did you go? As I pass two large oak trees, something forces me backwards, knocking the wind out of my chest. My back and head hit the hard surface of bark, and stars prickle behind my lids.
I open my eyes to Palmer in front of me, a silver blade hovering at my throat. This girl has some nerve. I don’t fight her, allowing her to believe she has some sort of power in this situation.
“You want to know the truth, the truth only Reed and I knew?” I say, easing my hand over her arm and onto her wrist to hopefully control her movement a bit. “Once I tell you, there’s no going back.”
“Why are your initials in the tree next to my sister’s?” She presses forward, and the cool blade hits my skin.
I grip her wrist, pinching her skin, and force her to loosen her hold. With her distracted by the pain, I twist her body around, pinning her arm behind her back. She drops the knife on the ground, and I lunge and grab it, placing it against her neck.
“What was the plan, Palmer?” I pull her arm further, feeling the stress I’m putting on it. “How did you see this playing out?”
“Go to hell.” She attempts to step on my foot. A nice self-defense tactic, but I’m stronger than her, pressing her chest deeper into the tree.
“Don’t you see, Palmer. We’re already there.”
“Please don’t hurt me.”
“Do you honestly believe the world would care about another dead, rich girl?” I ghost the knife along her neck. “Don’t push me, Palmer. I may not have killed your sister, contrary to what that pretty little head of yours is trying to convince you, but a man can only be pushed so far.”
“It seems to me you’re hell bent on keeping this little secret, but why?” She shakes her head. “Tell me why, and we’ll forget this little run-in ever happened.”
“I can’t tell you because you aren’t the first person who deserves to know.” I shut the pocketknife and press the cold metal into her open palm.
“Byron?” She covers her neck, putting the pieces together too late.
I push past her. “They deserve to hear it from me first.”
A horn screams in the distance, alerting the players the games are finished.
“Game’s over, Palmer.”
******
Back at the house, everyone who’s participated hands over their evidence. For the first time in four years, no one has been caught by anyone, and every task has been completed.
“I’m prepared for this rare occasion,” Mackenzie announces, holding a silver bowl in front of her. Small folded pieces of paper cover the bottom. Everyone is anxious, knowing damn well what this is. It’s Glass Heart Academy students’ dirty little secret, the part of the night no one talks about.
We don’t force anyone to do anything they aren’t willing to do. You are more than welcome to walk your pretty little ass from this house if you aren’t down to play by our rules.
Palmer is across the room from Breaker and me. Delaney is tight at her side, shooting daggers from her eyes into my boy’s skull. Damn, she’s pissed off at him. Their time in the woods clearly didn’t dim her anger.
I overhear Delaney offer to drive Palmer back to campus. Leaving isn’t an option, though. Palmer’s too proud, too eager to prove herself to me. Her strength rattles my cage a bit. I’m man enough to admit it.
“I’ll draw names, and then we can see where the night goes,” Mackenzie announces.
Delaney whispers in Palmer’s ear. Her eyes widen, and her confidence leaches out of her face. She’s a certain kind of perfection, and I hate having to do what I’m going to do tonight.
“No one said you couldn’t have fun before it all goes down.” Breaker nudges me in the side.
“Trust me, I plan to.” A rush of adrenaline sears through my body at the thought.
The crowd is starting to get restless, and Mackenzie can tell. She plucks her rich little hand into the bowl and pulls out the first two pieces of paper, reading off the names. This happens several times, and each time, the girls search the crowd, looking for their partner. Some are apprehensive, taking short steps to reach each other. Others have been biding their time to get their hands on each other.
Mackenzie draws one of the last few pieces from the bowl. “Marek Hawthorne,” she announces.
Palmer straightens her back, avoiding my side of the room. She’s nervous, too scared to own her own