“What the fuck, Lyra!” I snarled. “What are you doing?”
Rough hands forced my arms back. Rope scraped my wrists. I was shoved against a tree and tied tight.
A warm body slumped beside me.
Ash.
Unconscious.
A used needle glinted on the ground near his arm.
“You drugged him?” I choked, rage detonating in my chest.
A backhand cracked across my cheek.
“Shut up,” Lyra hissed, getting right in my face. “How else were we supposed to get you alone, you stupid bitch?”
“Why? What the hell did I ever do to you?” I spat, pulling uselessly at the ropes.
“Oh, I don’t know… Persephone Quinn!” she hissed my name like it was poison. “You lying little whore. We know who you are. I saw your file on Wild’s desk. Just sitting there, wide open.”
My stomach dropped.
Goddamn it, Wild.
Ollie stalked forward, murderous rage twisting his aura. “My father sent me here because of your dad. My inheritance is on the line because of you!”
“I had nothing to do with that!”
Vic and Rod cracked their knuckles beside him. “Your friend put me in the hospital with a broken arm,” one growled. “I should’ve finished—”
“Shut up!” Lyra snapped, slapping me again. She leaned close, eyes wild. “What about the other thing?”
I stared at her. “You mean the feelings circle incident?”
“No! I mean K!” she screamed, spit flying. “He’s mine, Persephone! I warned you on day one.Day one!”
It was so absurd, so deranged, I almost laughed.
“K?”
“We had a connection last year. A real one. I was just giving him space. Next thing I know is little miss freak show here, sneaks in and all of a sudden you are all he looks at.”
“Are you joking? There is nothing going on between me and K! Nothing!”
“You’re a goddamn liar. But that’s ok. Because we’ll fix that.”
The ropes were tightened enough to make me cry out. At my feet I felt a slight movement. Ash was waking, slowly, quietly.
Lyra didn’t realise Ash had been dosed every morning. That pathetic amount of sedative was never going to be enough. I just had to keep her talking until he was awake.
“What exactly is the plan here, Lyra? You kill me? How are you ever going to get away with that?”
“I have no interest in killing you, Persephone. Consider this a warning.”
“A warning about what?”
“About touching what’s mine.” She screeched. She reached out and ripped at my clothes, shredding them so my skin was showing.
