"Okay, what's happening? Why are you acting like that?" I gesture toward Jack-Eye, then to Owen, who's still staring at Lyre like she's about to eat him. "Both of you look terrified."
The Lycan Beta clears his throat. "I'm not—"
"He's afraid I'll turn him into something unpleasant," my rainbow-haired friend interrupts, taking a bite of her pizza. "Toad, newt, slug—the possibilities are endless. Good pizza. You should eat some too."
Jack-Eye's face flushes red beneath his freckles. "That's not—"
"You turn someone into a toad once and suddenly everyone thinks you're going to do it to them." Lyre sighs dramatically,licking sauce from her thumb. "I'm hurt by the assumption. Truly."
My jaw drops. "You turned someone into a toad?"
Owen pales.
"For all of two seconds," she says dismissively.
I look from Lyre to the Lycan, who now stands with his arms crossed protectively over his chest.
"Was it him?" I ask, pointing at Jack-Eye.
"No," he answers quickly.
Owen flinches.
I trail my finger in my erstwhile kidnapper's direction, and the beta clears his throat and nods.
Wow. Poor Owen.
Lyre shrugs. "I wanted to know where you were, and he realized we were tailing him about a mile in. It was the easiest way to get his attention. Don't worry. I waited until he was at a stop sign. I'm not a monster."
Then she tilts her head, looking thoughtful. "Sounds like the real monster's arrived, though."
Chapter twenty-nine
Lyre: Embraced (?)
LYRE
There's a special joy that comes from watching someone who once stood tall crumble into terrified submission. Owen—all six-foot-something of Order-aligned angelic muscle—keeps flinching whenever I so much as breathe in his direction. It's adorable, really.
He's young. Strangely young. Maybe mid-twenties at best. Seems odd, considering his bloodline, but I'm not about to ask. Knowing means involving, and involving means work.
No, thank you.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I fish it out while maintaining eye contact with Owen, just to watch him swallow nervously. Poor thing. I'd only turned him into a toad for a few seconds. Just enough to make sure he didn't run away.
Didn't think it would bother him this much, but itisa delightful bonus.
The text on my screen makes me roll my eyes.
CAINE:
Why aren't you answering your phone? This is just an empty building. Where are you??
The digital equivalent of a wolf's howl.
Sighing, I turn to Owen. "Do they need a key?"
He nods stiffly. "Yes."
