Airalai tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. The gesture was so familiar it made something in his ribs ache. "I didn't come to make things harder," she said. "I came to—if you'll let me—make them right."
Kain kept his face immobile. Internally, a snowstorm. 'If I didn't know, I would believe you.' He realized that was the most infuriating part: if he didn't already have proof, he would be eaten alive by this moment. The cadence of her voice, the warmth in her eyes, the precise way she remembered the old details—all of it was flawless. Seamless.
But her perfect mask just made him feel colder.
He decided to test to see if her mask truly was without cracks. "Do you remember the director, your uncle? How 'bout Bridge? Jasper and Jasmine were just toddlers when you left so they may not even remember you..."
Her expression softened further. "Of course. My uncle had a habit of pretending indifference to the stories I'd tell you guys before bed, but his ears were always tuned in."
