Out the corner of my eye, a black shadow appeared in the courtyard. Through the open door, Whisper froze. One paw above the earth as if he was about to take another step, his golden eyes meeting mine.
Neither girl saw him behind them.
His teeth flashed as he lowered himself into a pounce.
I shuddered at the thought of watching these women be torn apart.
I wouldn’t be able to stay living in this pavilion if everything was covered in gristle and blood.
I shook my head subtly, hoping he’d get the message.Don’t.
I hoped he’d sense my inner voice and saved the massacre for when Lydia and Evelyn had left. If I was honest, I was surprised they were still alive after Lucien’s systematic deletion of all the assassins in Cinderkeep. They were probably the last ones alive, and despite my dislike of them, I’d known them long enough to actually care if they got dismembered.
“You should go,” I whispered to the two wannabe thieves. “Before it’s too late.”
Evelyn gawked at me. “Did you justthreatenus?”
“I wouldn’t dare.”
“Fuck it,” Lydia cut in. “It’s not here.” Balling her hands, she stalked toward me. “Maybe you’re hiding it on your body, huh?”
Whisper’s haunches bristled. He took a silent step forward, the girls oblivious as his lips peeled back, revealing dangerously sharp teeth.
He took another step.
I shook my head.Leave. I tried to shoo him with silent commands.Go back to Lucien. I can handle this.
My head throbbed, contradicting me.
Okay, so maybe I couldn’t handle it, but I didn’t want Whisper to get hurt. Laura had managed to cut him, and she was as skilled as me when it came to fighting. Evelyn and Lydia had been trained by whoever threw them in here. They had weapons.
Lydia snapped her fingers at Evelyn. “Hold her down. I’ll search her myself.”
Whisper’s ears flattened as both girls crowded me, pushing me back down onto the bed.
I lost sight of him.
Panic that he’d pounce had me falling sideways, looking past them.
My eyes met the panther’s. We shared a look. And instead of him charging in and drenching my place in blood, he snapped his teeth, spun around, and took off like a streak of midnight.
“Maybe we should open you up?” Evelyn smirked. “See if you’re hiding it inside you.”
My gaze snapped to hers. “What?”
“Maybe you swallowed it.” She smiled, yanking out a dagger from her legging’s waistband. “Should we find out?”
A chill shot down my spine. “You’re insane.”
“And you’re dead,” she whispered.
Lydia leaped on the bed behind me. Her nails scored crescent moons into my wrists as she yanked me down and pinned my arms above my head, digging her knee into the sensitive part where my shoulder met neck.
Discomfort flared, hot and debilitating.
“Let me go.” I bucked and wriggled but Lydia ground her knee into my shoulder, making me cry out.
Evelyn landed on top of me, locking my hips beneath her spread legs, her left hand pressing against my sternum, grinding my raindrop pendant against me.
