Page 154 of Seeking Shadows

“Laura doesn’t count. She has genius genes,” I muse. “Of course, she’ll be a composed person.”

“She got you there, Seth.”

Zane walks in soon after, stopping by the door and crossing his arms.

He watches everything without getting involved, then starts drawing something on his hand. I turn to Seth, who’s oddly in a good mood today. It’s good to see him like this.

Only then do I notice something strange on Seth’s face. I frown and step closer, holding his chin with my fingers.

"You’ve got blue glitter on your face."

"I don’t."

"Yes, you do."

"This is a false accusation, and I demand proof."

Laura sighs, not even looking up from her book.

"He fell face-first into the cake."

I let go of his face and widen my eyes.

"In the cake?"

"In the cake."

I finally glance at the table and see the two cakes. One of them is clearly mine—fluffy, with whipped cream and little dahlias in turquoise on the sides. The top has a smiling sun. It’s the most perfect cake in the world.

Next to it is the complete opposite—Seth’s cake. Dark, covered in red syrup that drips like blood, with a skull drawn on top.

It looks like something out of a horror movie.

"This is perfect!" I point to my cake.

"Exactly!" Seth points to his.

Laura gives a small, satisfied smile before returning to her usual expression.

"Pietro said we should buy a cake, but I preferred making one for each of you."

It’s only then that I notice Pietro leaning against the wall, watching everything with his arms crossed. He looks... relaxed? Well, relaxed by his standards. Even so, I straighten my posture before speaking.

"Oh, hi, Pietro!"

He studies me for a moment before nodding slightly.

"Happy birthday."

I blink a few times. Did he really just say that? Pietro being... nice?

See, I’m totally his favorite.

Before I can process, Seth points an accusing finger at him.

"To me, he says, 'I’m unhappy to know you’re living another year.' But when it’s to Mia, he says the whole words? With what appears to be a smile? Unacceptable."

Pietro raises an eyebrow, impassive.

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