Chapter 13 · Lies in Lockup

"Stay put. Don't even think about twitching," Vivian snapped, her voice echoing off the sterile white walls of the holding room.

She didn't just tell me; she shoved me into the metal chair, the cold steel biting into my thighs. Before I could even gasp, the cuffs snapped shut. *Clink.* My wrists were locked to the armrests. I looked down at the heavy-duty restraints, then up at her.

Vivian was breathing hard, her golden costume slightly singed at the edges, her eyes scanning me like I was a puzzle she was desperate to solve. She leaned in, her face inches from mine. I could smell the ozone from her magic and something sweet, like vanilla and adrenaline.

"Who are you really?" she demanded. "And don't give me that 'innocent bystander' crap. I saw you. I saw the way you moved before the gravity shifted. You're not a victim, Tess. You're part of this."

I let out a jagged laugh, leaning back as far as the cuffs would let me. "Part of what, Viv? Being the girl who almost got crushed into a pancake? I think that qualifies as 'victim' in most dictionaries.