Ava
After Dedrick strode out of the council chamber, a heavy silence blanketed the room.
I shifted in my seat, pinching the bridge of my nose. A headache had begun to set in while Dedrick was giving his speech, and it was worsening now. Squeezing my eyes shut for a brief moment, I tried to will the pain away—now was certainly not the time to appear anything less than fully present.
When I blinked my eyes open again, I found Olivia’s piercing gaze fixed on me from across the table. There was a strange light burning in their depths, her lips curved into the faintest hint of a smug smile.
“Well?” Chris asked, breaking the silence. “What do you all think of the contestants?”
“Dedrick’s performance was nothing short of masterful,” Olivia said without hesitation, snapping her
