Chapter 1627
Skyler let out a sigh of relief, her nerves finally unwinding after a day stretched taut like a violin string. She sank into the armchair in the corner of the room, the kind youâd find in a cozy, book-lined study, and pulled out her phone. Tapping on the WhatsApp icon, she scrolled to her chat with Iris. [Hey, Iris, you asleep yet?]
Iris replied almost instantly, [Iâm really scared!]
Reading that simple line, Skyler felt a lump forming in her throat. [Donât be scared, kiddo. Iâm just getting hitched in the Capital, not walking into a lionâs den. And hey, your future brother-in-law is a gem. Plus, Iâll be on the lookout, making sure no one ever messes with you again.]
Iris typed back, [Skylerâ¦]
Skyler continued, [Did you finish your homework from the tutor today?]
iris responded, [Yes, I did everything like you told me. Iâm working hard so I can get into the same college as you didâ¦]
[Thatâs my girl. Iâll settle down here in the Capital, and in a few years, Iâll have you join me for college.]e2
Iris excitement was palpable even through text. [Does that mean I can see you every day?]
[Absolutely!]
[Yay! I canât wait to be with you every day.]
Iris was just eleven, and she couldnât fathom what her sister faced in the Capital. She took Skylerâs words to heart, believing them without question. Skyler couldnât help but smile at her sisterâs happiness. [Itâs late, Iris. Time for bed.]
[Goodnight!] Iris added a kiss emoji.
[Night, Irisâ¦]
After ending the chat, Skyler scrolled through her contacts, seeking someone to confide in, but no name felt right. The ruckus from Zavier and the others playing video games downstairs-gunshots and explosions from their war-themed game-was giving her a headache.
She took a deep breath and exhaled forcefully. âSkyler, you got this. No hurdle too high, right? Just believe in yourself. Youâre gonna change things, for you and for Iris. Youâll get out from under your familyâs thumb.â
Empowered by her own pep talk, Skyler unpacked her suitcase swiftly, hanging a few dresses and neatly storing away her undergarments. Her natural beauty meant she traveled light, bringing only a couple of moisturizing lotions to combat the Capitalâs dry air.
Dressed in her pajamas after a quick shower, she applied lotion and lay in bed, but sleep eluded her, Back home, she would have played her violin or another instrument to soothe herself to sleep, but that wasnât an option here.
Fortunately, she had brought a book, a travelogue that she cherished. Maybe it was her own lack of freedom that made her so drawn to it. While she felt caged, confined to live at the whims of others, the author of the book-a woman her age-had journeyed across her homeland and the world, seeing the mountains and rivers that Skyler could only dream of. With the book in her hands, she could escape, at least in her mind, and maybe find the slumber that reality denied her.