Chapter25
AssoonasLilyfinishedspeaking,anoppressivesilencefelloverthecar.
Loidturnedhis<b>head</b>slightlytonceatLilybeforeslowlywithdrawinghisgate.Histhinlipswerepursed,andhisexpressionwasunreadable.
<b>Shaun’s</b>browsfurrowedashetookamomenttoprocesswhathehadheard.“Poisoned?Areyoujoking?
Lilyraisedaneyebrow,givingShanalookthatclearly impliedhewasanidiot.
Shawnremainedsilent,unsureofhowtorespond
Onceagain,hefeltLily’sdisdainfulgazedirectedathim.
“Whowould<b>joke</b>abouttheirowngrandmother?”Daniel<b>looked</b>at<b>Shaun</b>asifhewereanidiot.
Althoughtheyhadn’tknownLilyforlongandhadneverheardhermentionanythingabouttheMartinezfamilyorhergrandmother,allthreeofthemcouldsensethatLilycareddeeplyforhergrandmother.
Atthatmoment,ShaunstupidlyaskedifshewasjokingWouldn’tthatmakepeoplethinkhewasanidiot?
Danielsighed.EversinceLilyhadarrived,Shaun’sintelligenceseemedtobeplummeting
“L”Shaunstammered,feelingutterlydefeated.
Wasitreallythathckedintelligence,orhadhesimplybeenunabletoprocesstheinformationquicklyenough?Whocouldhaveimaginedthatanelderlywomanwhohadlivedherentirelifeinthecountrysidewouldbepoisoned?
AndthefactthatLilywasunabletoneutralizethepoisonindicatedthatitwasfardeadlierthantheBloodbanepoison.Thesituationwasalreadybizarreenough,sowhywouldhebeconsideredfoolishforthinking thatLily<b>was</b>joking?
Ignoringthestaresoftheotherthreepeopleinthecar,Shaunbeanedforwardandasked<b>Lily</b>,“Whatkind<b>of</b>poisonisthatpowerful?”
“Mindshroudpoison,”Lilymurmured,hervoicedevoidofanyemotion.
A<b>sharp</b>screechoftiresfilledtheairasthecarabruptlycametoahalt.<b>As</b><b>soon</b>asLilyfinishedspeaking,Danielmmedonthebrakes,turninghisheadinshock.Instinctively,ShaunturnedtoLoid.Hisjawdropped,andhewasunabletoutterasingleword.
AsLoidturnedtoLily,hissternexpressionsoftened,buthis<b>brows</b>farrowedtightly.Noneofthemspoke.Thetensionintheairwasthickandheavy.
Amidstthetensesilence,Lilyremaineposed.Lilycontinuedtoscrollthroughherphone.Her demeanorwas<b>as</b><b>calm</b>asif<b>she’d</b>justmentionedsomethingtrivial.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.
Afteranagonizingthreeminutes,LoidavertedhisgazeandtookLily’shand<b>in</b>atightgripHesaidgently.“Let’sgo.”
DanielhurriedlyturnedhisheadandstarteddrivingShaunalsoturnedaround.Hisgazewasfixedontheoutsideofthecar,hisheartpoundingwildlyLoiddidn’taskLilyanythingelse.Heleanedbackinhisseat,lostinquietcontemtion
Suddenly,Lilyfelthishandgrasphers.Lostinthoughtfor<b>a</b>moment,shehatedhergazetocatchLoid’sprofileSunlightstreamedthroughthecar window,illuminatinghiswell-definedfeatures.Hisfaceresembledawlesssculpture.
Herhandfeltwarminhisgrasp.
Loiddidn’tspeak,but<b>a</b><b>subtle</b>changeinhisgripspokevolumes.Lilyfelt asurgeofreassurance.Itwasasifhe<b>had</b>promisedtoprotecther.
Lilyloweredhergaze.Shehadahandpressedagainstthecarwindow.Hereyesnarrowed,thelight<b>catching</b>themastheyshiftedfrombrightnesstodarkness.