A few heads turned at the sound and I recognized the look in his eyes. Interest. Fascination.
I stepped back like someone had pushed me, but I quickly recovered, telling myself this was good. If he found something, someone, to pull him out of his own head, then that was exactly what he needed. What I had taken him out of the house for.
My hand tightened in my pocket, but I ignored it because it didn't make sense.
My eyes drifted back to them anyway.
She was still talking, her movements sharp but no longer confrontational. Calix leaned closer, his smile widening as he engaged with her. A hesitant smile rose across her face before she hid it with a thin-lipped scowl. The space between them shifted, subtle but clear.
Something in my chest tightened.
I didn’t know how much time passed, but I didn’t step forward to join in. Just watched until he reached for her hand and she let him pull her toward the dance floor.
The mainly human crowd swallowed them quickly, lights flashing across moving bodies as they disappeared into it.
I stayed where I was, half-shadowed near the wall, watching the place where they’d vanished.
The feeling didn’t fade.
It settled in, unfamiliar and unwelcome, and no matter how much I ignored it, it didn’t go away… and I didn't like that. I didn't like it one bit.
8
OLIVIA
The cars tore past in blurs of color and light, engines screaming as they pushed down the track. The sound swallowed everything else. It vibrated through the metal barrier I gripped, rattling up my arms and into my chest.
I barely blinked.
My eyes stayed locked on Manshu’s car as it cut through the pack, my breath caught somewhere in my throat as I tracked every movement. The way he hugged the inside corners, too tight, too aggressive, should’ve cost him speed, but the adjustments held. The tires gripped just enough to keep him from slipping wide.
Not perfect, but better.
My fingers tightened around the railing.
He didn’t ease into the turns. Didn’t feather the brakes. He just forced the car through, relying on power instead of control. I could already hear it—if I’d told him to trail brake, to ease the pressure instead of slamming through it, he would’ve snapped. Yelled. Torn me apart for daring to correct him.
So I hadn’t. I’d made adjustments around his flaws instead.
The engine roared again as he came out of the final turn, pushing hard down the straight. The car wavered just slightly before stabilizing. I didn’t breathe until he crossed the line.
First. Barely.
The sound around me surged, cheers breaking out in uneven bursts. Some people clapped, others shouted his name, while a few just shook their heads and laughed like they couldn’t believe it.
My grip on the railing loosened. Air rushed back into my lungs in a sharp exhale, my shoulders dropping as the tension bled out of me all at once. I leaned forward, letting the cool metal press into me as my body sagged against it.
He won.The thought landed heavier than I expected.
Four nights of no sleep. Constant pressure. His voice in my ear, tearing into every adjustment, every delay. The threats hanging over my head like the blade of a guillotine.
