Page 55 of His Black Onyx

I nod. "Yes, that's what we're hoping for."

Lailah's lips move as if she's tasting her response before she gives voice to it, her face strained as she processes news that might be a relief and an insult at the same time.

"You're so brave," she says eventually, now turning back to Malia. "Who are you? Why are you doing this?"

Visibly confused, Malia looks up at me as if she was seeking reassurance to speak freely. I try to warn her not to do that, my eyes narrowed and a deadly serious expression on my face when I give a subtle shake of my head.

She decides to disobey.

"I wasn't given a choice," she says, still looking at me, before turning back to Lailah. "They kidnapped me when they saw me at a casino in Atlantic City."

Lailah's eyes widen in disbelief.

"Is that true?" she exclaims, throwing me a reproachful look. "You kidnapped her? You're forcing her to do this?"

"It's the only option we have left."

Lailah scoffs, rolling her eyes at me. Even in this state, at the brink of death, this girl still finds it within herself to let me know how little she thinks of the way I decide to handle things.

From the corner of my eye, I can see Malia smiling, looking as if she thinks she has found a confidante in Lailah as she witnesses her outrage about the kidnapping.

That smile is washed off of her face a moment later.

"How on Earth do you think this could ever work? How can we trust her?" Lailah proceeds, revealing that she obviously doesn't care about Malia's ordeal itself, but about her use to the Covey.

I expected no less from her.

Malia, on the other hand, is visibly unsettled, realizing that while Lailah may bear a stunning resemblance to her in physical appearance, she does not uphold the same moral standards. She's a Covey girl through and through.

"Are you... serious right now?" Malia stutters, her lower lip quivering. "I tell you that these guys have kidnapped me, that they just took me away from my life and the people I love, to force me on this 'mission' to be someone else's bride and... kill people. And you worry about whether I can be trusted?"

Her voice is shaky, an early harbinger of the tears she's fighting back. It's endearing to watch her fight. Malia is so different, so innocent and pure in a way that Lailah was never allowed to be. And while it softens her, it seems she doesn't want that unspoiled trait to weaken her.

Lailah, of course, remains unbothered and annoyed at Malia's indignation, at best. She throws me a look that says it all, an eyebrow arched and her head slightly tilted to the side, silently asking me what the hell I was thinking.

"I'm confident she can do it," I say, placing my hand on Malia's shoulder as our eyes meet. "Right?"

Her expression is grim when she looks at me, a severe determination that could mean a lot of things.

I notice Lailah's eyes on us, studying us as my hand remains on Malia's shoulder a little too long, and our eyes latch on to each other a little too intensely. I can see the memory of last night written across Malia's face every time my gaze meets hers.

And right now, it feels as if Lailah can see it, too.

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