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“Half-siblings?”

“Well, our father met my mother first. They were together for several years, and when they didn’t work out, he moved on to Darian and Edith’s mother. Our father died shortly after their mother did. They have no one now. No one but each other...” Celeste’s eyes glaze over in memory. “My mother is still in Helmbrook. I’ve debated leaving home to live with her, as I haven’t seen her since I was a little girl. I’ve always lived with my father. But ever since I learned of his death, I can’t seem to bring myself to leave the only home I’ve ever known.”

“How did he die?” I ask gently.

She blinks, looking down at her tea. “He died in battle.”

“I’m very sorry, Celeste,” I murmur.

She forces a grin, finally making eye contact with me. “Thank you. I’m looking forward to getting to know you and your family and to become a part of it. I adore Cole. And I love how tight-knit you all are. I’ve always wanted that.”

She drinks the rest of her tea and sets the cup down into the dish with a clatter. She flashes me a brilliant smile. “Now, what do you say we try on some dresses?”

“How am I supposed to walk in this without tripping?” I ask Celeste as I twist around, motioning to the plume of fluffy layers fanning out around me.

She giggles. “Very, very carefully.”

“Will I even be able to fit through a doorway?”

Now she really laughs, a full whole-hearted laugh that makes me smile. “Of course, silly! That’s what double-doors were invented for.”

I stare down at the fluffed dress, holding my hands out to the side to accentuate just how wide it is.

“Okay, okay. Fine. No ball gowns. How about you try this one instead?” She holds up another dress she’s selected.

I gulp. It’s a dazzling midnight blue dress edged in golds glimmering in the light streaking through the shop windows. Far too elegant for someone like me. I take the dress from her, staring down at the stitchwork. The quality of the fabric alone tells me it’s something I could never afford. Nor would it be something I’m comfortable asking Celeste to purchase on my behalf.

“Stop it, I told you I would take you shopping. Quit looking at the price tag, and go try it on!” Celeste eagerly flicks a wrist at me and sits back in her chair, crossing her legs.

Huffing my resignation, I slink back to the dressing room again. I shimmy out of the weighted ball gown and slide on the blue dress, pulling the silky material over my hips and chest. The dressmaker helps tighten the corseted back for me and hands me some tall, daggered heels. I shake my head, knowing I won’t be able to walk in them without tripping. She returns with a pair sporting a shorter heel.A kitten heel, she calls it.

My thoughts wander to Darian, before I yank them back.

After I slip the heels onto my feet, I finally dare a look at my reflection in a mirror.

It’s everything I would have dreamed of as a little girl and more. The midnight blue corset cinches my waist, and a sweetheart neckline plunges down to accentuate the curve of my breasts. Flecks of gold dust the rich blue material, and when I spin, it glimmers like sparks of a fire. I leave the dressing room and stand in front of Celeste.

She clasps her hands together, mouth dropped open in sheer excitement. “Kat...it’s…perfect. You are absolutely gorgeous.”

She turns to the shopkeeper and hands her a heavy bag of coins.

My eyebrows knit in confusion. “What about you? You didn’t even try anything on.”

“I know. I actually already picked out my dress. But don’t worry, I’ll have you come to help me pick out the big, white one.” She grins mischievously with a wink. “We’ve got to head to Skylark now, otherwise we’ll be late.”

“Skylark?”

“Yes, Skylark is our estate. It’s big enough to host a ball. Carlisle will be leading the squad so we can borrow Cole for a few days.”

My mouth goes dry at the thought of being separated from Daeja even longer. A few days? We don’t have a few days. Not to mention, I’ve never been apart from Daeja for that long. “Can you hear me from here?”

“Yes, why?”

I debate requesting her to follow me to Skylark but decide against it. It would likely be even more risky for her to move. Especially into an area we aren’t familiar with and especially since we can’t rely on her vanishing skills. Without the forest, and without the cover of darkness, she would be nearly impossible to hide.

“Apparently, I’m not coming back tonight. And it may be a few days before I’m back–”

“I’ll be okay,”she assures me. “I’ve been out here on my own, another day or two won’t hurt.”