Page 91 of Hidden

She looked different.

Hanah used to have waist-length, straight brown hair, and, to my adoptive mother’s annoyance, wore her skirts in dark colors with holes in the knees of her tights. She always had the appearance of someone who couldn’t quite scrub the dirt from her skin or from under her nails, and there was a soft feminine beauty within the sharp angles of her face.

But when her deep chocolate eyes snapped to mine, I was certain it was her.

Julian had said they knew my sister, but still. It was a surprise to see her here, talking so casually with Julian.

It had been eight years. I hadn’t seen her since the day she and our mother fought. She was upset about something, and she stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind her.

In all my life, she was the closest thing to a sibling I’d ever had. Bryce didn’t count, and Brayden and I were still learning about each other, though it could be said that I knew more about Brayden than Hanah.

But itfeltlike I knew her despite her absence. Our mother would always talk about her.

I shook my head, catching myself before my thoughts rambled away from the topic at hand.

Hanah sighed, her shoulders slumping as her hands ran through her pixie cut. “Hello, Bianca.”

“Hi…” I said again.

And the moment of silence that followed seemed to stretch on for an eternity.

“Well this is awkward,” Bryce said, stepping up beside me. “I wonder how we could diffuse the tension. If only we had a source of comedic relief.”

The pretty, dark-skinned woman narrowed her eyes at Bryce. Her mouth opened, but then slowly closed before she shook her head. After a long moment, she spoke. “I can’t. It’s too easy.”

Her voice sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place it off the top of my head. “Do I know you?”

Julian stiffened and she blinked, looking at him first. But then her attention returned to me.

“Youmayhave seen me before,” she said cautiously, shifting on her feet. There was a melodic ring to her voice that pulled at me. “We went to the same high school.”

“Bianca, this is Kayla Taylor.” Julian gestured to the woman before he pulled me to his side. “She’s my cousin, and my Jiangjun.”

“Jiangjun…” I glanced at him. “Like Matheus, Brayden, and…” Hanah was shifting nervously, and I recalled the Damen’s fleeting statement about my sister. “Hanah? How long…?”

Had Hanah known who I was the whole time?

“Officers are sorted into their eventual quintets when they are thirteen, but quintets aren’t sealed until everyone is of age,” Bryce said, misreading my expression. “Hanah is the oldest on the Jiangjun level.”

This only solidified my suspicions.

“You left when you were eighteen…” I said, attempting to keep the accusation from my tone. At that point, Hanah knew her place in this world. She had known Miles. She bit her lip, averting her gaze.

I would have to ask. “Did you know who I was? What about—”

“They thought they were protecting you,” she interrupted, correctly guessing at my question. “Mother isn’t the best at handling sensitive situations. But this isn’t the best venue to be having this discussion.” Hanah gestured around the shop.

To my surprise, the movement of her arm ended with her hand outstretched toward mine. “Your phone?” she asked. “They can’t really keep me away anymore. Let me give you my number and we’ll talk. That would justburnthem.”

“Are you being vindictive?” Bryce asked, raising an eyebrow. “This is unlike you.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said, not moving her gaze from mine as I slowly gave her my phone.

“You talk more now,” Kayla noted, tilting her head. “You always used to hide behind Finn, letting him speak for you.”

Julian’s arm went rigid and his breath hitched, but I ignored him. We all knew about his loathing of Finn.

“It wasn’t that much…” I protested, even though it was. In fact, I was surprising myself by even continuing this conversation. However, with Julian’s presence surrounding me, it was difficult to feel the anxiety that would normally leave me speechless. He was probably doing something, but I’d confront him about it later.