“I guess.” I stumbled out of bed, making my way to the bathroom. After flushing I went to the sink to wash my hands. It was habit to check my reflection. As I let the water run through my fingers I studied my face. Flawlessly creamy skin. Perfectly pert nose. Red lips. And hazel . . .

I leaned in closer. My eyes were different. Usually I had a yellow ring around the outer edge, but today the ring was a thick orange. I dried my hands and stuck my face right up to the glass. And that’s when I remembered what’d happened in the wine cellar.

Greg and I had gone down there together. Then I’d tried to kiss him. And he’d . . . he’d . . . what?

For your vanity, your cruelty, and your cold unfeeling heart, a curse I leave upon you . . .

The words, his words played themselves over in my mind. He’d called me vain, cruel, cold and unfeeling. He’d said he’d cursed me and then he’d changed into something, like a ghost or mist. The wine cellar had shaken and crashed in around me. I’d been bleeding, hadn’t I?” I studied my face, checked my arms and hands. Not a single scratch was visible anywhere.

“What a jerk,” I whispered, trying to forget his words but they seemed to get louder. Whatever he’d changed into had vanished into thin air. It was unexplainable. A feat, until that moment I believed only happened in fairy tales.

“Mrs. Dotts sliced up some watermelon, cantaloupe, and strawberries. She also topped it with—”

I yanked the bathroom door open. “I want steak. Rare,” I growled, interrupting Celeste. The words came out before I could think about them. I wasn’t a big meat eater. But today meat was all I could think about. I was ravenous for it.

Celeste hesitated slightly, eyeing me and then the fruit and then me again. “Yes, Miss Beatrice.”

I went into my closet.

“I’ll let Mrs. Dotts know right away,” Celeste continued.

“That’ll be fine,” I hollered, scanning the closet, trying to remember how I got from the wine cellar to my bedroom. There were suits on the floor, including the red one I wore yesterday.

I heard my door open. “Celeste, can you come in here a moment?”

There was a clattering of utensils and I realized she’d been taking my tray of fruit with her. “Yes?” She entered empty handed.

“Did you help me change?” The last I remembered I was being cut to pieces by wine bottles. An enormous light fell on me, cracking my head open. The feeling as the heavy light hit my head, and the way the glass cut my skin was still fresh in my mind. A quick check in the mirror verified I didn’t have a single scratch.

“Yes, miss.”

I caught her gaze in one of the many mirrors in my closet. Celeste was an older woman, probably in her late forties. She had mousy brown hair, a few wrinkles, and a firm worker’s body under her uniform of gray skirt, white shirt, tights, and practical gray shoes. At least her body wasn’t soft like some of the other servants. “How did I look?” It frightened me to think about how I got from the wine cellar to my room. And the curse? Why had Greg cursed me? And what was the curse? I forced myself not to think about the way I saw Greg change from a hot college guy to a dark mist.

“Tired. You appeared to be almost asleep where you stood.” She went over and picked up the swimming suits I’d tried on yesterday and began folding them.

“They’ve been on the floor, the suits need to be washed,” I snapped.

“Yes, Miss Cavanaugh.” She set them in the laundry basket.

“I was wearing a crown yesterday, remember?”

“Of course. It is very beautiful.”

“I know. Where did you put it?”

“Right here.” Celeste opened the cupboard above the drawers. The crown sat on the mannequin head.

She leaned in closer. I heard her suck in her breath.

“What is it?” I asked, ready for her to go and get me my freaking steak. My hunger grew stronger by the second. It was possible I might be able to eat two.

“The red jewel in the center? It’s gone.” Her voice had gone soft and her eyes flicked back and forth.

I peered closer. She was right.

“That diamond is worth eight million dollars, Celeste. You’d better find it.”

The maid got on her hands and knees, searching under the drawers and all along the edges. I casually glanced around the closet as well. When Celeste finished, she stood, but kept her head bowed. “It isn’t here.”

“Was it on my head when I came upstairs?” I went over to my makeup desk and peered around the bottles and containers.

She seemed to think about it. And that’s when I knew. “You stole the diamond, didn’t you?” I slapped her face. “You think you can steal from me and get away with it?”

“N—No, Miss Cavanaugh. I didn’t take the diamond. I wouldn’t do that.” I let out a roar. It felt good, right. “You’re lying!” I reached out and twisted my fist into the collar of her white button down shirt, lifting her off the floor. A part of my mind wanted to be shocked at my newfound strength, but my fury overpowered everything else. “Tell me the truth or so help me . . .” I let the sentence die in my throat. So help me what? What would I do to her? Kill her? Just that thought sent my mind into a whirlwind. I didn’t understand what was going on inside my head.

“Swear—No—Diamonds.” Her words came out in gasps and her fingers dug at my fist. I was choking her. That was clear by the change from cream to purple on her face. If she died it would serve her right. Stealing wasn’t something I accepted with any sort of leniency.

When I was fourteen one of my friends stole a necklace from me and claimed I’d given it to her. I made her pay until her family finally moved out of state.

“Please.” Tears lined her lashes and leaked down her cheeks. One dripped on my arm. I watched as it slowly crawled up my skin. Its perfectly round wetness sparkled in the light. A figure appeared within the tear. I peered closer and saw a hideous beast.

Forcing down a scream, I took a deep breath and dropped her. “Fine.” She fell in a heap to the floor, taking giant gasps and coughing. “But I’m going to call the police.”

It didn’t take long for the police to arrive. When I explained the situation, they placed Celeste under arrest and took her away in handcuffs. She was sobbing, still claiming her innocence. I knew better. She’d always seemed overly polite and hard working. No one could be that decent.

Mrs. Dotts and Isaac watched the situation unfold from the front porch. Mrs. Dotts hugged Celeste. “Good-bye.” She wiped her face and glared at me.

“You have something to say?” I asked, returning Mrs. Dotts’ sad gaze with daggers of my own.

“No, Miss Cavanaugh.”

“I didn’t think so. Bring a rare steak to my room.”

“Yes, Miss Cavanaugh.” Her voice was laced with disappointment.

“Hurry up,” I snapped, climbing the steps and walking past her and Isaac into the house. “And make it two,” I added. I trudged up the stairs to my room.

My cell phone vibrated as soon as I opened my bedroom door. It had been placed upside down on my bedside table. I picked it up. It was a voice message from my mom. I debated whether to listen or not, but after a few seconds decided I should.

“Hello, Beatrice. This is your mother.” Her voice sounded strange. Garbled. Scared. “We’ve gone away for the summer. Your dad and I need some time away from . . . everything.” She’d paused and I knew the word “everything” was code for me. They wanted to get away from me. “I’m sure you’ll have a great time on your own. You’re all grown up now.” She sniffled and I wondered if she were crying, which was impossible. I’d never seen my mom shed a single tear. I didn’t remember her ever being sick either so it couldn’t be a cold. She cleared her throat. “You may start to experience some changes.” That part bothered me the most. Changes? What kinds of freaking changes? “Seek out the Vaktare histories.” Then I heard my father interrupt from the background. “You’ve said too much. Hang up.” Mom sighed. “Take care, Beatrice.” Then she was gone.