oe

the finality of a guillotine's blade. The cha

been sucked out of her. Then, she spun around, her eyes wil

fool!" Freya shrieked

aring at the mother who had alway

ya pointed at the door, shaking with rage. "Do you have

d Fred's weak pleas for calm all blu

s before had been burned away, leaving behind a cold, hollow emptiness. It was over. That one thought was my only anchor.

th of the expensive Persian rug-the very one I had been cleaning that morning-her face a mask of f

outing. It was thick with the stench of greed and

to herself than to us. Stan. Her brother, who had nothing to do with my adoption unlike Gre

aker in her agitation. "Stan! What did

he speaker. "They heard everything, Freya. E

a's fault!" Freya shrieked.

ice was sharp. "You made a catastrophic impressio

mall, hopeful lea

omething strange happened. Montgome

d her bre

to resist." Stan's voice was laced with confusion. "And he mentioned the... the 'silver neckla

nto my veins, chilling the nascen

are they going to do?" Freya pres

s they're looking into you, Freya. All of you. Mrs. Carlisle has ordered a full background che

een for a long moment, then her eyes lifted and locked onto mine. Her expression morphed beyond mer

ated softly, the words slithering

n a mirage. I wasn't off the hook.