Page 96 of Cruel Juliet

And when I finally get my hands on them, they’ll be begging for death.

38

SIMA

The moment we step inside, something shifts.

The air feels lighter than it did before. The nervous tension that’s been gripping me since the hospital begins to ease.

I don’t know if it’s the familiar smell of the house or the way everyone seems genuinely happy to see us, but for the first time in days, I can finally breathe.

Everyone gathers in the entryway. I feel like Rafiki carrying baby Simba in front of the whole pride. And—is Anya actuallysmiling?

Oh my God. This is it. The end of the world. Not with a bang, but with Anya’s facial muscles remembering what it feels like to move vertically.

Anya moves closer, hands clasped together. I keep still like a helpless gazelle smack in the middle of the savannah, not a single tree to hide behind in sight.

“Bozhe moi,” she says softly, eyes bright with… Oh, fuck, are thosetears?“She’s so pretty! A perfect little angel.”

“Yeah,” I say awkwardly. “Circle of life, huh?”

“Come,” she adds quickly, “you must be tired. I’ll bring tea, fresh sheets, maybe soup? You look too pale. And skinny. We need to put some meat on those bones if you’re going to give this littlekoshkaa brother one day.”

“I’m fine,” I start to say, but she’s already bustling off, muttering something about heating water and finding the “nice” blankets.

God, where am I? Is this actually the Upside Down? Am I going to be communicating via blinking Christmas lights for the rest of my life?

“Look at that,” Luka whispers next to me. “You broke Anya.”

“I had no idea she could be broken.”

“Yeah.” He looks as confused as I feel. “Neither did I.”

“Can you, like, pinch me? Just an itty bitty bit?”

Luka goes deathly pale. His eyes dart to Petyr. “I don’t think that’s wise.”

Right. We don’t want Luka’s nose to be flattened again. He’s tall enough to pull off a perfect Lord Voldemort cosplay just with a head shave and a hoodie. No need to chase perfection.

I watch Anya go, still a little stunned. She was smiling. Still is.

Fuck. The world really has ended.

She keeps glancing back over her shoulder, checking on Lilia as she goes. It’s sweet, in a strange way. I didn’t expect it to feel this normal.

Even the men are different. The same ones who used to look at me like I didn’t belong now nod respectfully when they pass. Some even smile, awkward and small but real. It’s so fucking weird to see them soften this way.

Maybe it’s the baby. Maybe it’s Petyr’s ominous presence and the glares he keeps throwing everyone. Either way, the tension that used to sit heavy between me and the rest of the house is gone.

I’ve barely started to relax when I hear her voice from the hallway. “Is that them?”

Kira.

She appears in the doorway like the hologram of a pageant queen. If I thought Anya might pull a facial muscle, Kira’s smile is so wide that I start to wonder if she’s been swapped with a clone. Her dark hair is pulled into a loose bun, and she’s carrying a bouquet of pale pink flowers.

Flowers.

Forme.