existed.
Evans stood waiting for her. Raiden followed him back down the hall, past the portraits. As they reached the entrance hall, the front door opened and her aunt marched in. Sylvia stopped on seeing Raiden, then she ignored her and swept past her. Evans hurried to take her aunt’s coat.
Her aunt slowly loosened her gloves, a finger at a time. Under her coat, she wore a hooded black silk dress. Her golden blonde hair was pinned up under her hat, but her eyes were blue, not the Feralis green. She was in her thirties, although no lines had yet marred her flawless ivory skin. Raiden had seen the dozens of lotions and creams she applied daily to keep them away.
Sylvia wasn’t really her aunt. Her mother had been the sister of Raiden’s grandmother, which made her a cousin, although Raiden had always referred to her as her aunt.
“What are you doing here?” she asked Raiden, arching a perfectly shaped eyebrow. “Why aren’t you at school?”
“I’m just leaving.”
“Hurry along then.”
Her aunt’s dislike for her was evident, although it hadn’t always been that way. After her mother’s death, her aunt had taken care of her, at least for a while. Then she’d had her own daughter. Raiden couldn’t remember her own mother, but she could remember her aunt singing her to sleep.
“Wait,” her aunt ordered as Raiden went to leave. “What about your magic? It still hasn’t come, has it?”
“No, it hasn’t come.”
“What did Eleanor say about it? Did she mention the title?”
“I don’t remember.” She moved to leave, but Sylvia blocked her way.
“I asked you a question. What did she say?”
After Raiden, Sylvia was the next in line to inherit. “I have to get back to school,” Raiden said. She met her aunt’s gaze, refusing to be intimidated by her.
She feared for a moment Sylvia would force her to answer. Instead, she smiled. “Yes, go back to school. You have no magic, no beauty; at least you should have an education.” She walked over to the hall mirror and began to admire herself, tilting her head one way then the other. “I feel so sorry for Eleanor. It must be such an embarrassment for her, her granddaughter not having any magic.”
Raiden said nothing. Why did her aunt hate her so much? It wasn’t just her aunt. There was Blaize and Glacia as well. Why did they all despise her? There must be something wrong with her for them to all hate her.
There was the sound of pounding feet and a child came hurtling down the stairs, crying out, “Mama, mama.” She had a mass of blonde curls and china blue eyes. Elissa threw herself at her mother, hugging her skirts as she was too small to reach any higher. Usually, Sylvia would tell her off for running in the house. Instead, smiling, she picked her up.
“My beautiful little girl. I missed you so much.” She hugged her tightly, but over her shoulder she stared coldly at Raiden, watching for her reaction.
Elissa finally noticed her. “What is she doing here?”
“Hush, darling. She’s going now,” Sylvia said.
“Good. I don’t want her here.” Her cousin curled her lip in distaste in a mirror image of her mother. Raiden turned her back to them. There was no need for salt; the fairies wouldn’t want her cousin anyway.
Evans opened the door for her. She stopped at the gate and turned back to look at the mansion. Her gloved fingers gripped the cold railings. This wasn’t her home. She didn’t belong here. But she didn’t seem to belong at school either. So, where did she belong?
“Raiden!”
She turned to see who was calling her name. Across the road, Aren had just climbed out of a hansom cab. He waved to her and ducked back round the side of the cab, out of sight of the house. She watched for a break in the traffic and then ran across the road to meet him.
“I was worried I might miss you,” he said. “I saw Tobin waiting, so I guessed you were still inside.”
He looked smart in a dove grey suit, with a black
Evans stood waiting for her. Raiden followed him back down the hall, past the portraits. As they reached the entrance hall, the front door opened and her aunt marched in. Sylvia stopped on seeing Raiden, then she ignored her and swept past her. Evans hurried to take her aunt’s coat.
Her aunt slowly loosened her gloves, a finger at a time. Under her coat, she wore a hooded black silk dress. Her golden blonde hair was pinned up under her hat, but her eyes were blue, not the Feralis green. She was in her thirties, although no lines had yet marred her flawless ivory skin. Raiden had seen the dozens of lotions and creams she applied daily to keep them away.
Sylvia wasn’t really her aunt. Her mother had been the sister of Raiden’s grandmother, which made her a cousin, although Raiden had always referred to her as her aunt.
“What are you doing here?” she asked Raiden, arching a perfectly shaped eyebrow. “Why aren’t you at school?”
“I’m just leaving.”
“Hurry along then.”
Her aunt’s dislike for her was evident, although it hadn’t always been that way. After her mother’s death, her aunt had taken care of her, at least for a while. Then she’d had her own daughter. Raiden couldn’t remember her own mother, but she could remember her aunt singing her to sleep.
“Wait,” her aunt ordered as Raiden went to leave. “What about your magic? It still hasn’t come, has it?”
“No, it hasn’t come.”
“What did Eleanor say about it? Did she mention the title?”
“I don’t remember.” She moved to leave, but Sylvia blocked her way.
“I asked you a question. What did she say?”
After Raiden, Sylvia was the next in line to inherit. “I have to get back to school,” Raiden said. She met her aunt’s gaze, refusing to be intimidated by her.
She feared for a moment Sylvia would force her to answer. Instead, she smiled. “Yes, go back to school. You have no magic, no beauty; at least you should have an education.” She walked over to the hall mirror and began to admire herself, tilting her head one way then the other. “I feel so sorry for Eleanor. It must be such an embarrassment for her, her granddaughter not having any magic.”
Raiden said nothing. Why did her aunt hate her so much? It wasn’t just her aunt. There was Blaize and Glacia as well. Why did they all despise her? There must be something wrong with her for them to all hate her.
There was the sound of pounding feet and a child came hurtling down the stairs, crying out, “Mama, mama.” She had a mass of blonde curls and china blue eyes. Elissa threw herself at her mother, hugging her skirts as she was too small to reach any higher. Usually, Sylvia would tell her off for running in the house. Instead, smiling, she picked her up.
“My beautiful little girl. I missed you so much.” She hugged her tightly, but over her shoulder she stared coldly at Raiden, watching for her reaction.
Elissa finally noticed her. “What is she doing here?”
“Hush, darling. She’s going now,” Sylvia said.
“Good. I don’t want her here.” Her cousin curled her lip in distaste in a mirror image of her mother. Raiden turned her back to them. There was no need for salt; the fairies wouldn’t want her cousin anyway.
Evans opened the door for her. She stopped at the gate and turned back to look at the mansion. Her gloved fingers gripped the cold railings. This wasn’t her home. She didn’t belong here. But she didn’t seem to belong at school either. So, where did she belong?
“Raiden!”
She turned to see who was calling her name. Across the road, Aren had just climbed out of a hansom cab. He waved to her and ducked back round the side of the cab, out of sight of the house. She watched for a break in the traffic and then ran across the road to meet him.
“I was worried I might miss you,” he said. “I saw Tobin waiting, so I guessed you were still inside.”
He looked smart in a dove grey suit, with a black
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