Lily’s pov

The music pulsed through the crowded room like a living thing, but after just one small sip of the drink Mia had handed me, an uneasy feeling settled deep in my stomach. It wasn’t the usual party buzz it felt sharper, wrong, like my thoughts were starting to blur at the edges too quickly. I suspected the drink immediately. Mia’s insistent cheer, that dangerous humming earlier… it all clicked. I wasn’t about to be her pawn. Glancing around to make sure she wasn’t watching, I swapped my cup with an untouched one on a nearby table, heart racing.

Sure enough, Mia came bouncing back a minute later, her...