Chapter 6

"Ninety-five degrees," Sophia said.

A folding chair squeaked near the back of the hall. The woman who had lowered her plate lifted it again. Someone beside her whispered, She knows it.

Sophia didn't smile. She simply held the microphone, her hand steady against the silver mesh.

I didn't step back. I turned my shoulders slightly, facing the audience instead of her, and leaned toward the microphone Sophia still held. "And who made the honey cake they're eating?" I asked.

Sophia looked toward the sample table near the back row. "Our kitchen team," Sophia said.

"Her name is Sarah."

Sarah froze…