AIKO
Before my sister could answer, a knock at the door interrupted us. The sound was sharp, urgent, and we both tensed. Sakura poked her head in, her serpentine eyes wide with excitement, the slitted pupils expanding in the dim light of my bedroom.
"Oh good, you're awake!" she exclaimed, her voice carrying that slight sibilant quality all the naga-born shared. "Father's looking for you. Something about final fittings for your engagement gown. He's in a mood—he broke three glasses at lunch when the wine wasn't the right temperature."
My stomach dropped, a cold weight replacing the warm glow that had been there moments before. The engagement ball. Two weeks away, and suddenly too close and not close enough all at once.
"Tell him I'll be right there," I said, forcing a smile that felt br
