I walk through the doorway and onto the yellowing grass. Cissy follows me, closing the door behind her with a soft click. The muscles along my jaw tighten with determination. I will not feel guilty this time around. She and Zeke totally ambushed me.

Cissy spins around to face me. “Spill it.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“It’s me here.” Cissy rolls her eyes. “You’re not leaving this spot until I get some information. I know you two fought. Honestly, you’re causing like, huge inter-realm incidents here.”

I let out a dramatic gasp. “Come on! Who sent the Prince of Pissed my way with no warning? What did you think would happen?”

Cissy stares at her toes for a minute. “That was Zeke’s idea. I told him it wouldn’t work.”

“Well, it didn’t.” Leave it to Zeke to come up with a lame plan like that one.

Cissy sighs. “So, what exactly did happen?”

I puff out a breath. “The Prince demands I attend a tournament so his steak-head Earls can show me how awesome they are.”

“And you said?”

“I said they had to say ‘please.’” I fold my arms over my chest. I’m totally in the right here; no way am I backing down.

Cissy groans. “What is it between you two?”

“Uh, hatred?”

“No.” Cissy slowly scans me from head to toe. “No, it’s not.”

I roll my eyes. Cissy can be so thick sometimes. “Uh, yes-yes it is.”

“You can’t see it, but I can. You care about this guy.” Her eyes flicker red with envy. “More than you care about me.”

Her words slam into me, knocking my breath away. Sure, I think about Lincoln a lot, but only because he’s being such a dick. She’s wrong. Totally wrong. “I care about kicking him in the head, that’s about it. You’re my best and only friend.”

Cissy’s voice turns low and menacing. “He fights you and holds his own. You can’t resist a good battle, Myla.” Her irises blaze with scarlet light. “But you should be my friend first.”

Anger boils up my spine. “What a coincidence! I’d like it if you were my friend first, too. I totally came clean about the Prince and you laughed it off. Then you ambush me in the library. Not okay, girlfriend.”

Cissy’s eyes narrow into fiery red slits. “You’re right. I should have believed you when you said you fought with the Prince and didn’t care about Zeke. I never should have sent you to the library unprepared. For that, I’m sorry. Truly.” She speaks in a super-low and creepy voice. “Now prove you’re more my friend than his enemy. Go with me to the tournament.”