Claire
I burst into my sister's room. Anastasia stood in front of a three-sided mirror, holding up a dress. She glared at me.
"I need to tell you something."
She shoved past me and fell onto a velvet sofa. "Look at me, I'm so fat."
"Ani—"
She yawned. "I think I ate too much."
I twisted the skin under her arm.
"Owww!" Anastasia clutched my hair, forcing me to lean over her.
"I only wanted you to listen."
Anastasia shoved me away. "You're a freak."
A thud came from the hallway.
"Did you hear that?" I imagined the shadow gliding down the passage, searching for me. Anastasia returned to the mirror, staring at herself this way and that. I joined her, the small book in my hand. "There's something I have to tell you about Papa."
Anastasia slipped an orange dress over her head. "Ouuu, it's pretty." She turned to admire the view of her back. The dress shimmered bright orange and red. She took the second dress off the hanger, shoving it at me. "Don't be an ungrateful pig."
"I don't want to wear that stupid thing."
"Put it on now!" Terisma had found her way into the room with us, I could feel her cold breath.
"Fine," I said. "Just listen to me."
Anastasia took a brush to her hair.
I wriggled out of my clothes. "I overheard Mother and Papa arguing."
"Your dress is brighter than mine, isn't it?"
"I found this book, and I've been writing to this boy named—"
"It's not fair; you always get the better gifts."
I whacked her with the book. "Would you shut it!"
Anastasia spun around and sank her nails into my arm.
"Stop, please, it's important."
She squeezed harder. I felt a trickle of blood on my arm. Grabbing a wooden hanger from the rack, I raised it above my head.
Anastasia's face turned to ice. "You wouldn't dare." Memories of tortured and twisted animal bodies flashed through my mind. But I didn't lower the hanger. Ani's eyes narrowed. "You think you're not afraid, don't you?"
"I'm not."
Anastasia shoved me into the mirror. I toppled over it with a crash, cutting my hands on broken glass.
She whispered in my ear. "Let's see if Terisma wants to play." The raven circle of her eyes doubled in size, nearly swallowing the white. Muffled sounds from the party outside seemed to grow in my ears, though the windows were shut tight.
"I'm not afraid."
"Liar."
"It's you who's frightened."
"Of a tatter like you?"
"Afraid of what I can do."
"Are you gonna wipe boogers on me?"
I shoved past her and pulled a piece of glass from my skin. "I can make you hurt. Burn you with fire. If I wanted."
Anastasia rolled her eyes.
The door creaked. My eyes snapped to the sound. It swung slowly open. A figure flashed past in the dark hall. I thought I heard beating wings. I pulled a lamp off the wall and crept closer. Lifting the lantern high, I peered into the passage. The shadow was gone.
Pushing the door shut, I checked that the handle clicked into place, then reached up and locked the bolt just in case. I found the book lying open on the floor and slipped it in the belt of my dress, then turned to Anastasia. "Papa isn't who we think he is—"
"No. I want to see your magic first."
I hesitated. "I can't do it right now. It only works when I really need it."
"Stultus."
"Fine. Stand back." I focused on Anastasia's bed.
"You're not going to burn me?"
"Don't want to hear you whine about how Fredrick doesn't want to kiss you anymore."
Anastasia held her nose. "Your breath reeks. Brush your teeth."
"Stand over there." I waved her back. "No. Further." I narrowed my focus so everything beyond the bed's white wooden frame went blurry.
Anastasia laughed. "You look stupid."
"Shhh."
"We could be eating candy and pie right now." Anastasia sighed. "Hey, they have the cake out there."
I spread my arms full, paused, then clapped my hands hard. Two tea cups rattled on a shelf beside me and something went bump, like a chest slamming shut. Did my magic make those sounds? Or the shadow?
Hair stood up on my skin as I felt someone's touch, a hand moving slowly up my arm, or a soft breeze. I backed against the window, folded my arms tight, checked the door. Shut. Locked. No... The lock was open. I couldn't think, did I remember to bolt it? Did Ani unlock the door when I wasn't looking?
"Can we go now?" Anastasia said.
I searched the room. "Is someone there?"
"Who are you talking to?"
I shook my head.
Anastasia pointed out the open window. "They're cutting the cake without us."
"Did you open this?"
"You did."
"The window was shut when I came in."
"What does it matter?"
I looked out, searching for the shadow. Papa noticed us. He waved. Then I saw it. Above the stairs, the shadow crept across the balcony. Or did it fly? It seemed to take the shape of wings. A huge crow. It could have passed through Ani's room and crawled out to the ledge through the window. Watching it enter the house again, I grabbed Ani. "Look!"
"What?"
"Something dark, like someone wearing a midnight cloak." I pointed. "Right there."
"Do you ever get tired of making stuff up?"
"I'm not. I swear."
"It was just a servant."
I sniffed. "Do you smell that?"
Ani sucked air through her nose.
"I think something is burning," I said.
"You mean those?" Anastasia pointed at a cluster of candles hanging from the wall below us.
I pushed the window open further, wincing from the cut on my hand. Staring out, I remembered the knife on the desk at the bottom of the stairs, right below where the shadowed had just reentered the house. I didn't touch it. Papa wanted me to take it, to finish off Evan Burl. But I didn't take it. I will never touch that blade, not if it means saving my own life. But the shadow might have found it. And if he used it, if he used it to hurt my Papa, it would be my fault.
My back felt suddenly warm. Crackling and popping behind me. Chest pounding, I turned. My face blistered hot. I tugged at my sister's dress. "Ani."
"Cut it out."
"The bed is on fire!"
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Evan Burl and the Falling, Vol. 1-2 Page 34
