Melina grinned. “My dad knew Anton Solvano at City College. My dad was in the first class of men that were allowed in the university, and I guess they were all fairly close. And I think they all found Anton Solvano pretty amazing. But I don’t think they stayed in touch much after Anton moved back to Geldricht.”

“Where is he now? Solvano?”

“Died a few years back.”

“Did your dad go to the funeral?”

Melina shook her head, her eyes wide with more revelations. “He was buried on Gold Mountain. Well, of course, none of the indigo would attend such an event. I don’t even think the Solvanos went.”

“And Kitrini? What happened to her then?”

“I think she stayed in Geldricht until just a few months ago. I know Lorimela Candachi put a lot of effort into trying to make her come home. I don’t know why she decided to return when she did.”

“To see Jex in jail,” Nolan suggested.

“He’s only been here a month. She came back a while before that. Who knows? As I said, I’ve never met her, so I wouldn’t know why she would do anything. But she sure is interesting.”

“I would think,” Nolan said cautiously, “that she’d be ostracized. I’m amazed that her grandmother hasn’t cut her off. But with an upbringing like that—even if she wasn’t involved with Jex Zanlan, I would think the rest of the Higher Hundred would pretend she doesn’t even exist.”

Melina nodded seriously. “I think some of them do.”

“I mean,” he said awkwardly, “Leesa. I can’t imagine that she’d ever allow somebody like Kitrini Candachi to walk through her mother’s door. She’s very traditional.”

“I’m not sure my mother would welcome Kitrini Candachi, so you don’t need to apologize for Leesa,” Melina said gently.

“But—you seem pretty forgiving,” he went on, still feeling clumsy and confused, but wanting to know. “Why is that?”

“I’m a city girl,” Melina said softly. She glanced briefly out at the crowded skyline visible from her window. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m as blue as they come. I’m going to marry a man of my mother’s choosing and run the land the way my ancestors have run it for thousands of years, and I’m going to give my daughters every advantage my heritage allows. But … Living in the city changes you. It shows you that life can be different from the way you were always taught. It makes you a little less quick to judge.”

“My mother would never understand how I could feel so much respect for Pakt,” Nolan said.