Page 7 of Chaos Crown

“Wha— What happened?”

“You tell us.” Cairo scooped me into his arms. The lift jarred my aching head, making me wince. Pictures and scenes were assaulting me. Faces, people, eyes in the dark.

“We ran down and found you on the bank,” Legend said. “What the fuck is going on, Rainey?”

I couldn’t answer. Burying my face in Cairo’s chest, his dry shirt confirmed what he said. He didn’t jump in and get me. None of them did.

Someone else pulled me out of the water.

“—out of nowhere.” Cairo’s voice penetrated. “Killed that crazy bitch and cut Arsenio loose, knowing he couldn’t chase after them.”

“What?” I croaked. “Cut Arsenio loose? Killed who?”

“That’s what we’re telling you,” Jacques said as the guys made the slow climb up the hill. “That woman— Zoey. She’s dead. Headlights appeared on the other side of the bridge, there was a gunshot, and she went down. It was seconds after you jumped.”

“Then a guy—girl—who the fuck knows, steps over her body like trash and cuts Arsenio down,” Legend continued. “He didn’t say a damn word. Just frees him and leaves Arsenio to get the rest of us with one bad leg. It took so long, we knew there was no chance we’d get to you in time.”

“And then there you were,” Cairo finished.

I heard the question in their voice, but I had no answers for them. If anything, their story confused me more than ever. Someone saved them and me. Who? Why?

Topping the hill, the scene laid out in gory defiance. Zoey lay bleeding on the ground, my crossbow lying inches from her hand. Propped against the railing, Arsenio’s chest heaved as he clutched his leg—bandaged with nothing but a ripped shirt.

“Tell us what the hell is going on,” Cairo said. “That girl said you knew her. You two werefriendsuntil you refused to kill me. What was she talking about, Rainey?”

I climbed out of his arms, making my way to Arsenio. He glared at me with pained distrust. Gazing at the other guys, I saw the same look in their eyes.

“Don’t call me Rainey,” I rasped, taking Arsenio’s hand anyway. “My name is Ivy.”

***

CAIRO

I paced the length of the carpet, glaring at my pet—Mine.

Or was she?

The stranger huddled within Legend’s covers, the lone lump on the bed. This should’ve made her look small and vulnerable, and instead I pictured a snake in its burrow—waiting for its chance to strike.

The innocence was gone from her eyes. The softness from her cheeks. She was hard, blank plastic staring back at us, anticipating our first move.

I didn’t know this girl. Seems like I never did.

“We’re ready for your explanation whenever you are,” Jacques said with a calm I both hated and envied.

She flicked to him. “Sit with me.” Her hand poked out of the blankets. “Hold me.”

“No,” I barked.

Those unnerving eyes turned on me. “Why?”

“You fucking know why.”

“You’re angry with me.” She dropped this matter-of-factly. It was just an observation. “Why? I did not deceive you on purpose. I didn’t keep quiet about Blake and the others on purpose. In every way that counts, I found out about all of this the same time as you.”

“You said—!”

Legend gripped my shoulder, silently staying me. His message was clear even though I shoved him off.

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