“Cordelia,” said Matthew. He looked slightly stunned, as if he’d walked into a wall. “You look different.” “Different?” Anna scoffed. “She looks stunning.” James hadn’t moved. He was looking at Cordelia, and his eyes had darkened, from the color of a tiger’s eyes to something richer and deeper. Something like the gold of Cortana when it flashed in the air. He exhaled and let her go, stepping back. Cordelia could feel her heart beating in her throat, a sharp pulse, as if she had drunk too much of her mother’s strong tea. “We had better go in,” James said, and Cordelia saw Anna smile sideways, a
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