Hide and Seek: The Mad Girl Sees All novel Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Lydia understood the gesture.

She closed her mouth and stayed flat on the ground. pressing even her breathing down as low as she could.

Lyra pulled her hand back and didn’t look at her again.

Static crackled in her ear.

“Lyra, Ursaria cut a deal with us. Their thanks for saving Lydia.”

Lana’s voice was quick, like she was racing the clock.

“Oh.”

“If she runs into trouble again, don’t worry about her. Just keep yourself safe.”

“Okay.”

“Also, our scans show two Wraiths moving toward you from the south, one from the west, and from the southeast there are-”

“Beep-” The line cut out.

Lyra blinked at the empty air and tapped her ear.

“Sis?” No answer.

“Hello?” Still nothing.

Lyra tilted her head and muttered, “Did she just hang up on me?”

She didn’t dwell on it. She’d caught what mattered-two from the south, one from the west, who knew how many from the southeast, all heading her way. Couldn’t hear them anymore? Fine. She could still see them.

In the command center, the comms officer turned around. “Ma’am, the window expired System forced the disconnect.”

Lana’s hand was still pressed on the comm key. She said nothing.

Garrett glanced at Lyra’s marker on the screen, then traced the Wraiths’ paths His voice dropped low. “Four confirmed inbound. Two more from the southeast are turning that way. Plus the two already by the pond-up to eight could converge on her.”

15

9:35 am

Taua stared at the screen and said it word by word. “She’s in trouble.”

Inside the game, Lydia’s own line to her country had just cut out too. She knew. The Wraiths were

coming.

She gritted her teeth, braced her arms against the ground, and forced herself upright.

The water-soaked wounds on her back burned like fire, her leg was still cramping, and her whole body was shaking like a leaf.

She looked up at Lyra on the pavilion. “Thank you.”

The Draconian came out badly mangled, but Lyra understood.

She glanced down and pressed a finger to her lips.

Lydia clamped her mouth shut.

Lyra pointed to the right side of the pavilion. A rock garden sat there, stones stacked just high enough for someone to climb up to the curled eaves.

Then she mimed it with her hand-climb up.

Lydia followed her finger and got it.

She didn’t hesitate. She rolled over and started dragging herself toward the rocks, elbow over knee. Every movement tore at her wounds. She bit her lip bloody and made no sound.

When her hand hit the first stone, her leg shook.

On the second, her arms were trembling so hard they could barely hold her weight.

On the third, her fingertips brushed the edge of the eaves.

One more pull. Just one more, and she’d be up.

Lydia sucked in a deep breath and braced to push.

୮

Lyra’s hand pressed down on her. Lydia looked up. One of Lyra’s fingers was over her mouth, the other hand was on Lydia’s shoulder, holding her still.

Lydia froze. She didn’t understand-one more move and she’d be up. Why stop?

She blinked, confused. But the girl had just saved her. She wouldn’t turn on her now

Lydia kept watching Lyra. Lyra wasn’t looking back. She was staring down past the rocks.

25

9:35 am

chipan

Poutsteps. The drag of hook-scythes across stone. The Wraiths had arrived.

56 V

Lydia’s pupils blew wide. She flattened herself against the top of the rocks, dead still, holding even

her breath.

Two Wraiths passed the rock garden. One of them stopped.

Its car rotated a half turn.

Lydia felt her heart trying to climb out of her throat.

One second.

Two seconds.

The ear swiveled back. The Wraith swung its scythe idly and kept walking.

Cold sweat soaked Lydia’s back. Only now did she understand why Lyra had stopped her. If she’d hauled herself onto the pavilion just then, those two Wraiths would have heard every scrape.

Lyra let go and pried two tiles loose from the pavilion roof.

She looked down at Lydia, shook the tile in her right hand, then the one in her left, then pointed up to the top of the rocks.

Lydia watched her, mind racing. Throw the tiles, draw the Wraiths to the noise, and she’d climb up in the gap.

She gave a small nod.

Lyra held up three fingers.

Three.

One folded down.

Two.

Another folded.

One.

Both hands snapped out at once.

The left tile flew toward the stone path to the south.

The right tile flew toward the stone path to the north.

“CRACK!

35

9:35 am

CRACK!

Iwo sounds, almost the same instant, from opposite directions.

Every Wraith around the pavilion erupted. Their ears trembled wildly and their hook-scythes lashed both ways at once.

That was the moment.

Lydia planted both hands on the eaves and hauled herself up. Her knees slammed against the tiled roof. She bit her lip and made no sound.

Lyra grabbed her, yanked her down, and pressed her flat against one side of the octagonal pavilion.

Lydia lay there, cheek against the tiles, chest heaving, mouth shut tight.

Lyra let go and flashed her an OK sign, then crouched down beside her.

No more throwing.

Only two pebbles left in her pocket, and the Wraiths were all converging here. One more sound and she’d be handing herself over.

Done slashing in both directions and finding nothing, the Wraiths drifted back toward the pavilion one by one.

One.

Two.

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