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ABOMINATIONS

ABOMINATIONS

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.。o○o。.★.。o○o...

Five-year-old Elizabeth was crying.

She had done something bad—something wrong—and Daddy was furious. He yelled at her, loud and sharp, and called her a mean word she didn't understand at first. But she could tell by the way he said it that things had changed.

He wouldn't call her his little princess anymore.

Her chest hurt. Her hands trembled. And for the first time in her life, she was scared of her father.

She didn't understand why something that felt so good could be so wrong. When her hand had started to glow red, it had felt... amazing. Like eating too much candy. Magic tasted like candy to her—dangerous, exciting, sweet. She loved it.

"Will you stop crying?" came a grumble from across the room. "It's annoying and pathetic."

Her older brother, Malachai, sat cross-legged on the floor, fiddling with the frayed edge of a rug. He was two years older, and much meaner.

Daddy had moved her into Kai's room that morning—dragged her tiny bed across the hall and dumped it beside his. He said she didn't deserve her own room anymore. Said she didn't deserve anything.

He even let Amanda take her toys.

All except for Mr. Buttons, her teddy bear. She clung to him now, his fur damp from tears, because she'd snatched him before Amanda could get her hands on him. Daddy hadn't stopped her. Maybe he forgot.

"Daddy's mad at me," she sobbed. "He called me an abomiactoon."

Kai rolled his eyes. "Abomination," he corrected flatly.

"That's a dirty word. I don't like it." She hiccupped. "I liked it better when he called me princess."

"You'll get used to it."

He said it like someone who already had. Like someone who didn't know what it was like to be called anything else.

Kai scared her a little. He was mean to everyone—especially Amanda. He only ever smiled at Josette. They were twins. Twins were special, though she didn't really know why. All she knew was that Daddy had told them never to touch Kai. That he was dangerous. So she never had.

Not until now.

"I don't wanna be in here!" she shouted suddenly, tears returning in force. "Ama took all my toys and your room is ugly and boring and now Ama says we're not friends anymore because I'm like you!"

Kai looked at her, annoyed. "I can be your friend."

She glared at him through wet lashes. "But you're a meanie."

"I can be nicer," he offered, clearly forcing the words out. "We can draw something. Put it on the wall so it's not so boring in here."

Elizabeth stared at him, skeptical.

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