en

u... are you a

strained with a desperate kind of cauti

d down the front of my linen skirt

d the d

faded floral apron over her wool dress, her rough, work-worn hands wringing the cloth in

herself for screaming, shattered plates, and an

her, meeting her gaze

heer disbelief as she took in my neat

g, Mother,"

s if I had struck

lder, checking the shadowed bed behind

clearly. Kael remained motionless under the quilt, his

even tone. "He seemed to be in a lot of pain th

nds slowly released the apron, hovering in the air bet

to..." Her voice cracked, weighed down by the guilt of h

id smoothly, using the highest law of our people

d like a sob. She quickly wiped the corner

ith emotion. "I made some corn porridge down in the

you,

, sealing Kael's scent inside,

crests hung along the walls, remnants of the Beta line's former standin

rs, I nearly collided

leather overalls. He was a broad, grizzled man, his da

ogether. His right hand dropped instinctively toward the heavy lea

to bolt for t

n the final two steps, stopped at a re

orning,

aze raked over me, searching

pulse remained steady,

s broad shoulders, though h

vibrating low in his chest as h

ightly and walked past

f an iron spoon against a ceramic bowl echoed from th