“At this hour? You didn’t come just to visit, did you?” I had a bad feeling, but still rose to greet her. I bent to one knee and offered a formal salute. “Luna Evelyn.”
Hearing me call her “Luna Evelyn” instead of “Mother,” she flinched. A second later she masked it and smiled.
“I worried you’d be too sad, so I came to keep you company.” She reached for my hand—warm to the touch, but it made me feel cold. I lowered my eyes and eased my fingers back.
A crease appeared between her brows. Her fingertips stiffened, then she sighed. “Elder Mya loved you most, even though you’re mixed-blood, not of her line.”
My chest tightened. Of course, I knew. Elder Mya’s kindness had always been fierce and real. With that frail body, she knelt in the snow for hours, begging the Council to release me. Ho
