Page 116 of Tempest

“She doesn’t remember!” I hiss. “None of it. Not running behind the stage, not the shooting, not the race out of the art show. Not even borrowing Mila’s fucking jacket! You wanna know why I was so on top of her treatment? It was to ensure she was so heavily medicated she didn’t know up from down or reality from fantasy. She can’t trust herself, Rio, which is why she hasn’t said anything about what happened then, and she won’t say anything now.”

“Why go through all the effort in the first place?” He won’t let up. “Why did you kill the wrong girl?”

“I don’t know!”

My roar draws the attention of any student within a 30-yard radius. Groups pause. Eyebrows shoot up.

Ardyn glances over.

Our eyes meet across the quad, hers disturbingly steady on mine.

What are you thinking princess? Are you wondering when I’ll take you into the forest again? Do you still taste my stains on your lips like I do you?

Do you hate what I’ve become?

Do you despise me?

I can’t read anything in her expression. Sadly, all I’ve accomplished is teaching her how to be a better liar.

Clover also looks over at the scuffle. When she notices the source, she rolls her eyes so hard her head nearly falls off, then pulls Ardyn away.

I wait for her to look over her shoulder as they show me their backs.

She doesn’t.

“Oh, we are so fucked,” Rio curses beside me.

“No,” I respond to him while keeping my attention locked on Ardyn. “I’ll prove it to you. I’ll show you that you have nothing to worry about, and I have her under control.”

“Care to give me more information other than that cryptic sentence?”

“You still like to watch, don’t you?”

Grinning, I spin toward the STEM buildings, knowing Rio will follow.

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