We returned to the tower a while after, after Uriel began to shake violently from the cold. He was so terribly weak, like a small animal. He looked up at me, scowling as always, except now his nose was pink and he looked quite adorable.

"If you were an animal, you'd be a rabbit," I said. I touched his face, but he recoiled quickly. "Go and change out of these clothes."

"I was going to regardless, thank you."

He left and I waited while amusing myself by walking around the guest rooms. Uriel and Yves shared one while Karl and Marcel shared another, and Dr.Gregoire had a smaller one to himself. I walked among the hallways were more framed butterflies hung. The wallpaper was breaking apart, and some of the gilded frames had rubbed off. Only the floor was hard and sturdy and I clicked my heels about them, enjoying the sound.

"Margery."

I turned to see Uriel, now in a wrinkled white shirt and new set of trousers. He pulled out a coat and was going to offer it to me until he saw I was still dripping wet and sighed. His hair, still damp, stuck to his forehead. I laughed and reached up to pull at him. This time he allowed me helplessly.

"Are you not changing out of that?" he asked with a glance downwards at my dress.

"I love this feeling. It's cold and heavy but it's something you don't always feel."

"The tower is cold enough."

"Is it?"

"What was it that you wanted to show me, anyway?"

"The rain, obviously. You'll never see rain like the rain in Jardin. People said they feel like hail, heavy and big. Cecile told me we have the strongest rain in all of Europe."

"That was what you wanted to show me?" He frowned. I giggled at his upset face.

"Next time you can show me something. Something about the outside world that I don't know. We can keep trading information like this. Wouldn't this help you too? You can include it in your book."

"You're right." A smile tugged at his lips. "Next time maybe I'll show you something, too."

"Yes." I wrung at my hair, making water drip onto the stone floor. "I hate being ignorant. I don't understand how the others stand this."

"There's books, isn't there?"

"I only read horror. I can't stand anything else, I don't know how Cecile stands reading those human books about—those worthless things. Money and marriage and 'true love'."

We started walking down the hall.

"But I love my sisters, despite it all." I'd die if they heard me say that, though.

"So will you bring them outside with you?"

"Yes. I know they wouldn't want to, that they'll stick to the traditions, but it's hurt all of them. You were there in the other tower that day, weren't you? Cecile cried."

"I know. I know, but I just don't know how you're going to do all of this—"

"Margery!"

I snapped my head up back in surprise.

Sabine stood there in the hallway, eyes wide open and lips parted. She blinked thrice before shaking her head.

"You—you went outside?"

I had forgotten I was soaked through, but I was secretly glad she hadn't heard what we were saying. I feigned horror.

"Oh, Sabine, please do keep it a secret!" I ran over to her and tried to take her hand, but she stepped back. I stood there, frozen. Why was she avoiding my touch? "Sabine?"

"Don't tell me, did you go with him?" she hissed under her breath, and then gave Uriel a quick glance.

"Yes, why?"

"Why?" She contorted her face. "Are you insane, Margery? You're not allowed outside! Certainly not with a human, too!"

"I'm sorry, Lady Sabine," Uriel quickly said, and started walking towards us. "I am responsible for—"

"Be quiet!" Sabine's eyes glimmered and she showed her canine teeth, so sharp they looked'd like a cat's. "This is none of your business! Don't think I'll forgive you if you say some predictable and sentimental apology!"

I recoiled back. "Sabine?"

"I—I'm sorry. You're right." Uriel whispered from behind me. I looked at him, who now tugged at his hair awkwardly. "I will leave you two be, and return for today. Have a good evening."

He turned and walked away, and I quickly faced Sabine again.

"What's the matter with you today?"

"What's the matter with me?" Sabine had on the same face, almost identical to Primrose. "Do you have any sense of danger? That human—he got you in trouble! Did you forget it was because of him that you got locked in the dungeon, and I went to give you my blood?"

"I know," I spat. "And I have a role to fulfill! I'm not having fun!"

"Really, you're not having fun?" she scoffed. "You sure did look happy talking to him."

"Sabine, I'm not in the mood for this. I want to enjoy my time when Agnes is away. I simply went outside because I haven't been able to step outside in so long."

"Then why did you not ask me, but had that human go with you?"

