“You saved her during the trials. She’s asnake, Lyra. She cannot be trusted. She will twist everything in her power to achieve her ends.”
I pause. The confusion pinching my expression is genuine. I slowly whisper, “There’s…nothing to tell you. I saved her because I didn’t think she deserved to die.”
He straightens, nodding slowly, but his eyes are still surveying me.
I look at the door. “Can we leave now?”
Twenty-Eight
- MARCELLA -
Where the hells is she?
My heart sinks as we all shuffle into the library. If she leaves or is sent home…I’ll lose a potential ally. The one person I’ve been able to consider trusting.
Lady Bethany encourages us all to settle down and grab a book to wait for further instruction. I don’t give it much thought when I scan the closest shelf and pick one, then flop into a tufted armchair in the corner of the room. I flip through pages mindlessly, pretending to be interested in the words as the other women buzz about the massive library. My gaze floats up and around the room.
Several women are congregated near the windows, chattering about as Lady Bethany scampers over to shush them. Others are scanning the tomes on the shelves, or are already curled up with a book. After some time, everyone eventually settles into a spot. The only sound is of whispers and flipping pages.
The door to the library opens, and relief floods my chest when Lyra steps inside. She’s still dressed in her gown from earlier, her pinned black hair a bit mussed. A few feet behind her is Devin in his shining golden armor. He catches my gaze from across the distance until Lyra’s figure blocks him as she strolls toward me.
Devin shuts the door, and I close the book in anticipation as Lyra stops a few steps away. I rise to my feet, gesturing behind me. “Do you need to take a seat? Are you alright?”
She nods and murmurs a thank you before sitting.
Tossing a glance over my shoulder around the room until I find Lady Bethany, I walk to grab the nearest book and bring it to Lyra, tossing it into her lap.
She scoffs, “What areyou?—”
“Shh!” I hiss, and sit on the arm of her chair. Figuring I can risk Lady Bethany’s scolding for not sitting properly to speak with Lyra. Opening my book back up, I hold it at an angle to block my mouth as I speak, “Were you given any medication?”
“I’m not sure,” she mumbles. “But I think so.”
“Do you remember what happened last night?”
She clears her throat lightly. “You…slipped into my room.”
“And the night before?”
A long pause. Then, “Lady Bethany locked us in the rooms and told us to drink the vial. Before that were the eliminations, the ball, and the first trial.”
I toss her an approving glance and find her following my lead by flipping through her book, scanning the pages while keeping it lifted to cover her mouth. Straightening my head, I flip a page. “We never got to finish our conversation from last night. And you never reported it. Which means you’re considering my proposition.”
“You seem so sure,” she huffs.
I throw another glance at her over my shoulder, and she meets my gaze. It’s like we’ve taken two steps back from where we left off last night. Shaking my head lightly, I turn back to the book. “I’m not, but I’m hoping to be. At this point, you’re harboring a lot of secrets that won’t look good if they come out.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“No. I’m only stating the facts. And I’m willing to bet you know them as well as I do. Because if you share them now, you’ll be questioned as to why you didn’t report it all immediately.”
Silence.
She clears her throat, wiggling herself back further into the armchair and crossing one leg over the other. “Where did Devin take you earlier?”
“To speak with Cyrus. He summoned me,” I answer. Though, something stops me from telling her the full truth. That I’ve been hired by Cyrus to spy on all the women here. I don’t know enough information yet to know who I can trust with the entire truth.
I flip to a new page in the book. “We spoke about the Blood Ring and…” I glance to where Lady Bethany buzzes from group to group. Following her trajectory, she’s finding her way here. “And other things, that I don’t think are wise to talk about right here.”
