Chapter 1

“I thought you might be behind this. The flourishes in your handwriting felt vaguely familiar. But I really hoped it wasn’t you, Shade,” I said, glaring.

I recognized my adoptive younger brother’s face instantly—obviously, since we’d been living under the same roof until just a few months ago. I certainly hadn’t hoped to see him againhere, and I’m sorry to say that our reunion was not at all a happy one.

Shade looked back at me, his face frozen into an affectless mask, but I could see a trace of delight in his eyes.

***

Let me give you a quick rundown of what’s happened so far.

A letter had been left on my doorstep early this morning, most likely by the ringleader of this whole mess, El. I remembered the address it’d invited me to as I was chasing after Lily’s kidnapper, which led me to this mansion. As soon as I set foot inside, I found myself face-to-face with Prince Seth again for the first time in a long time. And once we’d ascended the staircase, whom should I happen to find but my adoptive younger brother, Shade, sitting comfortably on a sofa?

It was still too early to say if this meant that Shade was El. But judging by how at ease he looked, it seemed pretty safe to assume that he hads