Revelation (Private 8)

For a long moment Sabine said nothing. She sat back in her chair, rock still, and stared down at the

table, clearly trying to process everything I'd said.

"I can't believe this," she said finally. "Why did you not tell me this before? This person sounds

dangerous."

"I didn't want you to think I was crazy," I admitted, toying with my water glass. "I thought I could

handle it on my own. Or I thought it would go away. But it hasn't. It's only gotten worse."

Sabine pushed her tray forward and folded her arms in front of it. "And you have no idea who it

is?"

"No," I said miserably. "I thought I did, but..."

Sabine folded her napkin back over her lap. She pushed a stray strand of dark hair behind her ear

and looked straight at me.

"This may sound weird," Sabine said tentatively. "But have you considered Ivy?"

164

I had felt as if I had been spinning and spinning and spinning in place and someone had just held

out a hand to stop me. As if the whole world had just snapped back into focus. Finally.

"Why? Do you know something?" I asked.

Sabine glanced over her shoulder before leaning in even farther. "I didn't think anything of it at the

time, but I saw Ivy inside Billings the morning of the fund-raiser."

All the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. "Inside? How?"

"I think... I think she was visiting Rose. At least, she was coming out of Rose's room," Sabine

admitted. "I figured they were old friends so it didn't seem that strange to me, but now... it's kind

of a big coincidence, no? She could have left Cheyenne's perfume for you that day."

My mind reeled and a cold shudder passed through me, making me cling to my cardigan sweater.

Rose. Could Rose have been letting Ivy into Billings all that time? Could she have been helping Ivy

torture me? She was the only other person who had been in the room when Cheyenne had pulled

her blush bead act. It all made perfect sense. And I knew she was still friendly with Ivy. She and

Portia were the ones who had floated the idea of re-extending Ivy's invite to Billings at the

beginning of the year. Maybe she had been trying to bring Ivy and Cheyenne back together.

Smooth everything over. That was totally her style.

But then why would sweet little Rose want to stalk me? She had been Cheyenne's best friend. Did