Page 55

Nic

A mind-bending drop into nothingness.

Broken—a moment later—by the crash of a body into harsh, unyielding wood.

Mine.

I hit the pier, the impact rattling through my bones, confusion clouding my senses.

I have one second. One second to process that I’m not drowning. One second to pick myself up before—

Barry spins around, takes three swift steps, and grabs Lana instead.

The dark satisfaction on her face twists into pure shock as Barry swings her up into his arms.

"What the—?” Her voice spikes into panicked confusion. "Barry—put me down! Now!"

She thrashes hard, but she’s no match for Barry’s strong, sinewy frame.

Horror dawns on me, my mouth slack as I watch Barry retrace his steps back to the edge of the pier.

Lana also seems to realize the imminent danger and starts screaming—her poise stripped away. “Are you insane!? PUT ME DOWN!”

Barry stops right at the edge of the pier. She bucks harder, her nails raking now, her body twisting like a wild animal. But it doesn’t matter. Barry doesn’t even flinch.

“Barry?” I whisper. Is he under the influence of something?

“You want me to put you down?” He asks Lana in a eerily calm voice I don’t recognize as my friend’s.

She gasps, still fighting. “Yes! You stupid oaf! I told you to drop Nic into the lake, NOT ME! Now put me down—”

He drops her.

And my heart plummets again.

One second, she’s there in his arms. The next, she’s gone—vanishing into the black, gaping maw of the lake below.