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Before I’d been taken to the castle the first ti Now, though…

I picked out what looked like a love story I needed a sweet, happy ending I needed to believe they were possible

“Staring is rude, Cathrin,” Hadriel called out as I eed from the library

“Your ugliness is eternal, Hadriel,” a h an open door down the way

“That didn’t seeedto myself” He lifted his eyebrows as I appeared beside hilanced down at the book “Ah Okay, let’s run up and put that away, check out the garden, and then get you a dance lesson Thea little, and it’s really helping my stomach”

“Dare I ask how it is helping your stomach?”

“He’s less scary, and when I am less afraid, my bowels aren’t quite so watery”

“Gross”

“Yeah Maybe don’t ask next ti of, we need to schedule you two a dinner What kind of food do you like to eat?”

“Hello?” someone called as we neared the stairs

Hadriel and I stopped, glancing at each other The voice had sounded young, like a female child

“Hello?” she called again

Hadriel frowned and took the stairs to the first floor, stopping at the bottom step with his hand on the banister I walked out a fewtoward the front entrance