Shady

“Oh, I’m-!” Was she seeming hostile? She didn’t mean that at all. She blushed a little. “Everyone here is already very, very nice, ma’am. I quite like everyone.” Even if ...

“…hopefully…” she nodded. “Once things calm down a bit more…”

“…maybe,” she grumbled. “…Jerica, anyway. If she wants to get to know me more.”

She nodded, frowning. “…siblings I’ve been lied to about my whole life and don’t know…”

Talia nodded. She’d need to be as careful around this lady as well then. “That’s nice as well.”

Ky nodded. “… there are others, too.”

“That’s sweet,” Talia said gently.

“Oh, wow!” She blinked at her, startled, but then smiled a little. So they genuinely were friends, then. She supposed this lady would know how much teasing Lord Ash could ...

“Yes… well… I want to…if she wants to…” Ky hugged her knees tightly. “She’s my… sister.”

“She’s not.” Ky sniffed and rubbed at her face. “Or… maybe she is. I don’t know. She’s probably stronger.”

“…so you’re… friends? With his lordship and her ladyship?”

“…I don’t know… she sort of has a reputation for it… but I don’t know if it’s warranted. I barely know her… but this time was… justified.”

Talia’s eyes went wide but she dipped her head. “Yes ma’am.” Absolutely not. Imagine confiding in a noble . Absolutely not.

“I have no idea,” Ky admitted with a shrug.

Ky nodded. “…Septimus is really mad about it. That’s why he woke me up…”