Flashback ( PDFDrive )

TWELVE
THIS IS NOT MY DOING either,” Lady Zillah assured everyone when
Sophie’s headache spiked, sharp enough to make her gasp.
“How do you know?” Edaline demanded, gently massaging the back
of Sophie’s neck—which helped a little. “You’re the only one trying
anything right now.”
“I suspect that’s not true,” Lady Zillah said with a glance in
Magnate Leto’s direction that would’ve made Sophie wonder how
much she knew about who he was—if her brain didn’t currently feel
like the gorgodon was chewing on it.
Lady Zillah’s strange eyes turned darker as she tilted her head to
study her. “What were you thinking about just now?”
“A gorgodon eating my brain,” Sophie told her.
She knew it wasn’t the answer Lady Zillah wanted. But her head
hurt and her hand hurt and everyone was staring at her like she was
some fragile vase with a huge crack in the middle—and she was
starting to worry that they were right.
And somehow it made her feel better being just a little bit difficult.
She wondered if that was Keefe’s motivation.
“Okay,” Lady Zillah said through a drawn-out sigh. “What about
before the headache flared?”
“Why does it matter?” Sophie countered.