“I know, Mom. That’s the problem.” I storm outside, slamming the front door behind me. Tracking my orange gown through the mud, I pace around our backyard. Why does Mom always have to freak out about every little thing? Sighing, I slump against the back outer wall and stare up at the gray sky. For some reason, it really bothers me tonight that we never see the moon in Purgatory.

Voices echo in from the opened window above my head. It’s Walker and Mom.

“Camilla, we need to talk.” I crouch lower.

“Not if Myla’s here.” I hear rustling noises as she checks the house. “Okay, we’re fine. What’s going on?”

“You can’t hide her forever. Verus knows; she saw it in a vision ages ago. We need to figure out how to introduce Myla to her true heritage.”

I pop my hands over my mouth. True heritage? I may actually get some useful intel about who I am tonight. My heart kicks in my chest; excitement pours through me. Yes, yes, YES!

Mom’s voice quivers as she speaks. “It’s not the angels I’m worried about, it’s the ghouls. You know them. If they knew who her father really was, they’d try to own her.”

Whoa, there. The ghouls would own me because of my father. My stomach turns sour. That must mean my dad’s a ghoul. A nasty, rule-loving, worm-eating loser of a ghoul. I grip my elbows. That’s not something I’d ever considered before.

“We can’t change how ghouls react to what they see as theirs,” says Walker. “But we can control how the truth comes out.”

Hold the phone. ‘We’ can control? As in Mom and Walker? I knew Mom was always holding out on me, but Walker knows? My jaw falls open, my fists plant onto my hips. Okay, he hinted around that he had some intel during my last match, but the bloodless bastard knows exactly who I am and he’s never given me a clue.

Mom sucks in a gasp of air. I listen so intently, my head hurts. “What do you mean? Do you think Verus will tell Myla on her own?”

“Yes, I do.”

So, Verus knows too? Is there anyone in Purgatory who doesn’t know who I really am? I am so cornering her at my next match, right after I tackle Walker. I want me some answers.

Mom gasps. “I’ll reach out to Verus right away. In the meantime, please keep Myla close to her own people: quasis and ghouls.”

I slump so low against the house, my bum almost hits the mud. Ghouls are my people? Blech.

“Verus is at the Ryder party right now. Perhaps we can seek her out together?”

“Yes, Walker. I’d like that very much only–”

“Myla can take care of herself for a bit. It won’t take long.”