Silence.
Thick, brittle, loaded silence. The kind that made you feel like even breathing too loud would set off another explosion.
Celestia's arms still caged me from behind, her chin resting on my shoulder like she hadn't just been told to shut it. Avery stood a step away, her arms now at her sides, expression unreadable but her eyes still sharp as glass.
And me?
Yeah. My heart was still punching against my ribs like it wanted out. I'd muttered under my breath that I hadn't thought it would work. They hadn't heard me. Thank God.
But it had worked.
And now all eyes were on me.
For once, I realized, I had the floor. Not them. Me.
Celestia shifted behind me, like she was gearing up to argue, but my hand came up and lightly touched hers where they were clasped across my stomach. "No," I said firmly, without looking back. "I mean it. Both of you."
The silence stretched, but this time it bent toward me instead of against me.
Neither girl moved.
