When you had a population who could heal most injuries and sickness, and who lived twice the lifespan of what was considered normal, overpopulation was an obvious outcome. Then again, with what Jaren had said about the taint hindering their abilities, maybe that wouldn’t always be the case.

Pulling her eyes from the Magyki lining the street, she took in the scenery around her—or what one would call scenery in the midst of a busy city. Like Ocridal, there were pops of color everywhere, but it wasn’t just in the clothing of its occupants.

Everywhere she looked had some form of color that added just a little something more to what would normally be a dull, drab building. Bright banners hung from doorway awnings, bringing attention to what each shop sold, window ledges had boxes of flowers, and deep green vines grew between doorways and up alley walls.

And somewhere within the chaotic beauty of the city, her father was casually living his life, completely and utterly unaware of her existence. What was he going to think when he saw her? After all these years thinking she was dead, would he believe she was who she said she was?

And what if he’d never even thought that? What if he’d been in on the plan to ship her off all along? Would she have to find some way to prove who she was? According to Jaeros, she could assume her appearance alone would be enough, but still, it was a huge claim.

She wanted to ask him, but without Dedryn present, he was adamant about not discussing her parents or why she hadn’t lived with them. She tried not to let the unknown get to her. It wasn’t like she could change the past anyway. She could only hope they’d had a good reason. It hurt too much to think otherwise.

Other than that, Jaeros had talked openly with her during their first day of travel, telling her story after story about how spoiled and ornery she was as a child. How she’d hidden in dark corners to scare the shit out of Jaren, or how she used to hang on Jaeros’s clothes, trailing behind him crying until she got what she wanted.

It was hard to wrap her mind around his descriptions of her, and she might not have believed it, if Jaren hadn’t confirmed them with quiet grunts of amusement. She couldn’t remember ever being carefree and ornery. Elric had said she’d refused to talk for weeks, and even then, it’d only been when prompted.

What had happened that night to change her entire personality into the quiet mouse she’d become? And what had made her forget it? When she’d voiced her frustration over her inability to remember any of his stories, Jaeros had waved her off, certain the memories would return in time. He said trauma was a tricky beast that followed no rules but its own, and only time and patience could tame it.

She glanced at the male in question. Unlike their first day, he hadn’t said much during the second. She’d noticed the change in his mood and had backed off her questions, assuming he was simply exhausted and missing his mate. But the closer they’d gotten to Naris, the quieter he’d become, and she’d begun to wonder if maybe it was more than exhaustion.