"Tell me something," he said softly. "Something only Isabelle Quinn would know."
My heart slammed against my ribs, but I smiled.
Of course I did.
"What kind of question is that?" I ask back, obviously deflecting.
"The kind that has a simple answer," he replied.
I exhaled slowly, keeping my heartbeat steady and my emotions under control.
"The east wing library," I said. "Third shelf from the left. There's a hidden compartment behind the false panel. Father used to keep documents there that he didn't want anyone else to find. When I was seven, you and I saw it after we hid. We heard his voice before he entered."
The silence that followed my words was so thick you could cut it with a knife.
Cassian didn't react.
Not immediately… He wasn't listening to what I said.
He was watching me, studying how I said it. How I breathed. How I held his gaze. And then his eyes darkened.
"You're very good," he murmured.
My stomach dropped.
"Excuse me?"
"At pretending."
