Page 10 of The Obedient Lie
His hair was messy, longer than Luca’s, and somehow still looked perfect — like it had been styled.
A silver chain glinted at his collar.
There was a ring on his finger. Simple. Brutal.
Luca was sprawled on the couch.
One leg thrown over the side, a book open on his lap but untouched.
His head tilted back against the cushions. Watching the ceiling like it might fall.
His hair, shorter on the sides — cleaner, sharper.
A chain around his neck. A matching bracelet.
Black ink curled up his throat, disappearing behind his jaw.
His ring tapped lightly against the leather armrest, in rhythm with the thoughts he wasn’t saying.
They didn’t look at me.
Not at first.
But I felt the shift.
Thepull.
The air tilted when I stepped inside, like gravity had taken sides.
I didn’t say anything.
Just stood in the doorway, door still open behind me, bag still hanging off my shoulder, pulse skipping becausethis wasn’t normal.
This wasn’t quiet tension.
This was achange.
They were here.
On purpose.
Together.
I hadn’t figured out if that meant I was being studied.
Or surrounded
And for the first time since moving into the Crow dorm…
I didn’t know which would be worse.
Chapter Five
BASTION
She smelled likevanilla and gold.
I don’t even know what that means, but it was the first thing that hit me when I walked into the dorm.
