Chapter 2

Her bold perfume smelled of lily of the valley and rose. Her deep red, black, and purple clothes hung in the wardrobe like silent soldiers. Her delicate watercolors of flowers and birds were as refined as she was.

A photo of her and Arnold hung on the wall.

She was radiant. His eyes were full of light.

It was a light I'd never seen before.

I sat at her vanity and opened a drawer. Inside was a diary.

The diary had a leather cover and gold-trimmed edges and was clearly custom-made. I opened the first page. My sister's bold, arrogant handwriting stared back at me. [My little sister Erin is the perfect stand-in. I disappeared on purpose so Arnold would find her.

[Once I'm done having my fun, when I come back, the guilt he feels will make our love even stronger.

[That idiot Erin actually thinks she found true love. Ha. She's not even a vampire. Just a human.

[Once she's helped me keep Arnold attached, I'll come back. By then, he'll love me even more for the three years I was 'wronged.']

My hands started shaking.

I turned the page. [The Progenitor Blood Pool is on the third sublevel beneath the castle. When I come back, I'll use that power to become queen. Then no one will dare look down on me."]

She knew about that too. She knew everything.

I closed the diary, hands trembling so badly I could barely hold it. Tears dripped onto the cover, spreading into dark stains.

So that's how it was. I wasn't even a stand-in. I was my sister's pawn.

I was a tool she used to trap Arnold in guilt.

She disappeared on purpose so Arnold would find me, so he'd mistake me for her. Three years later, when she came back, his guilt would make him love her even more.

I was simply a disposable piece to be discarded after use.

But I memorized the location of the Progenitor Blood Pool.

In that moment, for some reason, a voice inside me whispered: Go there. You'll find your answer.

I wiped my tears, put the diary back, closed the drawer, and shut the door.

As I left the room, I took a deep breath.

Erin, you have no way back.

Three days later, Arnold held a third anniversary celebration for "Eve."

The ballroom blazed with light. Crystal chandeliers refracted brilliant beams across every face. Nobles from the great vampire families gathered in lavish gowns and ancestral jewels, raising glasses to the music.

Arnold took my hand and announced to the crowd, "This is my fiancée, Eve."

He'd never acknowledged me in public before.

This was the first time.

But he was still calling me by my sister's name.

I wore Eve's deep red satin gown with a train and tiny rubies at the neckline. Her pigeon-blood red pendant hung heavily against my collarbone. Even my hair was pinned up with a diamond clip in the style she preferred.

Every gaze said the same thing: This human woman is the vampire prince's private plaything.

I didn't care.

As long as he was good to me, I could endure anything.

Halfway through the banquet, the doors swung open.

A woman with silver hair and crimson eyes stood in the doorway, draped in a black satin gown. She was half a head taller than me, chin tilted up, gaze sweeping the ballroom before landing on me.

It was Eve.

She was my twin sister.

Her hair was longer than mine, her gaze sharper, and she radiated the undeniable superiority of vampire nobility as though looking down on the world from above.

"Arnold," she said, voice lazy and certain. "I'm back. Thank you for taking care of my little sister these past three years."

The room erupted.

The sounds of falling glasses, scraping chairs, and rising whispers tangled together like a dull blade carving into my chest one cut at a time.

Arnold froze. He looked at Eve, then at me, the color draining from his face. His hand, which had been holding mine, let go. For the first time in three years, he let go.

Two identical faces. He'd been wrong for three years.

"Eve... is it really you?" His voice shook.

Eve walked to his side, looped her arm through his, and kissed him on the lips. "The one and only. Thanks for holding down the fort, little sister."

Everyone was staring at me.

"She was simply a stand-in?" someone gasped.

"And her own sister? How pathetic." someone added.

"Humans don't belong in the vampire world." another jeered.

I looked down at the dress I was wearing, one of Eve's old gowns from three years ago. The sleeves were fraying, and a small patch of the hem had faded.

I'd worn it for three years and never noticed.

I was only her shadow.

Eve walked up to me, smiling sweetly. "Does the dress still fit, little sister? I forgot to take it when I left. Thanks for keeping it safe for me."

She reached out and smoothed a wrinkle at my collar. Her nails were painted deep red, the same shade as the ruby necklace Arnold had given me.

I lifted my head and met her eyes.

She was smiling, but her gaze held only the condescending pity of a victor.

"...Here," I said quietly.

I unclasped the necklace and placed it in her palm. The moment my fingers touched her hand, I felt her squeeze as her nails dug into my skin.

It hurt.

But I didn't pull away.

"And the dress," I said. "I'll have it sent over tomorrow."

Eve's smile widened. "No rush. You can keep wearing it. It's not like you have anything else, right?"

She knew. She knew everything.

After the banquet, Arnold, Eve, and I faced each other in the study.

The study was large, three walls lined with shelves of yellowed books. The fireplace roared, casting flickering shadows across our faces.

Eve sat beside Arnold, her hand resting on his knee. She looked relaxed, like she'd returned to her own territory.

I stood by the door like a prisoner awaiting sentencing.

Arnold spoke. "Erin... I'm sorry. I've only ever loved Eve."

He finally got my name right.

But this time, it was goodbye.

"You can stay in the castle. I'll give you compensation." Arnold said.