I turn the corner and nearly trip over my own very dramatic gown.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOh3YNoiNYe
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMroPAKLGKw
The hallway opens into a giant sunlit chamber — gold everywhere, white curtains fluttering, marble floors that look too clean for walking.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjfM5jHtQbw
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZMjHUBuhva
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTBwg5UWcA1
It’s quiet. Too quiet. Like the air’s waiting for me to mess something up.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqGcp5IaGIw
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvFc9waZQt5
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjdiQ5ViCE7
Then—225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBSb44roCXu
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4uMqBhUJ5q
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHf7zDu9QyT
“Ariana!”225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSDpCn9uu4G
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuOOOUHcrex
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw0LnDwxw8X
The voice hits me like a flying textbook. I spin around, and there she is — tall, elegant, pretty enough to make shampoo commercials jealous. She’s dressed in this blue gown that looks like it costs more than my entire phone.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaxRwEN9Y6E
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUMNoCZ5wRo
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdHWxi1J3PS
She’s staring at me like I just crawled out of her favorite nightmare.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk5PozaiRnB
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCMO198DLmL
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdbUiomAnID
“Um… hi?” I say, waving like an idiot.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡybW9WXgmeT
1234 copyright protection221ＰＥＮＡＮＡlAYSZiXSjv 尼For a split second, her expression flickers — relief? shock? Something tightens behind her polite smile. Then she walks toward me with that slow, graceful, slightly menacing energy of a cat pretending to be friendly.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9u7diNuFC2
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ730iaPP41C
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuaUZhIH0a4
“You’re… back,” she says, voice all soft and trembling. “After all this time.”225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeIAuxNIBTr
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3TyTWIVaTk
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKvrkZBXzmp
“Yeah,” I say. “Back from… the bathroom?”225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEBfsPqVaf6
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2AvERi3mjS
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIfhPogMM0R
Her eyebrows pinch together. “The bathroom?”225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAc8AkosB0h
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKqolKN1zUb
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ14JUZ8GkQ1
“Never mind,” I mutter. “Long story. Anyway, you are…?”225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ76VmRwo1Jp
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWDwpgBKphT
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg5lEem41Vf
Her smile twitches, just for a second. “It’s me. Clara.”225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdgDPxAiGtj
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfh9z9gazV9
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3pbWUJVEfW
She says it like it should mean something.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeCamYzCA1C
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQXZU0UVr2U
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh1xpq3mdu6
“Oh. Right. Clara.” I nod, pretending the name unlocks deep, emotional memories instead of absolutely nothing. “Totally remember you. You’re— great. Love the dress.”225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWGhkrb9rV4
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEHvtaoiswK
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCn93He1fas
Clara’s eyes narrow slightly. “You’ve changed,” she says. “You used to… not say things like that.”225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzO9OrEHqDH
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOl1rjiBoDT
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzShU4huweI
“Yeah, well,” I shrug, “new skincare routine. Improves personality.”225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5fgZ4zQD3w
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuz0kjvf1zK
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfARCc5RMMf
Something unreadable passes through her gaze — half confusion, half… irritation? She hides it fast with another sweet smile.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZddXzJRuSp
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj1AYHUwu8b
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJbg6SO4aEZ
“Well, everyone will be so happy to see you,” she says smoothly. “They thought you’d been… taken forever.”225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Lneuimt7i
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA1UMMEyOiC
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5umDanqFFY
“Taken? Like… kidnapped?”225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqkP8G1cDIq
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdXCHPrsirN
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLEmp1gAf3t
Her eyes flick to the floor, then back up. “Something like that.”225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJVHIFuBqQ
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlgVeM8lV25
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5mptLpnvar
Cool. Great. Totally normal. I love conversations that sound like plot twists.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsNBo60blOq
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt0JkpVgFzc
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYXUfdExSdR
“So,” I say brightly, “since I’m apparently Ariana, kidnapped royalty, and you’re my… sister?”225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3WwdIyUH4C
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuMWb1Rsyl3
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw5W4oQCWhS
Clara’s smile doesn’t reach her eyes. “Half-sister,” she corrects softly.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu0TH0tBwjQ
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD1ICseOO5x
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgVbe4d5SNd
Ouch. The “half” lands like a dagger disguised as a word.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPCXn6kv6w6
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6wVCcd4ll9
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdHxrgm6Usx
“Right,” I say. “Of course. Half. Wouldn’t want to overclaim family.”225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzykcDxT77r
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyP4PBQlkEl
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIu9WZxkzSt
Her lips curve slightly — too polite, too practiced. “Come,” she says. “Father will want to see you.”225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFssZyziJP4
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrnz5q2xkQU
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcZ29HYVHHB
And just like that, she turns, her gown whispering across the marble, leaving me standing there wondering what kind of historical fever dream I’ve just respawned into.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqOy8TsIr4f
225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT97qvELa9p

216.73.217.14