Chapter 29 · The Crown Calls

Every phone in the room won't stop buzzing.

Kyle's got three of them laid out on the concrete floor, all lit up at once. The screens blur together—incoming calls, text chains exploding, alerts stacking so fast the devices can't keep up. He's not answering any of them. He's just staring at me like I grew a second head.

I'm still on my knees. The crown mark on my back feels like someone dragged a hot iron across my spine, and my hand's still bleeding where the red key went in. Darius has one arm around me, keeping me upright. His chest is against my shoulder and I can feel his heartbeat hammering through his shirt.

Vivienne's gun is still pointed at my mother.

"What did you do?" Vivienne's voice cracks on the last word. Her hand's shaking now. The barrel of the gun dips, just a fraction, but Mom doesn't move. She's pressed against the wall, one hand over the wound in her side, and her eyes are locked on me.

"I didn't give it to you," I say. My voice sounds steadier than I feel. "That's what I did."

Vivienne takes a step back.