th ease. Caspian stepped inside, not even b

my eyes red and swoll

said with a small, unamused smile, as if that explained everythi

id, I had nothing. No one. Then I found Lyra. She was just a baby,

father found us. He gave me a home. A future. I owe h

er. She's all I have from my old life. I can't let anyone hurt her.

y, almost reached me. A flicker of the ol

rd "sister," and th

issed Lyra in the garden. Brothers don't look

as a

ripping with sarcasm, "will she still come fir

always be my first priority. But I will be good to you, Se

. "As much as you can." All my unhappiness, all my pa

ything else. Th

wered immediately, his voice softening. "I'll

nd. It was a cheap replica of the "Starfall Sapphire," a gaudy

diamond pendant. It was beautiful, but it wasn't th

how much he was willing to give me: some

r to the trash can, and dropped

e the world, not one who would a

e the biggest social event of the year, a gala wher

e couture gown. I looked like a princess, but I felt a pan

my dressing room holding a l

r you, Miss Ashworth.

kipped a b

fall Sapphire'," the butler explained. "The current owner refused to se

ll featuring enormous pigeon's blood rubies, the rarest and most valuable in the world. They glowed with an inner fire, a dee

me, blossomed on my face. I put on the

I knew, with absolute certainty,

was also dressed for the party, but her eyes were fi

she said, her voice tight. "

ast her wit

doesn't love you, you know," she hissed at my bac

ouches me." She then sent a message to my phone. "And do you really think what he keeps in his private s

It was her and Caspian, tangled together in be

f the other Fellows. Mateo, maybe? Or Ronan? I've had them all. Ronan is particularly... athletic.