After chatting for a while, Horatio looked at Ulysses and asked, "So... are you going to tell Valerian and Mom and Dad about this?"


    Ulysses fixed him with a long, searching look. "Why would you even think I''d tell them something like this?"


    He sighed. "Horatio, I''m telling you because I figure you and I see things the same way, and, let''s be honest, you''re... persuadable. But Mom, Dad, and Valerian? Not a chance."


    Horatio frowned. "What''s wrong with Valerian?"


    He knew their parents yed favorites, that much was obvious. But Valerian had always seemed like the rest of them, surely he''d take Callie''s side too, right?


    Ulysses nced at him and lowered his voice. "Not sure you''ll believe me, but Valerian''s even more biased toward Lisette. Because, well... he''s sleeping with her."


    He paused for effect. "Your foster sister is about to be your sister-inw." Ulysses grimaced, clearly disgusted.


    "They''ve acted like siblings for years, but Lisette went and jumped into Valerian''s bed. And she''s... well, she''s always flirting with me too. Honestly, if I wanted to, I bet she''d sleep with me, no questions asked."


    He shook his head, looking both annoyed and grossed out. "That''s just who she is. Lately, I can barely stand to be around her."


    Horatio stared at him, dumbfounded, struggling to process what he''d just heard.


    "Wait, what?" Horatio finally managed. “Lisette and Valerian are together? When did that happen? How did none of us know? Wasn''t Lisette supposed to be our sister?"


    Ulysses rolled his eyes. "How would


    I know exactly? But trust me, it''s happening. I''ve seen enough to be sure you do believe me, keep an


    eye out tonight. You spot hickeys on Lisette''s neck."  s


    He paused, then added, "Look, them being together isn''t the issue. The problem is, Lisette still tries to


    uff Ken


    seduce me. And now I realize we''ve alwaysmed Callie for stuff because Lisette''s been twisting things. The whole ''Callie isn''t really one of us thing just keepit between us for now. I''m waiting on a DNA test to be sure. Even if it turns out to be true, I don''t n to tell everyone unless Callie wants to."  s


    With that, Ulysses left Horatio alone, his head spinning.


    Horatio sat there, struggling to wrap his mind around it all. Lisette, his sweet, yful foster sister, wasn''t who he thought she was For now, he decided to watch and way before saying anything.  s


    A few minutester, Valerian walked in.


    "Hey, Horatio, you got a minute?"


    Horatio looked up. "Yeah, what''s up?"


    Valerian nced at the door. "I saw Ulysses leaving just now. Did he say


    anything? Lisette said he was badmouthing her."


    “Badmouthing?” Horatio shook his head. "No, he didn''t say anything about Lisette. We just talked, that''s all."