Jake and Maria babbled on about strategies for the next challenge, after the disaster that happened with Selly, we were all on edge. As I tuned them out, my mind was already ten steps ahead, dissecting every moment of the maze, searching for the angle I'd missed.
As we rounded a corner, I nearly collided with Lily. Her eyes darted around nervously, like a rabbit sensing a wolf nearby. Perfect.
"MaryJane," she said, her voice low and urgent. "Can we talk? Privately?"
I sized her up, weighing the potential value of whatever information she might have against the annoyance of dealing with her clinginess.
"Fine," I said curtly. Turning to Jake and Maria, I added, "I'll catch up later."
They nodded, understanding without words. That's why I kept them around – no unnecessary chatter.
I fol
