“We wouldn’tdreamof disobeying Mother,” she said. “Chicago is absolutely off-limits.”
“Absolutely,” Eluned echoed, even though her singsong tone made it clear she was calculating just how far they could push the boundaries.
“Just making sure we’re all on the same page.” I shrugged, playing my role as the indifferent enforcer.
Eluned twirled away while Amabel lingered, her cold eyes assessing me with that calculating intelligence that made her so dangerous.
“You know she’ll blame you if anything happens.”
“Nothing’s going to happen,” I replied, keeping my tone casual. “Unless you go to Chicago.”
She gave me one last penetrating look before following her sister upstairs to get ready for their outing. I listened to them bickerabout clothes and which car to take, filing away every snippet of information for later. Knowledge was survival in this house.
An hour later, they were ready to leave, dressed to the nines, Amabel stylish as usual in sleek lines and solid colors, Eluned over the top in a floral dress with more ruffles and flounces than should fit on one outfit. I met them at the front door, leaning against the frame with affected boredom.
“Remember.NotChicago.”
“We’re not idiots, Foster.” Amabel gave me a frosty look. “We know better than to cross Mother directly.”
Eluned, on the other hand, started singing in her creepy way.
London Bridge is falling down,
Falling down,
Falling down.
Mother’s rules are breaking down,
My fair Foster.
I kept my face neutral despite the hairs on my arms standing up. Her childishness always carried a hint of something creepy, like she was channeling some ancient witch rather than just being obnoxious. The girl wasn’t right in the head, but then again, neither was anyone else in this family.
“Have fun,” I deadpanned as they brushed past me.
They climbed into Amabel’s Mercedes, the engine roaring to life. Eluned waved at me through the window, her smile all teeth and no warmth. The car peeled out of the driveway, tires tossing gravel, leaving behind a cloud of dust and the fading sound of Eluned’s manic laughter.
I watched until they disappeared, then exhaled. The twins were like playing with fire and ice simultaneously, one wild and unpredictable, the other cold and calculating. Amabel was the more dangerous of the two, with her sharp mind and careful planning, but Eluned had her own kind of threat. You couldn’t anticipate what she might do because she herself didn’t know until the moment she did it. Her impulses ruled her, making her impossible to outmaneuver, but also fundamentally weak.
Still, the no-strings-attached sex was worth putting up with her insane ass.
With the twins gone and Arabesque in Chicago, the old farmhouse fell into an unusual quiet. The day servants had all left, and the only person here besides me was Austin Cho, the suspiciouslyoverqualified “kitchen help.” He was human and kept to himself when not servicing the ice queen at precisely 5:30 p.m. each day. I had my suspicions about him, but in this snake pit, everyone had secrets. Whatever his were, they hadn’t become a problem yet, so I let him be.
Now was the perfect time to make my covert call. And what better place than Eluned’s bedroom? Not only was it the furthest from the kitchen, but I knew for a fact it had the most spy eyes. Those little metal and magic bugs were Koa’s specialty, and I’d spotted at least four while Eluned and I were going at it a few nights ago.
I slipped down the hallway, pausing briefly to listen for any sign that Austin might be venturing out of his culinary domain. Nothing but the clatter of pots. Satisfied, I quietly opened Eluned’s door and slid inside, locking it behind me.
The room was exactly like its owner: Chaotic, disturbing, and impossible to look away from. Blood-red velvet curtains blocked out most of the sunlight. The walls were covered in what looked like hand-painted tarot cards, but on closer inspection revealed grotesque modifications. The Hanged Man actually hanged, complete with bulging eyes and protruding tongue; the Tower crumbling with tiny painted figures falling to their gruesome deaths; and the Lovers entangled in something moreKama Sutrathan PG-13.
Eluned’s collection of oddities dominated every surface. A shelf of antique dolls with their eyes sewn shut. A vintage record player that continuously emitted a low hum even when not playing anything.
Doing my best to ignore them, I sat cross-legged on the floor, closed my eyes, and reached inward, searching for the familiar presence that had once been as much a part of me as my own heartbeat.
Greisen?I called silently.You there, buddy?
Nothing. Just the vast, empty space where my wolf should be. I pushed deeper, hunting for any trace of him.
Hey. Greisen.I tried again, like I hadn’t ten thousand times already.You ready to come back? I miss you.
