Standing Up For Grace Read Online Free Page A

would love that.”
    “Um.” Imperia winces because she knows she’s about to ask a stupid question, but she does anyway. “Am I supposed to know who your grandfather is?”
    She also wants to ask why he can buy and sell people. Imperia thought that was illegal in the Greater World—it certainly is in the Third Kingdom (although not in all the Kingdoms)—but she’s willing to concede she can be wrong about what’s allowed here and what’s not.
    “My grandfather owns the biggest studio in Hollywood,” Janie says. “Or at least, he’s the majority shareholder. He used to run it, but now my dad does, not that it matters.”
    “Why wouldn’t it matter?” Imperia asks.
    “My dad’s on his fifth wife,” Janie says, as if that explains it all.
    “So?”
    “Jeez,” Janie says, “You are new, aren’t you? My mom was wife number three.”
    Imperia is still frowning. She knows she should understand this, but she doesn’t. After all, her parents are the only divorced people she knows personally. And all of her friends in the Kingdom—well, she doesn’t have friends there, but all of the kids her age, the ones she’s allowed to play with, those kids come from intact families, as Grandfather loves to point out.
    “God,” Janie says, clearly recognizing Imperia’s silence for what the confusion that it is. “Wife number three means there are two families after mine. I’m not even sure Dad knows what my name is, not that it matters. He sends checks every month, which keep Mom in clothes and clubs and me and my brother in this hellhole.”
    “And your grandfather?” Imperia asks, not sure if she should.
    “He knows who I am. He makes it his business to know everything about everyone, and he’d kill me if I show up in the press or on YouTube or cussing on my Facebook page. He has minions to keep track of all of that stuff.”
    “Sounds like my grandfather,” Imperia says, only she doesn’t add that her grandfather doesn’t even know what Facebook is.
    “Your grandfather has a studio?” Janie asks.
    “I wish,” Imperia says, not willing to say much more. “Having a studio sounds cool.”
    Janie grins. “It can be. But mostly, it’s just—you know, like his job. But it impresses the masses.”
    Then she looks over her shoulder at Skylar’s friends who are still clustering as if they can’t believe that Janie took Imperia away from them.
    Imperia’s heart starts to pound again. “You don’t think they’re going to go after my sister again, do you?”
    “Naw,” Janie says. “Your sister is too easy. You’re the challenge. And with that punch, you made sure they’re going to go after you.”
    “Goodie,” Imperia says without enthusiasm. “By the way, my name is actually Imperia.”
    “Imperia Encanto, I know,” Janie says. “But I like Empire better. It’s a statement.”
    “I don’t need to make a statement,” Imperia says.
    “That’s probably true,” Janie says, clapping her on the back and propelling her toward the food. “Your fists were pretty damn eloquent.”
    “My fists are pretty damn sore,” Imperia says.
    “Small price to pay for breaking Skylar Campbell’s nose,” Janie says. “Too bad we didn’t get a video of that. That would’ve been epic.”
    “I prefer to work in secret,” Imperia says.
    Janie laughs. “Well, you failed at that part. But who cares? There’s a new Queen in town. Long live Empire Encanto.”
    A shiver runs through Imperia. Is her royal blood that obvious? Or is Janie just making some kind of joke?
    This time, Imperia doesn’t ask. Instead, she steps up to the counter, orders a cheeseburger, and hopes the conversation goes a whole new way.

 
     
     
     
    FOUR
     
     
    Not only did the conversation go a whole new way, but so did the day. She didn’t have to keep as close an eye on Grace. Skylar’s friends just glared at Imperia for the rest of the day but didn’t approach her, and Janie promised lunch again tomorrow.
    None of