Lyra and Lena walked briskly down the hallway. The closer they got to Nikki's room, the more their hearts raced. Lyra shot her sister a quick, conspiratorial glance before raising her fist and pounding on the door.
"Lady Nikki! Open up!" Lena called, voice breathless and strained.
There was a pause. Then a sharp, irritated voice snapped from inside, dripping venom. "Who the hell is banging on my door like some fucking lunatic?"
The door flew open so violently that both girls flinched. Nikki stood there, hair tousled, eyes blazing — her expression the perfect storm of fury and exhaustion. Her robe hung loosely around her, one shoulder bare, but the anger radiating from her made her look anything but soft.
"What the hell is wrong with you two?" she snapped. "Why would you knock like that? I've already had a shit day, and the last thing I need is you two idiots making it worse."
Lena swallowed hard, eyes darting down. "We… we just—"
