Two girls. Two secrets.
Only one can survive.
Years before Nelle Wychthorn plans her escape, Tabitha Catt may unearth something in a Horned God's lair that is the key to freedom.
Desperate to save her beloved aunt from a dark curse, Tabitha is out t...
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It was an effort to tame the smile that teased my mouth and dampen the hungry gleam in my eyes as I stared, wolf-like, at the ring.
However, when Laurena stepped forward, foreboding prickled my flesh as I watched her pinch a corner of the bow attached to Rosa's bright red dress. She pulled it taut before letting it go. "Oh Rosa, such a delightful bow, so generous. You're so lucky to have such a sturdy frame to keep from tipping over." She stepped back into line with her brother, smiling brightly as if she hadn't just burnt the short, stocky Rosa with her acerbic tongue. "Bows, so last year," she tsked, her nose scrunching. "Still, it's always nice to get the opportunity to re-wear an old piece."
Rosa's olive skin flushed a brighter pink, and hurt flashed in her brown eyes before she mumbled, "Yes." Even though she'd earlier confessed to Valarie that this was a new haute couture piece she'd had commissioned specifically for this evening.
It was a sport to Laurena, making others feel small.
Byron shifted his weight from one leg to the other, tapping his finger on his crystal tumbler filled with cognac, drawing our attention his way. Would he make a great Head of Great House Wychthorn? Only time would tell. But in the dealings I had with him, he was sharp, cold, and effectual. He wasn't much for smiling either, something we had in common. But his eyes smiled when he looked at Valarie.
Laurena noticed. Her thinly plucked eyebrows drew together, and blue eyes slid from her brother to Valarie and then back again. Her pillowy lips pouted out a little and curled downward as her gaze grew narrower, sharper, meaner.
Then, a seemingly friendly smile brightened her expression. A smile that had ice flowing through my veins as I wondered what sly dig she was going to make at my sister's expense. Her gaze raked up and down Valarie's shift dress in winter white, a thin belt around her waist. Against all the elaborate, gaudy, over-the-top dresses in here, she stood out. "Valarie, such a simple dress. It certainly compliments your...personality."
Plain was what she was insinuating.
My nostrils flared. I was a typical brother. Girl or not, I wanted to spank her spoiled princess ass, and not in a fun way either.
A horrible sinking feeling fell through my gut as I witnessed my sister's mask of disinterest falter and then slip away, leaving her vulnerable. Trepidation shone in her violet eyes. She snuck her hands behind her back, and I knew she was wringing them together with oncoming nerves.
Laurena carried on, airily, though her tone was as sharp as a surgeon's scalpel. She knew exactly what she was doing. "It's been such a long time since I've seen you," she simpered. "What have you been up to?"
There was an awkward pause, a dreadful silence as everyone waited for Valarie to speak. She was anxious. I saw the fluttering pulse point in her throat. My own breath was trapped in my throat as I urged her to stand her ground.
