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“Just tell me where she is! Please, I need her back!” She grips my arm hard enough to bruise.
“That’s enough now.” Amaryllis pulls her away. “I’m sorry, Eden. Blossom isn’t well. She’s been having trouble sleeping.”
I glance at her. She looks like she’s been dealing with a lot more than just trouble sleeping, but I don’t press it.
After Ami leads Blossom away, another much quieter voice touches my side. “Do you really not know where Camellia is?”
“Fern, you’re here!” I spin around to hug her. “I missed you so much.” As useful as her gift can be, I hate how it hides her from us. I meant to look for her when I arrived at the dance circle, but of course my other sisters swarmed me first.
“I missed you too.” She sniffs. “I wish I could’ve said hello as soon as you came home, but none of us knew you were even here. Nobody tells us anything now. Father just keeps us locked in our rooms all day and all night. He’s been so paranoid ever since Camellia was taken. It was almost impossible to convince him to let us out for our dance practice, and even then he only lets us do it once a week now.”
I look around the circle. Most of the girls are now busy chatting within their friendship groups. The three youngest are huddled in the corner while Gilia and Heather are taking it in turns to braid each other’s hair.
Despite us all being in our tutus, I don’t think much ballet will get done tonight. Then again, if what Fern is saying is true, I don’t blame them after being cooped up alone all week.
“What happened while I was gone?” I pull her down to sit with me.
She crosses her legs under her green skirt. “At first everything was normal. A few suitors came to visit. Mostly for Blossom and Camellia.”
“Anyone for you?” I ask curiously.
“Don’t be silly,” she laughs. “Father would have to pay half the value of his palace to convince any man to ever go anywhere near me.”
“That’s not true.” I glare at her. Yes, she’s unique looking, but so are Lux and Castor. And I can’t be the only person in the world who finds faerie-like features beautiful.
For a moment, I consider telling her that she has a half-brother, but that feels like a conversation for another day. A far less stressful day.
“You’re beautiful, Fern,” I say instead.
“Is that why everyone ignores me most of the time?”
“That’s just your gift!”
“Not much of a gift.” She tucks her knees up to her chest. I’m about to tell her I feel exactly the same way about mine when she continues, “Suitors came for the older girls, and then about a week after you left Blossom was supposed to meet with a prince who was travelling from Ilzabard.”
“Ilzabard?” My lips part.
“He’s supposedly incredibly wealthy. Lives in a golden palace, just like Father’s, and it’s surrounded by sand dunes and palm trees.”
“It sounds beautiful,” I breathe. “But what’s this got to do with Camellia? And why does Father think Lux and Castor are responsible?” I hate how defensive I sound. Reason tells me the princes have to be behind her disappearance. They practically kidnapped me. Of course they would do it to my sister.
But why?
Fern rests her chin on her knees. “Well, before Blossom and the prince could meet, a man showed up. He claimed to be a representative of the Ilzabardi prince. He said he’d been sent to make sure Blossom was as beautiful as Father claimed she was before their prince wasted his time travelling all the way over here.”
I wrinkle my nose. “Hasn’t he heard of portraits?”
“Yes, but people lie, don’t they?” Fern shrugs. “You know, I once overheard Dahlia offering an artist some of her jewellery to paint her bust as big as Blossom’s in her official portrait.”
I snort. That sounds like Dahlia. “I miss her so much.”
“I think we all do. Even if some of us will never admit it.” She glances at Blossom, who’s now talking furiously with Amaryllis while she tries to calm her down.
“Did Blossom meet this representative then?” I turn back to Fern.
“No. Father was too paranoid, so he arranged for Camellia to meet him instead.”
I gasp. “Why would he send anyone to meet this man?”
