Chapter 16 · Truth or Die

"Stop lying to me, Tess. Just stop."

Vivian’s voice wasn't the heroic boom she used for the cameras. It was small, cracked, and dangerously close to my ear. She had me pinned against the cold brick of the alleyway, her palm flat against the wall right next to my head. I could feel the heat radiating off her—that magical girl glow that usually felt like hope, but right now felt like a spotlight on a crime scene.

"I don't know what you want me to say," I breathed, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird. "I'm just... I'm just a girl who got in over her head."

"A girl who knows exactly how Fallstar's gravity wells work?" Vivian shifted, her body pressing closer. I could smell the faint scent of ozone and vanilla. Her eyes searched mine, desperate and furious. "You were there. I saw you. Not the mask, not the cape—I saw *you*."

I swallowed hard. The metal collar around my neck felt like a frozen snake, tightening with every second I spent lying. It wasn't just a tracker; it was a leash.