Kaira sat there mute, her thoughts swirling, the statue in her lap immediately forgotten.

“That’s not possible,” Shal automatically protested.

Mysteria looked at her closely now. “You did not know.”

Lance stared at the cognate. “You are saying that Kaira’s mother was Luthanian?”

Mysteria slowly nodded. “Yes.” She kept her eyes on Kaira. “She was a young girl when I met her. After I fled from Moribund, I traveled for many years. Eventually, I ran out of food and water, and I grew very weak. It was Lucia who found me. She was kind to me and brought me to her parents’ home where she nursed me back to health.

“As I grew stronger, I realized there was something going on. I could not determine what i...

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