“Do you have a boyfriend?”
Galizia pauses. “No.”
“Girlfriend?”
“No.”
“Dog? Cat? Bird?”
“No.”
“Are you from around here?”
“No.”
“Where are you from?”
Galizia ignores her, but Chloe is persistent.
“How old are you?”
Galizia keeps walking.
“What’s the B in your name stand for?”
No answer.
“Is it Beth?” Chloe guesses. “Belinda! Bonnie. Bethel?”
“Bellatrix!” I yell excitedly.
“Chill out, J.K. Rowling.” Chloe snorts. “Bianca? Betty? Brittany? Bridget?”
“I once named a raccoon in my neighborhood Bridget,” I murmur.
Both Galizia and Chloe glance at me skeptically.
“What?” I ask, defensive. “I never had a pet.”
“Yeah…” Chloe winces. “You should keep that particular story to yourself, E. Especially when there are press around.”
I elbow her sharply in the side.
Galizia just shakes her head, as though we’re terribly tiresome, and keeps walking down the dark path that leads back to the castle. It looms large in the distance, a dark shadow that grows bigger as we approach. My eyes fixate on the tallest turret, silhouetted against the stars, the waning moon shining like a beacon behind it.
I bet the constellations look incredible from all the way up there. I bet you could reach out and pluck one straight out of the sky.
Chloe’s still rattling off names. “Bree? Barbara? Oh, what about—”
“Chloe, you’re wasting your time. Galizia is a locked box. I’ve been trying to get personal information out of her since we met, like, a million years ago—”
“A week,” Galizia corrects wryly.
Undeterred, I continue. “—and she never tells meanythingabout herself.”
“Hmph. Fine. Whatever.” With a displeased grunt, Chloe finally gives up her interrogation.
For a while, there’s only the sound of our feet crunching against the frozen gravel and the faint whisper of wind blowing through the leafless trees. We’re nearly back at the entrance to the castle when Chloe glances at my guard with an intent, extremely serious look on her face.