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More supported than me.
You’ll accomplish more than I ever did.
And anytime I would get distracted—whether it was high school crushes, sneaking out to go to the movies, or slacking at school, she’d remind me of my goals in life.
“You won’t find Mr. Right skipping class,” she’d say. “I did. That’s how I ended up married to your father.”
“Hey!” Dad would say. Then they’d exchange one of their rare smiles at each other, and it would be like the conversation never happened. But I remembered it. I always did.
“If I made it into Fae house, there’s no excuse for you,” she’d promoted. “We don’t do bottom tier. Not in our family.”
Dad usually wasn’t around for the second part of the conversation.
“This is your last chance to impress the Houses before the final round of cuts.” I heard her stern tone through the phone as Aubrey entered. Gaksi’s bird form winked once, then flew out the window.
“I’ve arrived in your daughter’s room, Mrs. Deokhye!” Aubrey chimed.
“Hello, darling!” Mom screamed. I winced, cringing. She was so loud when she wanted to be.
Mom met Aubrey once when she tried to FaceTime me when we were braiding our hair together. Aubrey was a master at it, so it was usually spent with her doing my hair over and over again.
Once she realized Aubrey was just like her, she exploded with joy. “I knew you would end up in the right crowd eventually,” she’d said, “and Aubrey is definitely the right crowd for you. Smart, beautiful, well-mannered girl.”
To be honest, I thought my mother would be happier if Aubrey was her daughter and not me.
Especially when she learned Aubrey was an orphan. She’d all but cried and told her she was welcome to call her anytime. She’d even invited her to holiday dinners.
Cordelia wasn’t, though, which was a little awkward.
My mom liked Cordelia. But, “She won’t push you. Not like Aubrey will. Aubrey has ambition.” Never mind that Aubrey initially wanted to be an angel. As soon as she realized faeries were on top, she’d changed her tune. And when mom destroyed my room, Aubrey had agreed it was adequate punishment.
That made Mom like her. Overdramatic social climbers thought alike.
“You look like sin!” Aubrey exclaimed when I turned around.
I swirled my lavender dress around. It had a nude lining to give the illusion of wearing nothing underneath, cinching at the waist and flaring into a mermaid style at the knees. It draped across the bust, making my bosom look even larger, and fell in diagonals across, making my curves look especially striking. Gaksi had styled my hair into loose, effortless waves and painted black smoke along my eyes to make them look huge. Bejeweled earrings hung in my ears. Reaper’s amulet hung around my neck, rubbing against my brand with every movement, heightening my anxiety.
I curtsied. “And you as well, Aubrey.”
Aubrey dressed like a princess. She wore a bedazzled gold tiara, a spun-gold dress that reached the floor, and sparkling gold shoes. With red lipstick and simple eyeshadow, she looked like she just stepped out of a modern-day palace.
“Thank you,” Aubrey said. “But you… you look like you’re trying to raise the dead tonight.”
If only she knew. That I had been dealing with the dead and their master for weeks.
But enough of that. I’d had enough thinking about Reaper to last a lifetime.
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” I said. “Should we put on our masks?”
Each of us put on our fae house-gifted masks.
Mine shifted again into a luminous white swan, the glow making me shine in the light.
At first, Aubrey's had no effect. It changed to a flesh color, almost resembling her skin.
She tapped it. “Come on, work,” she muttered. It morphed into a chameleon mask, changing color depending on what she looked at.
“That’s pretty cool, Aubrey.”
