Page 29 of Angel of Ruin

"Watch where you're going," I growl, but my voice lacks its usual bite. My hands are still on her arms, feeling the warmth of her skin beneath my palms.

She tries to step back, but the narrow corridor leaves her nowhere to go. Her back hits the wall, and I find myself moving closer, crowding her space.

"I said I was sorry," Lyra snaps, anger in her voice. "You weren't exactly paying attention either."

I should put her in her place. Remind her that she's nothing but a human, unworthy of even breathing the same air as me. But as I look down at her, all I can think about is how her body felt pressed against mine that night in the hall.

"You need to learn some respect," I say, leaning in closer. Her breath hitches, and I can hear her heart racing. It matches the pounding in my own chest.

"Maybe you need to earn it," she whispers, her eyes challenging me.

I slam my hand against the wall beside her head. But she doesn't cower. Doesn't look away. And fuck if that doesn't make me want her even more.

"You have no idea what you're dealing with, little nexari," I growl.

Her eyes flash at the nickname, a mix of confusion and something else. I've been avoiding using it, and it seems to have triggered something more in me. Something that makes my blood burn.

Lyra squints up at me. "I might have an idea." She leans closer, a sneer on her face. "Would it have anything to do with the sabotage in the trials?"

I freeze, my hand still pressed against the wall beside her head. How the fuck does she know about that?

"What did you say?" I growl, leaning in closer.

Lyra's eyes narrow, a spark of defiance lighting them up. "You heard me. The sabotage. The 'accidents' that keep happening to specific candidates. It's not exactly subtle, you know."

I scoff, trying to mask the unease her words stir in me. "You're delusional, little nexari. The trials are fair. It's not our fault you humans are too weak to handle them."

"That's taura shit," she spits, pushing against my chest. I don't budge. "I've seen it with my own eyes. The way some candidates breeze through challenges that leave others incapacitated. The 'malfunctions' that only seem to affect certain people."

I grab her wrist, pinning it to the wall. "Watch your tongue, human. You're treading on dangerous ground."

"Am I?" Lyra challenges, her face inches from mine. "Or am I just getting too close to the truth? You're setting us up to fail, aren't you? These trials were never meant to be won."

Her words hit too close to home, and I feel a flicker of guilt in my chest. I push it down, hardening my expression.

"You have no idea what you're talking about," I snarl. "The trials are a gift. A chance for you pathetic creatures to prove yourselves worthy."

"Worthy of what?" Lyra shoots back. "Being your entertainment? Your playthings?"

I tighten my grip on her wrist, anger and something else I can't name coursing through me. "You should be grateful for the opportunity. Do you have any idea how many would kill to be in your place?"

Lyra laughs bitterly. "Kill to be set up for failure? To be humiliated and broken for your amusement? Some opportunity."

Her words cut deep, stirring up doubts I've been trying to ignore. I open my mouth to argue, to put her in her place, but the words die on my tongue.

Just then, I hear voices coming from down the corridor. Glancing that way, I decide that I can't have anyone else hearing her. One of the other overseers might kill her if they knew she was accusing me of this.

Gripping her wrist, I drag Lyra into my quarters, slamming the door behind us. My heart pounds, a mix of anger and something else I can't name coursing through my veins.

"You want to talk about sabotage?" I snarl, pushing her against the wall. "Fine. Let's talk. But not where every pathetic human can hear your wild accusations."

"Can't handle the truth getting out?" she demands through gritted teeth. "Or did you bring me here for another reason? Planning to shut me up?"

I lean in close, my face inches from hers. "Maybe I should. You have no idea what you're messing with, little nexari."

"Stop calling me that," she snaps, but I see the way her pupils dilate, the slight catch in her breath.

"Or what?" I challenge, pressing closer. The heat of her body seeps through my clothes, igniting something primal within me.