The door opened before I could finish. Darren’s eyes blazed green with fury. “This isn’t a slumber party, Orpheus.” He brushed back his bangs, but the long blond pieces already stuck in place—he must’ve been making that same gesture over and over while he glared at the screens from his station next door.

He deserved to sweat much worse than that.

Quanta snatched her leg back and sat up straight. As soon as she broke our skin contact, it felt like a hollow cavern spanned between my ears. Was it always this empty?

Christ.

I needed to get myself in order or Darren would snap again.

“Why don’t you ever bring me people who know how to play?” Quanta asked as she moved her queen. “I’m crushing the rich boy.”

Crushing? That wasn’t—

Shit. She really was crushing me. Only a few more moves and I’d be in check. I’d have to use underhanded methods to beat a girl who could see the future. Although I could think of a few methods I’d like to try to distract her.

Quanta winced. Was that causality? Were my stray thoughts rewriting what she saw as possible? I couldn’t help wondering what was making her cheeks flush that beautiful shade of pink.

“You’re obviously cheating.” I put on a sour expression, only half pretending as I scanned the board. Darren strode toward us, footfalls heavy on the carpet, but he’d stopped reflexively smoothing his hair back, so Quanta’s words must’ve calmed him. As irritating as that may be.

“Cheating’s the only way to win.” She tilted her head toward Darren and gave him a coy smile that twisted my intestines like a serrated blade. “Right, Darren?”

The smile he returned—

Quanta kicked me under the table.

I’d started to stand without realizing it and that truth was another kick to the stomach. I was losing my grip on reality.

“With me, Orpheus.” Darren turned on his heels, heading for the hallway. Could I get through a talk without shaking the life out of him?

I met Quanta’s gaze as I stood, but a look could only communicate so much.

“Tair…” Her eyes darted as she glimpsed a reality I was only beginning to understand. “You’d better start learning to cheat, too.”

I froze, trying to puzzle out her meaning. Was it a warning? Had she seen something to worry about?

With Darren waiting, I couldn’t think of a response that would leave my lips sounding innocent; he’d read too much into my words. I nodded and strode toward the corridor. If I found a way to cheat the system, I’d take it. I needed any edge I could get if I wanted to end the day with a functioning pulse.

Darren jabbed the lock panel with a fist. “Who gave you permission to go off book?”