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“Doesn’t that annoy you?” he asked me

“No,” I replied, lifting s up and under me

“Why?”

“Because there is no spider in that web; she’s a fly that’s stuck, too,” I stated, opening the letter

ETHAN

I watched her sit with her head held high in her throne-like chair, reading the letter Since I knew my mother was alive, I was sure the reason the letters she had left for me always felt so relevant was that she was ht I needed them My mother could watch over me all the ti to do I knew she’d written this letter before I’d even thought of using Ivy because I’d seen this letter withet that one done with The letter itself was short and si, there was a reason

“I need a lighter,” she said, looking around her desk

Getting up, I moved to her, and lifted one of the fountain pens frohter “So fancy All e colors,” she mocked me

“I’ll order you soainst the desk

“Brilliant, have theraved with my name, too,” she ordered, and that was the difference

It hat attracted otá—she spoke to me as if I were her equal, sometimes actually lower Her innocent act, that was reserved for people she didn’t think were on her level Basically, she spoke down to them, and they didn’t even realize it She even spoke to Giovanna in a cold voice Those she did not respect, she was very polite to

I watched as she put the paper in the silver tray she’d gotten from the counter and set it on fire like my mother had asked…like Ivy had failed to do

“Your mother should have been a spy,” she said and lifted the paper With the old ink gone, a new letter for since she, who shall not be named, did not burn this, you haven’t read it, either?”

“It’s not addressed to me”

She sat back in the chair, and because she was also a dra her throat “Your lad to knowas sheshe could be”