“I suppose we’ll find out for sure if you win, Ness,” Lucas continued. “If none of us can hearyou—”
“Enough! Enough.” Frank’s face was so red it made his eyebrows appear whiter. “Who will you choose as your opponent for the last test,Ness?”
I hated the uncertainty that had again crawled underneath my skin. I exhaled an annoyed breath, then looked at Lucas and Liam—a rock and a hardplace.
I finally made mychoice.
“Liam,” I said. “I pickLiam.”
And then I walked away, finding my way home the same way I’d found my way out of themaze.
Alone.
Chapter Forty-Two
I’d triedto drown my overactive mind in a book, but to no avail. After three pages, the contents of which had pinged against my skull without leaving a trace, I tossed the book aside and turned off the light on my nightstand. I shut my eyes and prayed sleep would devourme.
But it didn’t. My nerves were too raw tosleep.
“Oh, Mom,” I murmured. “Whose child am I?” A tear slid down my nose and into mypillow.
I rolled onto my back, and then I stared at the immaculate white paint on the ceiling, crumpling my comforter between my fingers. I felt a nonsensical bout of nostalgia for the water stains that had adorned our ceiling back in LosAngeles.
A knock on my window had my pulse spiking. I sat up quickly, and the world spun. Had I imagined it? Another knock, this time more insistent. I got out of bed slowly, swiping my room key off my desk and fitting it between clenchedfingers.
Who would knock on my window? Everestmaybe—
I drew the drapesopen.
Liam stood on my balcony, barely distinguishable from the night in his dark clothes. Only his face stood out, pale as the moon behindhim.
Nerves shrilled in my ears, and I shut mycurtains.
“Ness, let me in.” He banged on the glass again, and I felt his fist inside my chest. “I’ll wake up the whole damn inn if you don’t letme—”
I shoved the curtains aside and opened the door, and then I backed away from him, fingers wrapped tightly around thekey.
He thrust the door closed so hard it sucked in a piece of beigecurtain.
He scowled as his gaze caught the glint of metal in my fist. “I’m not here to hurtyou.”
I didn’t loosen my grip on my makeshift weapon. “Why are you herethen?”
“I’m here for answers.” He inhaled a rough breath. “Why are you Julian’spuppet?”
“I’m not hispuppet.”
“Oh, come on!” Liam smacked an open palm on my desk. I jumped. “You vanish into a fucking maze with him, and then you come back out all victorious andsmug.”
“Is it so hard to believe he might enjoy mycompany?”
Liam let out a cruel laugh. “It is, actually.” His voice was hostile. “Julian is a manipulative bastard, and don’t tell me you don’t realize that, because you might be a lot of things, Ness, but you’re not dumb. Now, please tell me what the fuck is going on, because I am this close”—he held out his index finger and thumb, which were a hairbreadth’s away from touching—“to my breakingpoint.”
I pressed my lips shut, not to keep my confession from sliding out, but to keep Liam from seeing how they trembled. I squared my shoulders for the samereason.
“Did you think Lucas wouldn’t kill me? Is that it?” heasked.
My heart punched my ribcage. “What?”
