Page 122 of Off the Rails

I didn’t trust easily. But they were willing to put in the work. And that counted for a lot.

Cyrus on the other hand…

A shiver ran down my spine. Just the thought of her made me want to turn around and run straight out of the park. I had no idea what weird grudge she had against me, but I wasn’t interested in finding out — especially not during Fright Night.

The other two liked to torture me, but Cyrus was a different beast entirely. She came into every hunt with such rage that I feared she might truly kill me. She’d gotten far too close for my liking already.

I’d take getting captured by Blade or Nash over Cyrus’ sick, twisted plans any day.

Steadying my breath, I banished all thoughts of her from my mind. I needed to focus on my list of hiding spots instead: the craters, the shooter, and the big rocket at the center of Stellar Station.

I let the list repeat in my head, mentally walking myself through the path to those hiding spots as I finally reached the carousel. I couldn’t afford to let Cyrus fuck with my head. She did that enough on her own.

But as I entered the dance studio, all other concerns fell away. Dance had a way of doing that. The pole was sacred to me. And even she couldn’t touch that.

After a quick stretch, I pulled off my cover layers and started to take some warm up spins. I thought over what music I wanted today, what it was that my body needed.

But just as I was starting to lean into the momentum, letting the pole lead my motion, the door opened. A burst of cool air nearly startled me off the pole as a dark shadow filled the doorway.

I planted my feet on the ground, whipping my head around to see Cyrus standing in my dance studio. She was a mountain: sharp, rocky edges that seemed like they might shatter the glass dome with a single touch.

And as her eyes flicked up and down at me, only one word escaped her disapproving lips. “Dance.”

67

CYRUS

Her lip curled just like I’d imagined at the command.

Good.

I was hoping that this would embarrass her. She walked around this place like she owned it, and the little glass tower Blade had built for her wasn’t helping her ego.

She needed to be knocked down a few pegs. And I needed to understand how it could be.

How had pious, traitorous little Tess from Heirs of Promise strayed so far from her beloved church’s teachings?

I’d never cared much for their propaganda, but Tess swallowed it down like it was manna. She’d turned her back on me over it. And somewhere between now and then, I was supposed to believe she’d started stripping and kissing girls?

Well, one of those things is easier to believe than the other.

The others insisted that she was different now. And maybe she was. But I wasn’t a believer in blind faith.

Exhaling shortly, Tess dropped her grip on the pole and stormed across the dance studio. She’d draped her sweatpants and hoodie over a chair in the corner, and she was trying to retrieve them now. To get dressed and leave.

Not a chance.

I crossed the room in a flash, ripping the fabric from her grip. “Don’t be a brat, Ragdoll. I want to see what all the fuss is about.”

She glared up at me, a small pout on her lips. As her eyes darted from mine to the door, pride stung in my chest. She’d been so eager to dance for the others. My ego didn’t like being denied.

I could see her calculating the odds. Could she run? Could she hide?

I would have killed for the chance to chase her again. Alone, without the other two and the stupid rules getting in my way. But that wasn’t how things were done.

“There’s no log flume waiting to save you.” I growled. “You won’t get away from me this time. So dance.”

Her brow furrowed. She still hadn’t said a word, but that icy blue stare of hers said enough. If she thought she could make it past me, she’d be gone. But she was too smart to risk it. Not when she knew it was a losing battle.