14. Lyssa

Scarlett's eyesnarrow as she looks from me to Ariadne.

To Sarah.

"Sarah Graves is dead," Scarlett says. "Or so you told me."

"Yeah," I agree. "Which is why I'd really like to know what the hell is going on."

Scarlett takes only a few seconds to consider that before shaking her head. "We can figure that out once she's dead for real."

Behind me, Ariadne has gotten to her feet, and in front of me, Scarlett has turned her attack on me. I duck Scarlett's uppercut and use the same movement to drop low, sweep Ariadne's not-yet-steady feet out from under her.

She'll be safer on the ground. For now.

"Don't do this, Lyssa," Scarlett says, voice low with warning.

"Don't you," I counter. "I can't let you kill her, Scar. Not yet, anyway."

But Scarlett's not in a quitting mood. She's quite happy to go head-to-head with me, those lovely eyes narrowed in cold focus. She's become a formidable opponent thanks to my own training, anticipating my moves and countering with an intensity that catches me off guard.

She's not trying to kill me, but she sure is trying to get me out of the way. For a moment, I wonder if I've met my match—or rather, if I've made my match. The thought sends a thrill through me, a mix of pride and something else…

Something I don't have time to think about right now.

"I'm telling you, this woman is Sarah Graves!" I try again. "I've seen enough photos of her to fucking sear her face into my mind."

Scarlett barely falters, her fist juuust grazing my jaw as she asks, "So what?" Her voice is cold, but I can see the flicker of uncertainty in her eyes.

I dodge another punch. "You said you were sorry for what you did to Mrs. G. Do you really want to hurt her again?"

This time, Scarlett falters, and I can see—at last—my words have made a difference.

"You need to stop," I go on. "We need to figure this out."

Something in my expression must finally convince her, because Scarlett lowers her fists, and looks behind me. I turn too, to see Ariadne—Sarah, I swear to God it's Sarah—who is pulling herself to her feet again, her face a rictus of rage.

I sense rather than see Scarlett move, and she's too fast—just a blur?—

I shout "No!" but it's already too late.

Ariadne—Sarah—crashes to the ground, and I catch Scarlett's arm to keep her from doing any more damage?—

"She's unconscious," Scarlett says coolly. "Not dead. I pulled my punch a little. Figured we could do with some breathing room."

She's right about that. I blow out a long, slow breath as I release her wrist cautiously, still watching her closely.

"Is she really Mrs. Graves' daughter?" Scarlett asks, as we both look down on the crumpled woman on the ground in front of us.

"Yeah." The more I look at her, the surer I am. And then it occurs to me—"That's why she wore a mask whenever she came up against me!" I exclaim. "In case I'd recognize her."

Scarlett stares at me, her eyes guarded. "So what the hell is she doing working for Grandmother?"

"I have no idea. We need to…" I sigh. "Figure it out."

Scarlett finally puts away her knife, which leaves me very fucking relieved. "What now?" she asks.

I know what I have to do. I just don't want to do it. "We need to take her back to Elysium." I meet Scarlett's gaze, my voice steady despite the churning in my gut. "I'm sorry, Scar, but that also means I can't cover up…this anymore. You, anymore. Hadria will have to know you're alive."

Scarlett's eyes widen, and for a moment, I think she might run. I wouldn't blame her. The thought of facing Hadria myself, of admitting what I've done, doesn't fill me with joy. But it's the only thing I can do. "Listen to me." I grab her by the shoulders, make her look at me. "If you want to go, now's your chance." My heart clenches at the thought of losing her, but I say what I need to say. "And I…won't come after you."

She's silent for a long moment, her face unreadable. Then, to my surprise, she says, "I want to know this bitch's story. I'll come with you."

"I can't guarantee you won't be dead before you even get through the gates of Elysium," I warn her. The thought of losing her, of watching her die…

Scarlett lifts her chin, determination in her eyes. "I'll take that chance."

Despite everything she's been through, she's still willing to face the consequences of her actions. It's admirable.

I hope Hadria will think so, too.

I send her to steal a car while I secure Ariadne with zip ties that we brought along for the planned infiltration. We can come back. Grandmother might run, but I'll track her down whichever sewer hole she scurries into.

Right now, getting Sarah back to Elysium is the priority.

When Scarlett returns with a nondescript Toyota, we haul Ariadne's limp body into the back seat. As we do, Scarlett asks, "If Sarah was never dead, why did you all think she was?"

"They never found a body. That's why the guy got off. Her boyfriend. He was charged with murder, he just…wasn't found guilty in a court of law. But on the street, we all knew."

"Turns out you didn't, though. Right?"

The observation catches me off guard, and I shrug, trying to play it off. "Maybe he didn't kill her, but the guy was bad news anyway," I mutter, but even as the words leave my mouth, I can feel the seed of doubt taking root. It's true the guy was no innocent. He was an abusive asshole and he was much older than Sarah, almost thirty when he died.

But Scarlett has a point. We killed someone for something he didn't actually do.

I slide into the driver's seat, mind racing as I head automatically toward Elysium. Beside me, Scarlett is silent, her gaze fixed on the road ahead. I glance at her, wondering what she's thinking, what she's feeling. The urge to reach out to her, to offer some kind of comfort, is almost overwhelming.

But I hold back.

Elysium is north of the city, but not all that far away from the industrial complex. Still, the drive there is tense, the silence broken only by the hum of the engine and the occasional sound of Ariadne getting bumped around in the back seat. I keep one eye on the rearview, half-expecting her to wake up and attack us at any moment.

But she remains unconscious, her bruised face pale and still in the dim light.

As we near the gates of Elysium, I feel something I've never felt before when I've seen those familiar gates: apprehension. This is where I belong, where I've always belonged. But now, with Scarlett by my side and Ariadne—Sarah—in the back seat…

Who the hell knows what's going to happen.

The guards at the gate look surprised to see me, but they let me through without question, trusting that I can vouch for whoever is with me. "Get Hadria on the radio," I order them. "Tell her to meet me out the front of the house."

And as we pull up to the main house, I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what's to come. Hadria is waiting for us, her face morphing from slight concern and confusion into cold fury when she sees who's sitting there next to me in the passenger seat.

Before she can say a word—or pull a gun—I jump out and place myself in her line of sight. "We need to talk."

She stares at me, icy eyes like a damn freeze-ray, and she smiles. "Yes," she says. "I think we do."

And that's how I know I'm totally fucked.