Was it possible to break in half from cringing so hard?

“Caseye,” Mother said, my false name strange on her tongue. “It’s so lovely to meet you.”

For the first time ever, because this certainly wasn’t an awkward reunion between two people who rarely got along.

“Of course.” My voice turned rough, and Aaru’s hand pressed harder against the small of my back. “And where is your daughter tonight? I’m surprised she wasn’t invited to speak at the memorial earlier, or the summit in the morning.”

Mother’s eyebrows rose, but she shouldn’t have been surprised. No doubt she’d already been asked that question three or four times within the last hour. If I didn’t ask, I would risk compromising my disguise.

Then, Mother’s expression settled and she said, “My daughter is traveling with Elbena Krasteba. Safe, thank Damyan and Darina. I’m just glad she wasn’t home when the council house was attacked. The entire ordeal was horrendous enough without worrying about her.”

So the Hopebearer—fake Hopebearer—would not be making an appearance tonight or tomorrow. Paorah was hiding her, either because she was too injured to be seen in public, or because he had other plans.

My heart thundered so loudly I could barely hear myself speak. “There have been so many stories about what happened that day. I’m curious to know the truth. How did you come to Anahera?”

Her expression twisted into grief. Real grief, not the careful mask she wore when she knew predators were about. “My husband had gone to the council house in the morning, but came home shortly after because he’d forgotten something. I’m afraid our younger daughter had a small meltdown—school or clothes or something—and he stayed to help her, and that’s when we heard the explosion.”

A sour taste clogged my throat, and I fought to keep my expression a careful blend of sympathy, concern, and warm support.

“After that, we all made our way down the escape route, but warriors had broken through. The line of people was moving too slowly, and I needed to make sure my daughter reached safety, so I tried to distract them.” Mother’s voice cracked, and at once I wished I hadn’t asked. The others standing around us shifted uncomfortably, unused to this reveal of true emotion, but Mother continued the story. “The warriors spared my life, but not my husband’s. He was killed right in front of me. So was the rest of my staff; they were practically family.”

Grief surged up from the deepest parts of me, making me sway. My father—

I forced it back down. This was the worst place of all to expose feelings. “I’m so sorry.” I should have stayed. I should have found a way to help them. There were noorestones all around the cliffs; if I’d thought about it, I could have done something instead of flee down the stairs to safety.

“I don’t know why they let me live,” she said. “They’d already slaughtered so many people in Crescent Prominence. They’d already destroyed the council house. But they allowed me to live.”