Sophie's POVI let go of the banister and started walking.The hallways of the mansion at this hour had a different quality than during the day. Quieter. The lighting was lower, the wall sconces casting long warm shadows on the carpet, and my footsteps were soft and even and the only sound I made as I moved through the corridors. I passed the portrait of some old Callahan ancestor on the wall — serious faced, self-important, looking at nothing — and I walked past it without looking up.I turned the corner toward the east corridor and almost walked into one of the maids coming the other way. A young woman, Priya, who had always been kind to me in the small quiet way of someone who noticed things but knew better than to say them out loud.She saw my face.Something moved through her expression — concern, quickly and professionally smoothed away — and she gave me a soft smile instead."Good evening, ma'am," she said.I nodded. I didn't trust my voice to produce anything coherent so I kep
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