"Your grandfather was found dead." Kross dropped the news without warning.
Lyra was still in her own world of thoughts, she thought she had misheard him.
"P-Pardon?"
"I said he's dead." His voice was steady, low. He wasn't cruel; he just didn't dress the truth in pretty words.
Her lips trembled. "What… what are you talking about?" she whispered, her breath shaky. The words felt heavy in her mouth, as though saying them might make them real.
Kross didn't know how to answer that and also it was way better to get over with it. He didn't want to hide the truth when it was going to come out. It was better like that.
Lyra's eyes darted to his face, searching for any sign that this was some horrible joke. But Kross wasn't joking. The truth sat in his expression like stone.
Her heart stuttered. "Did… did you kill him?"
Lyra's lips trembled. She had wronged Kross, maybe he had taken revenge on her grandfather like he wanted.
"No." His response was clipped but calm, final.
