Without another word, Anshur's shoe hit my head with a sharp little kick that sent me stumbling back against the carpet. She sat there, arms crossed, face carved out of stone.
"Now that you know," she said, her voice low and dangerous, "be sure to shut up."
She stood up and started heading towards the door, but I sat back up, rubbing the sore spot on my forehead.
"Wait," I called out, surprising myself. "Before you go… I want to ask… What do the Sonders mean to you?"
That stopped Anshur as she lingered by the handle, torso half-turned and her eyes narrowing. Then she let out a breath.
"The mistress, or the two young madams' mother, took me in," she said at last, tone clipped. "After my parents died in a car accident, and our company went under. She trained me into a maid, made me into what I am… And I owe them everything."
