Page 63

“That’s why you need to be specific with this stuff,” he said. “Or else people will find loopholes.”

Indira had, in fact, forgotten the biggest loophole when it came to dares like hers—she hadn’t specified what kind of kiss. By choosing Ayana, I’d misled people into thinking I took a copout, because what kind of impudent asshole would hit on his friend’s fiancée in front of him?

When I finally looked at Ayana, she was staring at me with an unreadable expression. She glanced away before our eyes met, but there was no mistaking the rapid rise and fall of her chest.

My blood heated. For better or worse, I wasn’t the only one affected by the kiss.

Our break ended, and we returned to the arena for the final match. It went much quicker than the first two rounds. I had pent-up energy to burn, and people were freshly drunk and/or distracted by their partners.

Within ten minutes, everyone got eliminated except me, Ayana, and, surprisingly, Will.

Music continued to blast overhead. Shadows flickered over the walls, and now that a majority of players were gone, the arena took on an almost ghostly feel. Barriers loomed around me, each one potentially hiding an enemy.

It was a silly game with fake guns and low stakes, but that didn’t stop a sense of déjà vu from crawling over the nape of my neck.

I was suddenly reminded of another night, when music played in the background and death or worse waited around the corner.

The screams. The fear. Thesmell.

My vision darkened. A metallic taste flooded my tongue, and the scent of smoke teased my senses.

I tightened my grip on the blaster.It’s not the same.This wasn’t the past, and this wasn’t home. This was a laser tag game filled with cardboard structures and people I knew. That was all.

I forced my breaths to slow.

Even if they were here, there wasn’t anyone else they could take from me except?—

A noise rustled behind me, and my instincts took over. I didn’t think; I didn’t even check who it was.

No onesnuck up on me. Ever.

I spun around and slammed them up against the nearest wall. Their blaster clattered to the ground as I grabbed their wrists and pinned them over their head, immobilizing them. My other hand wrapped around their throat and squeezed.

Adrenaline pumped into my blood, clouding my thoughts and making me squeeze and squeeze until a gasp penetrated the haze.

I stared down at the person pinned beneath me. My vision gradually cleared, and horror trickled through me as the contours of her face took shape.

Long dark lashes. Huge eyes, bright with fear. Sculpted cheekbones and a full, lush mouth so close I could feel the soft pants of her breaths.

Ayana.

CHAPTER18

Ayana

Icouldn’t breathe.

Every attempt to draw more oxygen failed, and I was growing alarmingly lightheaded, both from the hand around my throat and the weight of his body pinned against mine.

Vuk loomed over me, his face twisted into a scowl that had my self-preservation instincts screaming. His eyes were ablaze with some dark emotion I couldn’t discern, but it was like he wasn’t there. His mind was detached from his body, lost somewhere I couldn’t reach.

He didn’t see me; he saw a nameless, faceless threat he needed to neutralize.

Spots danced in front of my vision. Fear punched through my chest along with a strange, infinitesimal, and completely misplaced sense of euphoria.

It was there one second and gone the next, but the shock of it was so great I managed a small gasp.

The sound seemed to snap Vuk back to his senses.