Chapter One

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I held the gun to Lisette's head. "Alright guys. In case you couldn't tell, I don't appreciate being held hostage. So now the hostagee is the hostager." That didn't make sense, but I didn't need to. Guns are kinda universal.

Bryant put his hands up in the air. "Calm down, Aphrodite. We're here to help." Lies. How disappointing, since he seemed like the nicest one.

"How stupid do you think I am? Now, everyone is going to do as I say, or I will bust a cap in everybody's butts." I heard that in a movie once. I thought it sounded very intimidating.

"Bust a cap?" Lisette laughed. She had some nerve snickering with a silver barrel to her temple. I turned the safety off because obviously, they weren't feeling very intimidated. "Aphro, please." Aphro? Oh, hell no. Just because my hair was frizzier than a lions' mane does not give her the right to make fun of me.

"You would be very intimidating if I couldn't read your mind." What does that even mean? I was about to ask when she added," And comparing your hair to a lion's mane is an insult to the lion."

Ooh. Burn. I felt like we were in third grade again, trading disses. At twice my age, you'd think she would've gotten over that, but if she wanted to go elementary, I was right there with her.

"Yeah, well... Yo mama's so dumb, she tried to put m&m's in alphabetical order." Don't judge me. I didn't know what else to say.

I couldn't see Lisette's face, but I assumed she was angry. It wasn't the best burn, but elementary-school-wise, it was enough. Back in third grade, when someone said something like that to me, I would get angry. You and me. Monkey bars. Thumb wrestling at three o'clock. Be there or be square. Then if that person actually did come, he regretted it, because I was the thumb wrestling champion.

"What, are you going to thumb wrestle me to death?" Lisette snapped. Oh, she did not just go-wait. How did she know I was thinking about thumb wrestling? Is she actually a mind reader?

"Yes I am, and I can tell you how to build mental walls up to block out mind readers if you come with us."

"No thanks. I doubt I'm going to meet a lot of mind readers, so I don't need your expertise."

"Actually, there are more than you may think. Mind readers are one of the most common forms of magic. I can also teach you to sense and use magic. If you would come with us."

"Eh, no thanks. I can do without magic, I have for the past fifteen years. I'm straight." I also heard that term on tv. It sounded cool, and seemed to get my point across, so I used it.

Erik, who had been silent since I'd asserted my dominance, stood up. "Aphrodite, we didn't want to have to do this. But we have Ben."

Two Days Earlier

"Aphrodite!" I whipped around. Busted.

"Yes?" I smiled sweetly.

That crazy old man came at me. "Just what do you think you're doing?"

Sigh. He always asks the same question, so I gave the usual answer: "Nothing."

I tuned out. He always blathers on and on about how my mother is such a kind woman and how I taint her name by causing all of this mayhem. His words, not mine. I like to think of myself as more of an adventurer, bringing excitement wherever I go.

"Why do you insist on doing all of this?" He asks.

Honestly? Because I'm bored. I've been here for over a month and have gotten in trouble 13 times all because I have nothing better to do.

This time he probably has a right to be mad. I was told not to touch this box. What? I didn't know it was a mixture of chemicals that when settled would turn into a beautiful color but unsettled has an explosive reaction. As soon as I touched it, it blew up in my face.

But was he worried about whether I was hurt? Nooo... He worried about his precious flower vases. That's basically the only reason he's yelling at me. He has nothing else to live for except for those dumb vases. But what I'm wondering is why did you leave those vases outside if you didn't want them to get broken?

I wish he would stop bugging me. I start to imagine a neighborhood without him... Man, that would be awesome.

Oops! I was so caught up in my daydreams, I didn't notice that my mother came.

She snapped her fingers in front of my face.

"Aphrodite Bellissima Carter! Now why would you do that when Mister Grumps specifically told you not to touch it?"

Mister Grumps. How... fitting.

"He never told me not to. At least, not that I remember of." I batted my eyelashes. Pshhh. As if that would work with my mama.

"Lies!" Grumps said. "She remembers! Oh, she remembers quite well. I don't know why you haven't shipped her off to some sort of military school for girls or something." I rolled my eyes.

"Aphrodite! You are in no position to be rolling your eyes. Apologize to Mister Grumps and go to your room immediately." She has the eyes of a hawk.

"I'm sorry." As I started to walk away, I muttered, "Yeah. Sorry that you're so grumpy."

"What was that?" Do hawks have crazy good hearing too? Because, if they do, my mother has them.

I smiled at her and hurried up into the castle that we call home.

Let me explain myself. My name is Aphrodite Bellissima Carter, daughter of Kim Regina Carter and John Robert Carter. Why do I have such a crazy name, you ask? Well, my parents use to be hippies. Yeah. They were all, Peace, Love, Kindness, and Disco. It's funny how people can change so dramatically, because now my mom is this semi-famous clothes designer, and my dad is this owner of a multi-million dollar corporation.

Seven weeks ago, on the last day of school before summer vacation, my dad was all like, Hey. I'm tired of this place. And my mom was like, Yeah. Let's leave the United States of America to go to Sor( one of apparently, many islands not even charted on maps), because we hate our daughter. Well, maybe not in those exact words, but that's what it translated to in my head.

The only good thing about this place is that our new house was an old castle with turrets and a courtyard and everything you imagine when you think of 18th century castles.

So now I'm like Rapunzel. Stuck in a castle with nothing to do but dream.

Yay.

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