"He's going to be my prey," I said, voice low. "I need his trust. I told you, I'm not doing it for fun. I didn't choose any of this."

"Then can't you quit?"

I stopped. Her face was suddenly different. She was frowning, and her lips trembled.

"Can't you—can't you give up on him?"

"Give up?"

"Yes, give up on him. It will be fine. We can go back to the old days." She looked down. "We haven't spent any time together anymore. Recently all you do is spend your days with him and nights with Agnes or Cecile. Why?" She peered up at me, and I felt a pang in my chest.

"I—I have to gain Agnes's trust, and make her think I'll give her a daughter, Sabine."

"Why?" She widened her big beautiful blue eyes, and they looked like lakes. They were wet. "Is it that important? More important than me?" She reached for my hands, and suddenly, before I could comprehend what I was doing, I slapped her hand away.

She stared at her hand, jaw slack.

I stepped back. I had never hurt Sabine before. We had fought before, but never had I slapped her hand. I never raised a hand to her.

She looked at me, and a teardrop ran down her cheek. Then another. She struggled to whisper my name.

"Margery?" I gulped and turned away. I couldn't bare to see her face.

Of course it was important. It was the goal of my life. It was the only way I could trick Agnes, and get the freedom I have yearned for all my life. The freedom my mother never had. The freedom I wanted for Sabine, and Cecile, too.

"I'm sorry," I said, but there was no feeling in it. "Please, leave me alone."

I went to the staircase that lead back to my tower, and for the first time, a strange feeling overcame it.

What was it? Annoyance? Anger?

No, I had felt those things often with the Elders, but never with Sabine. I've fought with her before, when we were younger, over things that never mattered much and therefore I've forgotten, but it was different now. I had been genuinely upset with her, and wished she left Uriel and I alone.

Because truth was, as much as Sabine tried to help me, she couldn't understand me. She wasn't tied down to the clan like me. If she wished, she could leave and procreate with a human. If she wished, she could defy the Elders.

I couldn't. I was going to be the head of our clan one day. I was never going to leave this place, never going to wear pretty new dresses like the humans wore in the capitals, or ride trains in the cities, or go and dance in rains other than that of the world.

I've always resolved myself to this fate, as long as it meant I'd get my revenge one day. But now I was going to get freedom. I was close to it.

***

That night Agnes came home and called us girls to the drawing room. I hadn't been there in a long time, gathered with the other girls, so I was surprised. Agnes had came back with some gifts. Delicate lace collars for Adalyn, Bernadette, and Lark, a vial of perfume for me, a comb for Cecile, and two hairpins for Sabine and Priscilla.

"Did you order the dress?" Priscilla asked as she twisted her hair and then stuck the hairpin through it.

"Yes, yes, and I ordered one for each of you," Agnes said, sitting down. "Aren't you glad, Priscilla, dear?"

"Why, yes!" Priscilla beamed. "Thank you so much!"

I narrowed my eyes at Agnes. Something was wrong.

"That's kind of you. What brought on the sudden change in heart?" I had expected her to give in to Priscilla's demands, after all, she was her guard dog now. But why the others?

"There's no reason, Margery." She tilted her head up smugly.

"Come here, Sabine," Agnes suddenly called, and turned to her. "Come here, let me put the pin in your hair."

I looked at Sabine, but she wouldn't look at me. Eyes glassy, she walked slowly to Agnes and then bent down before her. Smiling, Agnes closed her eyes.

"Oh, how nostalgic. It's been so long since I've done this for any of you. Remember when you were younger, and I taught you girls how to do your hair? Priscilla screamed on and on how it hurt, Sabine was always quiet, and Cecile and Margery preferred their hair down."

"Yes, I remember!" Priscilla sighed. "Those days when Margery wasn't everything." Agnes chuckled.

"Wasn't it wonderful back then, Sabine?"

I didn't understand. I looked at Sabine, but she wouldn't turn to me although I was sure she felt my staring. Agnes finished adjusting the pin in Sabine's braided curls.

"There!"

"What are you talking about?" I hissed. "Those days weren't—"

"Yes." Sabine raised her head at Agnes. "Thank you, Agnes. I am truly thankful."

Then, slowly, Sabine picked up Agnes's thin and bony hand, paler than chalk, blue veins bursting through, and planted her sweet pink lips upon it.