Page 112 of Devoted

I reached for the heavy ladle to serve myself some, my mouth already beginning to water in anticipation.

‘What if you’ve become allergic to shellfish since you last had some?’

My knuckles whitened around the handle.That won’t have happened. It’s safe to eat.

‘It’s not. You will go into anaphylactic shock.’

A new song came on, a fast-paced track by Caffeine Daydreams. The beat ripped through the kitchen, both twins whooping in delight as they clapped their hands.

Every noise was like a hammer inside my skull. My clothes were too tight. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t?—

‘You’ll definitely die if you eat this food.’

I dropped the ladle. Naturally, being me, it didn’t just fall back into the pot. No, it bounced off, spinning around and knocking into a nearby wine glass. Time seemed to go into slow motion as I watched the glass tip and shatter.

“Shit.” Rami was beside me instantly, Noah appearing at my other side. They pulled me backwards together, putting several feet between me and the mess I’d made. “Are you okay?”

All I could see were the shards of glass. They were glistening under the bright lights, littering the floor, the counter.

My skin.

My mouth.

Were they in my mouth?

Had I breathed them in?

‘Crushed glass is fatal. You definitely got some in your mouth.’

No one was singing along to the music now. The silence jarred oddly against the upbeat pulse continuing to echo from the speaker. The sensory overload lowered slightly, but it was too late. It was coming. Every sign was there.

My only hope was to get out of the kitchen before the attack hit.

I shook my hands out like it might stop the tingling. “I’m okay, it missed me.”

‘Get out of here. Everyone needs to get out. Someone is going to hurt themselves and it’ll be your fault.’

No one reacted, all of them watching Rami. He was lightly touching my forearm, brow furrowed in concentration.

If my brain hadn’t been screaming at me, I might’ve found it odd.

‘One of them will get hurt and you’ll be arrested. It’ll all be your fault. You’re going to jail.’

From the corner of my eye, I saw Rami nod and remove his hand. Everyone relaxed as one, quiet chatter resuming.

“Sorry about the mess,” I said through numb lips. “Here, I can clean it up.”

“I’m on it,” Noah said cheerfully, a dustpan and brush in his hands. “Don’t worry.”

‘He’s going to cut himself. He might miss some.’

“I said I can do it.” The words exploded from me, cutting through the air like a knife.

The silence was heavy now, everyone staring at me in shock.

I clapped my hand over my mouth in horror, wishing I could rewind time. “I’m so sorry.”

‘Now they’ve seen the real you. They’ll tell Zeke and he’ll kick you out. There’s no way you can stay now.’

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