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Al I snatched it and pressed the receiver to my ear

‘The auction will be held at two pm Friday,’ a man’s voice said in an Eastern European accent ‘And,’ he continued, ‘I must warn you She will not be cheap I believe there are already two Arab princes who are also interested What’s your limit?’

‘None,’ I said instantly In my mind she was already mine

A pause Then, ‘Very good’

I terminated the call There, it was done I had sealed both our fates My eyes seeking hers fell upon ain, as if it had happened yesterday, the sickeningly angry screech of ht with it a blissful silence, and then the bitter s low and smoke I had sizzled and cooked like a piece of steak on a fucking barbecue I thought of the shi waves that rose from my flesh and shuddered

My good hand moved upwards and stroked the raised scars on my face The truth yawned like a black mouth: she would never com

e to love er fit for love A beauty such as she was stardust I was destined only for the part of the lovestruck fool clutching vainly for the hem of her skirt as she blazed past My hand jerked with the sudden pain bloo in my chest It ate like acid It was so horrendous that tears filled my eyes and a howl escaped from my mouth The sound vibrated and echoed around the cavernous room like the cry of a wounded beast

The sound shocked and disgusted me I had never been weak And I was not about to start now I hardened my heart

And so fucking what if she would never come to know my heart? I would have her, anyway And think no more of it She would be hed out loud The sound rang out in the stillness Unlike the sound of hter was empty and soulless It disappeared into that deathly quiet castle and went to lie softly on my two secrets as they lay unconscious to the world

Chapter 1

Lena Seagull

My naull is the nicknaiven by those who knew hi from you, and when you were dead he would steal even your eyeballs

My first vivid memory is one of violence

I was not yet five years old and I had disobeyedhe wanted me to I cannot re set angry, he just nodded thoughtfully He turned toward my mother ‘Catherine,’ he said calmly ‘Put a pot of water on to boil’

I rehtened eyes clearly She knewa pot of water on the open fire of the stove

He sat and smoked his pipe quietly Behind me my sisters and brother huddled There were seven of us then I was the youngest Two more would come after me

‘Has the water boiled yet?’ my father asked every so often

‘No,’ she said, her voice tre on his pipe

Eventually, she said, ‘Yes The water is ready’

Two of an to sob quietly My father carefully put his pipe down on the table and stood

‘Coer Perhaps he even sighed

But by now un to fidget, fret and hop from foot to foot in abject terror I sobbed and cried out, ‘I’’

My father ignored me

‘Please, please, Papa,’ I begged

‘Put the child on the chair,’ he instructed

Mydown her cheeks, put me on the chair Even then I think she already knew exactly as about to happen because she smiled at me sadly, but with such love that I remember it to this day

I stood up and clung desperately to s My father ordered my older sisters to hold me down They obeyed him immediately

Reluctantly, ed her feet back to my father

With the dizzying speed of a striking snake he grabbed her hand and plunged it into the boiling water My ed and she opened her mouth to scream, but the only sound that ca to vorip, my father turned his beautiful eyes toward ray eyes and blond hair