Chapter 4 - Whispers in the Walls
The east wing of the Astor estate was notoriously unused, wrapped in drop cloths and shadows. Seraphina slipped through the corridors until she found the master guest suite. She pushed the door open to find Lyra sitting by the window, staring out at the sprawling, moonlit gardens.
When Lyra turned, the resemblance still stole Seraphina’s breath. Stripped of the mud and grime, they were absolute mirrors of each other, right down to the tiny freckle beneath their left eyes.
"They locked me in," Lyra whispered, stepping away from the window. "Or they tried to."
Seraphina held up the pocket watch. "She lied. She didn't destroy it."
Lyra’s face crumpled in relief as she took the watch, pressing it to her chest. "The man who raised me... he gave this to me before he disappeared last month. He told me it was the only piece of my real mother I had left."
"Who was he?" Seraphina asked, sitting on the edge of the velvet chaise.
"His name was Arthur," Lyra said. "He was a watchmaker. He lost his shop years ago, fell into debt. We lived in the slums, but he loved me. He always told me I had a sister out there, somewhere in the light."
Seraphina felt the blood drain from her face. She held out her hand, turning the watch to show Lyra the inscription. S & L. Seraphina and Lyra.
"He wasn't just the man who raised you," Seraphina breathed, the puzzle pieces clicking together into a horrifying picture. "He was our father. And my mother—the woman who claims to be my mother—she took me and left you behind."
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"Why?" Lyra's voice broke.
"I don't know," Seraphina said, her voice hardening with a newfound, dangerous resolve. "But we are going to find out. And we are going to burn her perfect world to the ground."
