Joseph’s smile was twisted with cruelty. It deeply unnerved me. This man was not a noble himself, simply employed by them. He must have been like Lena, a traditionalist. Someone who wanted to uphold the way things had always been, rather than accepting necessary changes. I hated that such ideals c
Linda took the eggs off the stove too soon. I wondered if they had fully solidified. When she cracked them on a bowl, however, the whites of the eggs, at least, seemed whole. Yet when she cut them in half, to remove the yokes, the yellow yoke was slimy. She didn’t seem to mind and poured them into
As Linda dived at me, knife first, both Julian and Nicholas moved at once. Nicholas ran at me. He grabbed me around the waist and pulled me toward him, shielding me behind his body. Julian, meanwhile, went straight for Linda. He grabbed Linda’s wrist and twisted. The knife clattered down onto th
When we were dismissed for the day, I hurried back to my room. I didn’t feel whole again until I pulled Elva into my arms for a hug. “What’s wrong, Mommy?” Elva asked. She had a way of making me feel like the most important person in the entire world. I was so grateful for that. It gave me the str
The next afternoon, Elva and I watched from the window as the second garden party was held down below. Because of the delay, the girls had been given another chance to remake their food items that morning. This seemed a bit unfair, since their appetizers would be much fresher than those from the d
He motioned for the Queen, who stepped forward. “Maintaining diplomatic relations is one of the most essential rules for a Luna. Finding common ground with those often considered to be your enemies is a vital piece of this diplomacy.” “Thank you, Your Majesty,” Nathan said. The girls and I clapp
Nicholas I was trying my absolute best to feel good about this hug I was currently having with Lilliana, but I couldn’t keep my full body from cringing away from it. As hard as I tried, I just couldn’t get my chest and my legs to cooperate. Inside, I wanted to be as far from Lilliana as possible
Elva wiped her nose with her sleeve. Her eyes fixed on me, she asked, “But what about Mommy?” “Oh, sweetie,” Piper said. “We’ve talked about this.” “You like her more than Mommy?” “I’m sorry,” Piper said to me. I shook my head. “No. I don’t like her more than your mom.” I looked at Piper a