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How hadthings come to this point? Just a few days ago, the thought of getting along with anyone highborn would’ve been a complete joke to me, and now I was going to go to dinner with one? It was bizarre to think about. In fact, it was so crazy that it made me want to burst out laughing. The most shocking part about it all was that I was actually happy aboutit.

After installing the lock system,Christophe disappeared to go take care of what he called “clan business,” and I spent the rest of the day putting the final touches on everything before being driven back home byStephen.

The wailof distant police sirens greeted me as I stepped out from the back of the car onto the gritty sidewalk. In the entrance of my apartment building, that same damn homeless wolf raised his leg and pissed against thewall.

“C’mon, man,”I said, stepping around him, and he scowled at me like I’d wronged him somehow. A strained and distant howl pierced the air, followed by an echo of barks and yips. More sirens. Just another evening in theneighborhood.

Inside,Mom was snoozing in front of the TV in her wheelchair. Jennifer was at the kitchen table, doinghomework.

“Food’s in the fridge,”she said, looking up. “How was another day inparadise?”

“Great,”I said, and she gave me alook.

“Great?”

Iwentto the bathroom and removed the bandage from my hand, and then washed up. The wound had healed well. I threw the cloth bandage away, opting for a regular tape one instead. Another couple of days and the wound would be practicallygone.

Jennifer appearedin the doorway of the bathroom. “That wasn’t the answer I was expecting to hear. Has it really beengreat?”

Imovedpast her and went back to the kitchen. Inside the fridge was a plate of spaghetti and meatballs, and I stuck it in themicrowave.

“Mom made it,”Jennifer said, following me. “Took her forever, but she insisted. So, what’s it likethere?”

“About what you’d expect.You saw the place. They’ve got servants to do pretty much everything for them, even wipe theirasses.”

“Really?”

“Nah.Well, I don’t know. If there is, nobody wipes mine for me. But they do have servants doing practicallyeverything.”

“So… it’s great?”

The microwave beeped,and I put the plate of food on the table. It smelled wonderful. It made me happy that Mom was still able to cook, even though it must’ve been really hard for her todo.

“Not the place,I couldn’t give two dog shits about the servants and all that. It’s… I don’t know.” I suddenly felt awkward to be discussing this with my baby sister. We could break into houses together, but this was uncharted territory for me. “It’s been interesting spending time withChristophe.”

“Why?”she asked. She pouring herself a glass of water from the sink and sat down at the table withme.

“Idunno,”I said as I stuffed my face with spaghetti. “He’s not like what Iexpected.”

“It’s prettyweird that he’s being so nice to you,” she said. “What do you think he’s trying to getat?”

“Idon’t thinkhe’s trying to get at anything,” I said. “I never thought I’d say this about a highborn, but I thinkhe’s…”

Sexy as hell?

“…actuallyjust trying to do the rightthing.”

“Hounds of Hell,”Jennifer said, smacking her palm against the table. “What if he’s got acrushonyou?”

Icoughed,and nearly jettisoned a meatball across the room. “What?!”

“Yeah.What if he fell in love with you, and everything he’s done for you so far has been because he loves you? Wouldn’t that be so romantic? It’d be just like a story.” Then she burst out laughing and pounded her fist against the dinner table. “Except that’d never happen, because nobody would fall in love with your uglymug.”

“Jennifer,don’t hit the dinner table,” Mom said, halfasleep.

“Sorry, Mom.”

Mom responded with a loud snore,and Jennifer smirked at me. “Or maybe you’ve got a crush on him. Do you like him,Mason?”