Page 49 of The Alien's Vicious Starflash Manor

The last time I was in here, I dropped a serving bowl when I found him with Lady Uanna. Before that, I overheard the Baron asking to...

I shove the thought away, focusing instead on the ornate white and blue wallpaper, the delicate frost patterns etched into the windowpanes.

Izzy trails behind me. She pauses in the doorway, taking in the elegant table settings and crystal chandelier with wide eyes.

“Fancy,” she mutters under her breath.

Before we can sit down, the door swings open and Adefina bustles in carrying a large tray. The familiar scent of her fresh-baked bread makes my chest ache with sudden longing for the safety of her kitchen.

She sets down plates of steaming soup, roasted vegetables, and thick slices of that heavenly bread—real food, not the raw meat and frozen delicacies the Icecaix prefer.

“I insisted on bringing this up myself,” she announces, her warm gaze fixed on me. “Had to see you with my own eyes, didn’t I?”

The cook shoots Ivrael a look that could freeze water—impressive for a Starcaix—before turning back to me with open arms.

I practically fall into her embrace, the soft roundness of her so different from the sharp angles of this frozen world. She smells like cinnamon and woodsmoke.

She smells like home.

“Oh child,” she murmurs, squeezing me tight. When she pulls back, her eyes are suspiciously bright. “You look well enough, I suppose. Better than when you were in my kitchen, at least.”

Hard to believe it’s been less than a week since the fire.

“Adefina,” I say, gesturing to my sister, “this is Izzy. The one I told you about.”

Adefina’s face softens as she looks at my sister. “Ah yes, the clever one. Welcome, dear. Though I wish it were under better circumstances.”

“Nice to meet you,” Izzy says. “Lara’s told me how kind you were to her.”

“Someone had to be.” The cook casts another pointed glance at Ivrael, who appears to be studying the ice patterns on his wine glass with great interest.

The door swings open and then closes again. I hear the buzz of wings before I see her, but I’m already moving around Adefina.

“Kila!” I exclaim, tears springing to my eyes. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

The pixie-like Starcaix raya flies over to me, hovering close to my face, her tiny forefinger wagging at me as she glares. “You left me. You went off and left me to die.”

My cheeks flame hot. “To be fair, I was pretty sure there was a good chance I could die too. Besides, I had to save my sister. You know how much that means to me.”

“And I don’t mean anything?”

My shoulders slump. She’s right. What I did to Kila was horrible, and I’ve been trying not to think about it, trying to convince myself that leaving her behind was the right choice.

Kila’s wings buzz angrily, and she spins around to see the room, her gaze finally settling on Izzy, who is watching us with huge eyes. “Is that her?”

“Yes. That’s my baby sister.”

Kila’s lips purse. “She does look pretty helpless.”

“She didn’t know anything about the Caix.”

“I guess you did have to try to save her.”

“I really did,” I whisper.

“But you failed,” the raya says pensively.

My voice drops even more, and I slump miserably. “I did.”

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