I paced the length of Shade's room and back again, staying clear of the windows like I had been ordered. The guards shifted positions outside constantly. Their low voices filtered through the walls, too blurred to catch.
I dropped onto the edge of the bed and stared at the door. I counted heartbeats. I counted the creaks of the hallway floorboards outside. I counted how many seconds it would take to run if someone broke the door down.
I froze when there was a hard knock on the door.
"It's me." Cy was almost shouting through the door. "Open up."
I stayed still.
Another knock, sharper this time. "Come on, Aria. It's me."
I stood but didn't touch the lock.
No one but Shade. No one. "You're not opening the door, are you?" Cy muttered through the crack.
He shuffled away from the doo
