617 “Why not?” Margaret demanded. Archer swallowed hard. He leaned in, so close that Margaret could smell the stale beer on his breath. His voice was barely audible. “Because they are very dangerous now.” James frowned, his grip on the hilt of his blade tightening. “What do you mean by that?” Ar

619 Margaret’s fingers tightened into fists at her sides, her nails digging into her palms. Her chest heaved with every breath as she glared up at the two figures on the staircase. “What have you done to yourselves?” she demanded, her voice trembling with fury. Felix chuckled, his hollow, glowing

Zayne snarled, his chest heaving with anger. He spun on his heel, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white, the veins standing out against his skin. He could feel the blood rushing in his ears. “She struck me!” he shouted, voice cracking with fury. “You think I’ll let that go? You thi

622 Margaret didn’t move. She stood her ground, her icy gaze fixed on Zayne. “And what if I don’t?” she asked, her voice low and full of challenge. “What are you going to do, Zayne? Yell at me some more? Hit me? Is that what you want?” Zayne’s body went rigid, his hand twitching at his side as tho

624 Margaret’s sneer faltered. Her arms fell to her sides, her knuckles white where her fists had been clenched. She opened her mouth, hesitated, and then closed it again. “Margaret,” Micah said, stepping closer now. “If you don’t tell us what’s going on, you’re not just failing her—you’re abandon