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When the door closed, the servant went straight to Lady Fleur’s bedroom and knocked on her door. The youngest Orpheline daughter had let it be known that she was willing to pay an ample sum for all secret missives sent and received by Lady Soleil.

A sleepy-looking Fleur opened the door. “What is it?”

“What you told us to watch out for, milady,” the servant said.

Fleur became wide-awake. “A moment, please.” She hurried back to the room and when she returned, she handed the servant several notes in exchange of the missive. “Thank you.” She opened the letter and started to read.

Her brows furrowed.

What did it mean that her sister meant to forget the marquis for good?

SOLEIL WOKE UP EARLYthe next morning, her mind made up for good. She bathed and dressed in a hurry, leaving before any of her family had come down for breakfast. Upon arriving in ANEX, she went straight for the headmistress’ office for a meeting.

The secretary took her appointment book out, murmuring, “Your name has already been listed, but the headmistress has scheduled you for a meeting at seven o’clock.”

Forty-minutes from now, she thought uneasily. “Would an earlier appointment not be possible?”

“I’m sorry, milady, but the meeting preceding yours is not the type that I could reschedule.”

“I understand.” She stood up. “I shall return at seven then. Thank you.” Turning to leave, she thought about what to do to kill time. Heading to the library, Soleil hoped to find a book that would keep her from worrying but instead she saw her new student seated alone in one of the tables.

“Good morning, Zari.”

Zari appeared surprised but pleased to see her. “Oh, good morning.”

When the younger girl started to stand up to curtsy, Soleil shook her head with a smile. “No formalities between us when we’re alone, remember?” She gestured to the chair opposite Zari’s. “May I?”

“Of course.” As Soleil took a seat, Zari started uncertainly, “I’m sorry about what had happened.”

The day following her ordeal, Soleil had written right away to Zari, thanking her for sharing her vision but without going into too much detail about what transpired. She said slowly, “When you told me that there was a person trying to kill me, I thought you meant physically.” She paused. “But in the end, Crystal caused me even more pain by showing me the truth about...my life.”

“Are you speaking of milord’s other heartkeeper?”

Soleil was stunned, and if she had to admit it, she was also terrified. “Is it now common knowledge?” Because if it was, she just didn’t know how she could face the world again, with everyone aware that the marquis had chosen her to be his heartkeeper out of pity.

But he also saved your life by doing so,she reminded herself severely,so you must never hate him for it.

Zari was saying, “I...err...heard it from someone.”

The way the younger girl avoided Soleil’s gaze was telling. “Zari, you’re hiding something from me, aren’t you?”

Zari cleared her throat. “Umm...”

“Zari?”

“He always did tell me I suck at lying,” the younger girl muttered.

He being Alexandru Gheorgiu,Soleil thought. How strong this soul seer was, to not mind continuing to think about the manshe loved even when they were apart and there was no guarantee that they could be together again.

“I’ve decided,” Zari said out of the blue.

Soleil blinked when the girl suddenly stood up and began gathering her notes. “What have you decided?”

“Follow me to my room, please, and I shall show you something.”

“The last time someone told me that,” Soleil said lightly, “I almost ended up killed.” But even so, she couldn’t stop herself from following the soul seer, knowing at least that within the heavily fortified walls of ANEX, there was no chance of subterfuge and foul play.

As they made their way to Zari’s room, she asked the soul seer a question that had been on her mind for a long time. “Would you be able to choose the visions you see?”