Page 85 of Summoned
Confusion tightens in my chest. They’re all here, yet no one seems to notice me. Am I invisible again?
I glance down to check whether my body is still here.
I nearly choke on the scream clawing its way up my throat.
I’m completely naked!
Everything inside me ignites with shame. I drop to the floor, desperate to be out of sight. The cold surface bites into my palms and knees as I crawl toward a table. Sliding between two pairs of men’s shoes, I tuck myself underneath it for cover.
I curl inward, trying to concentrate. Panic clamps down on my chest.This has to be an illusion. Just an illusion. They’re not really here.
Can I count on that, though?What if Gaetanoactuallybrought me to an event?
Is he capable of recreating this many people? He’s never even heard of some of them!
Okay. Breathe.
The goal is to get to the other side, right? Then that’s what I’ll do.
I crawl under the table, doing my best to stay dead center, far from the shiny toes on either side of me. I’ve managed to cover a few feet of distance when a familiar voice says, “Seriously, when is she going to stop thinking she’s special just because of her dad? In the adult world, beingsomebody’s daughterisn’t enough. You need actual talent.”
“And that doesn’t include swinging your hips at parties,” a second female chimes in, also familiar.
Misha and Marie. Their sharp little pitches are so vivid.
“She can’t even do that right. It’s like watching a parody in slow motion. She pretends she’s all about ‘style’ and ‘mystery,’ but everything’s a pose.”
“Not one pose—lots of poses. And not nearly enough to cover what she’s showing.”
“I don’t get why people continue to act like she’sso damnspecial.”
“Well, you know why. She’s the ‘Little Baroness’…” The last voice comes from a third girl. My eyes lock onto a pair of rose-pink Manolo Blahnik heels. Boyana’s. The same pair we picked out together a few weeks ago. How is it possible they’reexactlythose shoes? Didn’t Gaetano say he could only recreate what he knows?
Then what if this… isn’t an illusion?
A sharp male voice interrupts. “Baroness? How ‘bout ‘brainless’? I heard her daddy had to pull strings to get her into university. Can you even picture her running an empire?” Kiril Karaivanov.
Laughter erupts across the table. My nails dig into my palms. That’s a lie! I got in with top grades.
“Ha! She might not have anything left to run much longer.” Marie laughs. “Her family’s basically bankrupt.”
“Oh, if you askher, it’s just hater gossip. She cornered me in the bathroom at your birthday to convince me none of it was true!” Boyana says.
The world around me sways. I slam my fists into the ground and push forward with my legs. One lunge—the twins, always hovering in my orbit, desperate to steal some attention. Another—Boyana, the girl whose back I’ve guarded for years out of foolish sentiment. Another—all the nameless men I’ve shut down, for they served as nothing but a fleeting ego boost.
I don’t understand how Gaetano could recreate all of this… but itmust be an illusion. Still, with each painful crawl forward, bitterness rises in my throat.
Then, an unfamiliar woman’s voice. “She’s pretty. You can’t deny that. And the family name’s decent. The Construction Baron still holds weight, despite everything…”
“She would be pretty, if she’d learned not to be late. I hate waiting.”
A chill runs down my spine. Daniel Deliberov. Why is he talking about lateness?
The woman lets out a low, elegant scoff. “Don’t worry. She looks like the kind of girl who learns fast, as long as you put a leash on her.”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Mother. Lineage is only the first step. Let’s see how she behaves tonight. If she tries to act smart, I’ll send her straight back to whatever hole she crawled out of. Along with her father.”
“She won’t cause any trouble. She’s been raised to obey. And your dad liked her…”
