Scarlett

“Scarlett.” My stepmother’s voice echoed. I struggled to stand on my feet. My conversation with my father last night hadn’t gone smoothly; it didn’t favor me. So he’d made sure to assign guards to monitor me all night to prevent me from running.

“Scarlett.” The voice came again. This time, I was already on my feet. I opened the door.

“Good morning, Luna,” I managed to greet her.

“What the heck are you doing?” she asked with a scornful expression.

“Nothing,” I replied weakly. “Do you need something?”

“Yes,” she said, brushing past me without waiting for an invitation. She settled into the chair by the window, her movements...