Chapter 1

I had the dream again on the night before my eighteenth birthday.

The same dream I' ve had since I was five years old, ever since the fever almost took me.

In the dream, I' m standing in the grand ballroom of our Dallas mansion. Hundreds of people are there, all dressed in their best, their faces a blur of polite smiles and quiet whispers. My father, a man whose presence fills any room, is about to make a speech. My mother stands beside him, looking regal.

Then, the massive oak doors burst open.

A girl stands there. Her clothes are worn, her hair is a mess, and her eyes burn with a fire I can feel even in my sleep.

She points a finger straight at me.

"She' s a fake!" the girl screams, her voice echoing in the sudden silence. "I am the real Blakely daughter!"

I always wake up right then, my heart pounding, the sheets damp with sweat.

But I' m not scared. I' ve never been scared. That dream isn' t a nightmare; it' s a warning. A memory of the future.

For thirteen years, I' ve known this day was coming. For thirteen years, I' ve been preparing.

I get out of bed and walk to my window, looking out over the perfectly manicured lawns of our estate. Downstairs, the staff is already making final preparations for my debutante ball tonight. The biggest social event of the Dallas season.

My party. My stage.

I am Gabrielle Johns. And I will not lose the life that belongs to me.

I look at myself in the mirror. Poised, confident, the perfect daughter of the Blakely family. But underneath, I am a strategist, and this is the day of the final battle.

I hear a soft knock on my door.

"Gabby? You awake?"

It' s my older brother, Andrew. His voice is gentle, warm. He' s the musician, the sensitive soul of the family. He' s always been my closest confidant.

"Come in," I say, turning from the mirror with a smile.

He walks in holding a small, velvet box. "Happy birthday, little sister."

He opens it. Inside is a delicate gold locket. "I wrote a new song for you. The first few notes are engraved on the back."

I feel a pang of something real, something warm. I love my brother. This perfect, golden life. The thought of the girl in my dream makes a cold knot form in my stomach. I push it down.

"It' s beautiful, Andrew. Thank you."

He hugs me tightly. "Anything for my favorite girl. Today is your day. Nothing can ruin it."

I hug him back, my smile feeling a little tight.

"I know," I say. But I also know he' s wrong.