BLOOD AND SCALES

hina'

t cruelty was that it did not

it came w

d once sat at your father's table, ea

hed his mother pour your breakfast into the dirt

g born into a powerful family did not guaran

r, Ser

ce pulled me fr

are feet slapped against the cold stone, and the hem of my faded dress brushed my ankles. The dress had once belonged to

d that

because I knew what people sa

t the Vale fam

stood beside the Alpha now scrubbed floors in the v

I worked, the people of Crystal Moon Pack would nev

tchen door and l

," Morgan Ve

folded across her chest. Her flour-stained apron stretched over h

ma'am. The wel

think the Alpha's household waits because

ma'

nding there an

red my

, ma

oward a mountain

rubbing, and someone spilled stew in the dining ro

d at th

to keep me occup

I should help her with

eft my mouth, I wished

expressio

s not give order

dn't

to keep your

nter with a wooden

pha that his little charity cas

I bl

sed an

he fear risin

m. I'll finis

efore pushing the b

hat yo

to pick

er mutter, "Blood traitors.

ded not

very good a

other children received new clothes while I wore patched ones. Pretend

ould not remember the girl I had

my fath

other and me like something that sh

the dishes and

pl

ano

ano

use I knew what would happen if I failed to finish. Morgan would

nced. Servants hurried between the counters

ked bread and roasted m

hing since the

food unless it was offered. Asking only gav

ther plate when a fami

you sti

ngers

stood in the k

nherit the Crystal Moon Pack. Even at his age, people treated

is shoes polished, and hi

ything I no

at me, his face carri

sg

g," I answe

ed at th

ious

vants l

late from the clean stack. He examined it,

is d

red a

te was

washed it

es nar

calling m

N

are you

arguing.

he plate int

shed acros

it a

plate floating a

side me want

know why my father's death had become a reason to p

knew b

never to give Kael a r

hed for t

, Ka

smi

's be

ving the servants t

ared before wiping the te

two e

them awa

not affo

ill a corrid

-

eakfast ended,

scrubbing a stain from the polished floo

nt, the mansion se

hair had been gathered into a loose bun, though several strands had escaped around h

he saw me,

always smi

n she wa

n she wa

ing and pressed a hand against her

aphi

rag and hurr

the

rby bench and brushed a damp s

u eaten

ok my

ile fa

a piece

my hea

e looked as thou

to make sure nobody was watching

piece

ightly stale, but I stared at it as

she whispered. "Be

he bread, the

abou

e ear

she was

r she lied to protect me. She had done it so often that I r

the brea

e can b

es sof

y swee

together in the quiet corridor, sharing a pie

breakfast I ha

se it tas

had eaten

ack in our old home, where my father would sit at the table

ered his

nds when he lifted m

alled me his

er happen to our family because my father wa

embered hi

whis

ss in peop

ld me so tightly that night

the last b

the

mm

r do somet

opped again

I had tried to bury it, but it always returned wh

r studie

d you ask

everyone

kly that I might have missed

ryone, d

l do

si

kes him important. He hasn't learned that being

does he

d toward the ser

s are dangerou

tions abou

osed h

she knelt before me

e tell you about your father, never bel

oat ti

hink I'm w

ed my fingers. "Be

ice tr

who loved you more than anything in this world.

nd why she sounded as though she was

sed my

work before Morgan co

rist before sh

e here when

anged in her

shadow passed

e smile

cour

omi

gh the question had brok

e, my lit

ased h

asket and continued

she disappeared

unaware of how much pain a

-

n, the mansion h

inens toward the laundry room when

side the op

with two boys from the pack. One po

the Val

llowed

ately lo

he re

she still

he Alpha a

er boy

father betray

ghtened aroun

ssion became

say many

it t

hrug

it m

s laugh

king, forcing m

l spoke

rateful they're allowed

top

se words hurt more th

eren't being treated with kindness. We were being toler

undry room before any

gave us the remains o

building. The air smelled of damp clothes and woodsmoke. Somewhere

gainst her

the

darl

p, will we lea

paused ov

ou want t

want people to

or so long that

on the darkness be

, "leaving a place isn't a

hy

r the first time that da

ar of

ear o

hing

at made my s

, what'

ely drew me

ng, my

ut

of my head. "I am here. That

y arms arou

e tighter

plain, I wished I could s

e night wou

morning wou

eath the exhaustion and hunger, I sen

ther was too af

-

e to the sound of

thought I ha

ping through the broken window. The old blanket cover

ed tow

ge of the bed wit

the

re wiping her face

to sleep,

ed mys

e you c

m n

u a

fragile smile she tried to

poor was the worst thing th

ht it was the way

e her tears, I realized there was some

loved you most in the world was h

bed and wrapped m

me imme

ime, neither

whispered

aphi

, Mo

ens to me, I need you

away to l

going to hap

ps tre

en to

ok my

don't w

aphi

t you to tal

, and tears bl

d you would

ce cru

er arms, pressing my h

my love

ly, the way she ha

sor

and what she was

t I wanted her

my fath

d our h

knees and broken toys instead of whether the people who

me down and tucked the bl

, stroking my hair unt

imed me, I felt her l

remember that you

as speaking as though she

nds trembled whenever foot

tared into the darkness as though s

was

losed

at when morning came, my m

d us. I didn't know what my father had supposedly done, or w

e only person who had never made me feel ashamed of being a

o sleep, I held

ugh the courtyard, rattling the windows and

quiet footsteps mo

ame a

sharp

es op

nt comple

econds, neith

ck sounded, loud

r," a man's v

s face los

r door as though whatever stood on the other side was m