Three days has passed since Nina knew she was to die.
Sabrina hopped around her room, humming a cheerful tune as the assistants worked on Nina's hair and makeup.
For the past two days, Nina had been fed well. Rich food, warm food, food she had never been allowed to touch before. For the first time in her life, she had been permitted to sit at the dining table with the rest of the family.
Not that it had been pleasant. Lady Marjorie spent every meal criticizing her posture, her grip on the cutlery, the way she chewed. Sit up straight. Don't slouch. Hold the fork like this, not like that. You're supposed to be a lady, not an animal.
It was preparation, Nina realized. They were grooming her to pass as Sabrina—a legitimate daughter of the household, not the illegitimate child who had spent her whole life being treated as less than a servant.
The family wasn't poor. Jonathan had inherited his father's horse ranch in the North, and they lived comfortably. But you would never know it from the way Nina had been raised.
Sabrina had a large bedroom on the second floor, decorated with silk curtains and fresh flowers, with three personal maids at her beck and call. Nina slept in her dead mother's old room near the basement—a small, cold space with peeling walls and a narrow bed. A reminder of who she was and what she would always be.
Nothing.
"Smile, Nina."
Sabrina's voice broke through her thoughts. She was twirling around the room, her arms spread wide, practically dancing.
"At least you'll die as a Luna. Do you know what that means? You'll have your name carved in gold at the royal cemetery!"
She threw her head back and laughed, delighted by her own joke.
"From a common servant child to a Luna—who would have thought! I can't wait to mourn your death." She pressed a hand to her chest in mock sorrow. "With Dante's arms around me, of course. Comforting me in my time of grief."
She spun around again, giddy with excitement.
Nina watched her from the mirror. A single tear slid down her cheek, cutting a trail through the powder the makeup artist had applied. The woman dabbed at it gently, her eyes full of pity, but she said nothing.
What could she say?
Nina stared at her own reflection. Her long hair and brows had been dyed black the day before, styled and curled to match Sabrina's usual look. Sabrina's black hair had been bleached and dyed to match Nina's natural blonde color.
They had the same blue eyes. They were about the same height, the same build. Now, with the hair swapped, if someone didn't know them well, they really could mistake one for the other.
That was the point.
Sabrina appeared behind her in the mirror, leaning close, her breath warm against Nina's ear.
"Do you know how long the previous wives lasted?" she whispered, her eyes wide with theatrical horror. "Eleven days. None of them made it past two weeks." She straightened, smiling brightly. "You'll be dead before anyone even notices we switched places."
Nina's nails dug into her palms, her knuckles white.
Sabrina placed both hands on Nina's shoulders, squeezing lightly. "Don't worry," she said sweetly. "I'll mourn you for a whole year." She paused, tilting her head. "With Dante, of course. He'll need someone to comfort him after losing his little love so tragically."
She giggled.
Nina stared at Sabrina's reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were dry now. Something cold had settled in her chest, replacing the fear and despair.
"Don't you think you should watch your mouth?"
Sabrina's smile faltered. Her lashes fluttered in confusion. "What?"
Nina turned slowly in her chair, facing her stepsister directly.
"I hold the key to your life in my hands, Sabrina. Have you forgotten that?" Her voice was calm. Quiet. "What do you think would happen if I told the Alpha that he'd been deceived? That an illegitimate child, who is half human was sent to become their Luna instead of the one they chose?"
She tilted her head, watching Sabrina's face.
"What do you think would happen to you? Do you really think you'd keep your head?"
The color drained from Sabrina's face. Her smile vanished completely.
"You wouldn't..." she stammered. "You wouldn't do that..."
Nina laughed softly. It was not a kind sound.
"Why wouldn't I?"
Sabrina's hands dropped from Nina's shoulders. She took a step back, her confidence crumbling. "If you do that, father would be in trouble. The Alpha would kill him. I know you don't want that to happen."
"Why wouldn't I want that?" Nina stood, rising from the vanity table. She took a slow step toward Sabrina, then another. "It's not like he regards me as his daughter. He just sold me to die in your place." She stopped inches from Sabrina's face. "Why exactly would I want to protect him?"
Sabrina's lips parted, but no words came out. Her eyes were wide, her breath shallow.
"You're joking," she whispered. "You have to be joking."
Nina smiled. It didn't reach her eyes.
"Let's wait and see," she said softly, "just how much of a joke I can be."