[Isolde]
After our brief moment together, after the heat of that kiss had faded and reality settled back in around us—I decided to take the reins. Someone had to, and Nikolai was still processing everything that had just happened. If I could lighten the mood, or at least bring a shred of hope to this impossible situation, then I was going to try.
We needed to get the facts straight, so I took the liberty of mentioning them:
The shaman had been kicked out or banished from the Evergreen family for some reason she hadn't elaborated on. The compass she'd offered us was apparently the only means of finding the Evergreen family, and it could only be handled by a family member. That was why she'd wanted her daughter to accompany us.
But that didn't make much sense now, did it?
I turned the p
