“You never asked.”

“Well what was it like? How many people lived there? Why did you leave?”

She glanced across at him, but her lips remained tightly pressed together.

“At least tell me what your city was called,” he said.

“Another time, maybe,” she replied, before turning to gaze up into the sky.

Somewhat deflated, Nathaniel looked along with her. Most of the stars had vanished by now, and the sky was faintly less black.

“Suffice it to say we had to leave,” Annyka said at last. “A whole bunch of us. We came here by boat. After we arrived, we built a new home by the sea.”

“So how did Ashidi end up in Zara?” he asked.

“We had different fathers...

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