Lucian
“Are we… family?”
The question slipped from my lips before I could stop it.
Katya, Lydia had called her—nodded slowly, then turned to her daughter. Lydia sighed, as if the truth she was about to speak had been weighing on her for years. Her hesitation was brief, but it spoke volumes. Finally, she reached for my hand and gripped it tightly, urging me to sit.
Denis brought over a chair, and I sat down beside her, still holding her hand, watching her eyes closely.
“My mother,” Lydia began quietly, “is your grandmother’s younger sister. Your grandfather was the one from Driftwake. Your grandmother—your mother’s mother—was from Neev. That’s where your thick, dark hair and beard come from. That’s our blood, Lucian.”
Her words hit me like a quiet thunderstorm—rolling through my mind
