Kings of Blood and Money (Underworld Kings)

Sticking my lip out, I push the food around my plate. “Okay. Goodnight.”

Rolling her eyes, she huffs, picking up some dirty clothes from my hamper before leaving. I don’t hear the clicking this time, just her hurried feet pounding down the stairs.

She didn’t lock the door…

I wait and wait for her to come back, for the door to suddenly click locked, but she hasn’t. Midnight is eating my fish, and I let him. He loves fish. Using both hands, I turn the handle and pull open the door. My cheeks suddenly go hot. My tummy feels like there are ballerinas dancing in it.

I should close it, get into bed, and go to sleep like a good girl, but I don’t want to. Maybe I could just go downstairs. Maybe go see the pool up close. Dominque would be mad…

“No.” I squeak when Midnight darts out the door and down the stairs. Chasing after him, I race down the stairs, whisper-yelling his name. “Midnight, come back.”

He darts across the hallway and disappears into an open room.

Pushing the door open farther, I creep inside. “Midnight?” I hiss, looking around the room. I don’t see him. The walls are blue in here with pictures of race cars. A TV bigger than my dresser on the wall, a PlayStation hooked up to it on the shelf below. I love video games. I wonder if this is Noah and Remi’s room. I’ve never seen or heard either of them, and I’ve lived here for months now. Midnight meows from across the room as he stretches on the middle of a bed twice the size of mine. He almost becomes invisible on the black duvet. Rushing to scoop him up, I hold him tight so he can’t jump out of my arms and run anywhere else. I notice a suitcase by the door as I leave the room.

Voices from the ground floor carry up to my ears, making my heart all jumpy. I should run back up to my room, but I want to see who’s down there. Taking a deep breath, I peer over the railing. Empty.

There’s no one. Maybe Dominque left my door open for a reason. Maybe so I could come out. There could be a party. Is it my birthday again? How long has it been? Walking to the top of the stairs, I sit on the first step, trying to listen. I hear voices, but they’re far away. Something smells really good. Pizza? I haven’t had pizza once since being here. Not fair.

“Shhh,” I warn Midnight, pressing my lips to his ear before tucking him under my arm. He’s so heavy now that he’s big. I tiptoe down the stairs, following the voices to the dining room where I eat with Father on Tuesdays. The doors are open. Father is sitting at the table, two boys on either side of him.

My tummy goes hard when they all turn to look at me at the same time. “I heard a noise,” I say dumbly. Wow, the boy who’s facing me has a chunk of hair missing from his head and there’s a cool Harry Potter line there.

“Why is your door unlocked?” Father asks, scooting his chair away as he gets to his feet, making it screech across the wood floor.

The other boy is staring at me like I’ve done something really bad. He gets up too and walks toward me. My heart is loud in my ears. He’s tall. He must be a lot older than me. He’s wearing jeans and a button-up shirt. His hair is as dark as the duvet in that room upstairs. Bright blue eyes glare at me, and I don’t like it. Reaching a finger toward me, he pokes my shoulder. “You don’t belong here.” The spot he poked hurts.

Looking down at Midnight, his lip turns up in a snarl. “Your cat stinks, and so do you.”

“Noah,” Father says in a deep tone.

“She shouldn’t be here,” he yells before storming out of the room. I hear his feet go up the stairs, and a door slams a moment later.

“Freya, go to your room and don’t come out unless you’re told to,” Father tells me. He’s not looking at me but down at the table, his hands gripping the edge.

Turning around, tears burn my eyes. Just before I disappear out of the room, the other boy calls out, “I think the cat’s cute.”

Four

Freya

Climbing on the small stool, I unlatch the lock to the balcony door and smile when I it opens with ease. Took me a year to realize I could do that. Now, it’s a ritual. I’m almost tall enough not to need the stool. Another few months, and I won’t need it at all.

I love the smell of the pool mixed with the trees, especially after it’s rained. I asked Father if I could learn to swim and he said he would get Mrs. Hale to teach me, but she always makes excuses not to. She looks really heavy. I bet she’s scared she’ll sink. I’ve lived here three years, and not once have I been in that pool. Remi goes in all the time. He loves to swim, and I love watching him mess around down there. He seems like so much fun, not like Noah, the stupid jerk.