“Thank you, father,” we mutter in unison, and I smirk to myself before returning to my soup.
I pretend not to notice my half-siblings staring at me in contempt and busy myself with the food before remembering what I was going to say.
I wait for a lull in the conversation before addressing my father again. “Forgive me for changing the topic, I just had another question.”
“What is it?” he stares me down, as if to warn me not to say or ask anything dumb.
God, these people really underestimate me.
“I was under the impression Secondborn were supposed to follow the rules of the Firstborns?”
I put on an innocent face and bat my lashes at my father. I can feel Brazen steaming from the seat next to me, but I ignore his hand which is now on my knee, fingers digging into the skin painfully.
“That is how it’s supposed to be,” father nods. “And has been since Eden Falls was established by the six founding families.”
“Right, right,” I purr. “So, would you say it’s against the rules for a Secondborn to say, hit a Firstborn?”
Bryony laughs at the idea and my father glares. “Of course, it would be against the rules.”
“See, Brazen?” I turn to face him, blinking fast to look even more innocent as I give him a triumphant look. “I told you father would get mad if you hit me. Especially here.”
I touch my fingertips to my cheek, making a pouty face.
“I’m going to bruise for my first party.”
“You hit her, son?” Father asks calmly and Brazen looks up from his food wearing an apologetic grin.
“I just thought she needed to be taught some manners, father. You know, she’s been raised so poorly, she doesn’t even know how to use the right goddamn cutlery.”
“Language!” Bryony trills, but everyone ignores her.
Even Tianna’s looking between the three of us, ignoring her food and waiting for the outcome with bated breath.
“I don’t give a shit what you thought,” father hisses at my younger brother. “That’s not your call to make, and you know that damn well. You only hit her when I tell you to hit her. I don’t want to expect this kind of slip-up from you, Brazen. I don’t want it happening again. Do you understand?”
His lips form a thin line and he retrieves his hand from my knee.
I breathe a sigh of relief as his lip curls up in disgust and he mutters, “Yes, father.”
“Good.” Father returns his gaze to the food in front of him, waving his hand. “No party for you next week.”
“You’re going to pay for this,” Brazen hisses at me under his breath, but I just give him a wide smile in return.
I may not ne winning the war yet, but this battle’s all mine.
As we move on to the next course, I promise myself I’ll be damned if I’m going to sit at home all day just because the Oakes stole my former life from me. I’ll be damned if they’ll break me. I’m not like the girl before.
I’m nothing like Lily Anna at all.
Six
Pandora
Kelley, the driver, come to a stop in front of Tianna’s school first.
She’s two years younger than me which means she’s still going to Eden Falls High, while Brazen and I are both starting at Eden Falls Prep this fall. It’s an elite prep school that lasts for two years after high school. There’s only a hundred of us in the whole school, and everyone knows everyone.
Except for me – this is my first day, and I feel clueless.