"She's right," Jin interjected. "I found her living hand to mouth in some back alley on Idra. She'd long been abandoned and a pair of lowlifes were planning to sell her to cover their debts."
Elise shook her head in denial. "That can't be. That's not right."
"My first memory is of the cold. Shivering so hard as I wondered if I'd make it to morning. Unable to feel my hands and feet."
If that was what Elise considered being "cared for", Elena would hate to see what she considered neglect.
"A disabled, homeless military vet took pity and cared for me the best he could. He gave me his food and his jacket on the cold nights. Things weren't so bad then."
He'd been kind. Kinder than anyone Elena had met up to that point.
He could have overlooked her presence like so many other people had. Instead, he'd provided for her and protected her from the worst of the predators stalking those streets.
"When he died, I was on my own again. I survived by foraging food from dumpsters. At least until I was caught by a pair of 'good Samaritans.'" Elena sneered. "They were not nice people."
"That's not possible. She was supposed to look after you in my absence. If I didn't return, she was to deliver you to Kira."
Elena snorted. "I hate to tell you, but that's not what happened."
Elise's face paled, her expression seeming lost as her gaze turned inward.
"Auntie and Uncle always tell me to consider every angle before I do something. Maybe they should have given that advice to you instead."
Even if what had happened hadn't been Elise's intention, she'd still made a mistake. One that could have ended Elena's life when it had barely begun.
Elena needed to hold onto that and not let herself be swayed by a few pretty words and some well-timed tears.
"Who did you give her to?" Uncle Jin asked.
"Thea."
"Why not Selene?"
"I've never been close to her and back then I didn't know about her and Kira's little side project." The egg donor gave Uncle Jin a hard look. "A heads up on your extracurricular activities would have been nice. It was real fun being broadsided with that news once the generals got hold of me."
"You know secrets. They only work if the circle of trust is tighter than a drum."
Wait a minute.
Elena knew about Auntie's rescue missions. Did that mean she was in the circle?
She hoped so. She'd always wanted to be part of a trust circle.
"They think she's been killing the children she found to prevent them from falling into the hands of the Osiri," Elise said, not taking her eyes off Jin.
The lu-ong avoided her stare. "Is that so?"
"Funny thing is—I know Kira. She wouldn't harm a child. Not even one that belonged to an enemy."
"Ah ha," Jin mumbled.
"You've been saving them, haven't you?" Elise said, sounding certain. "They're the children Selene has been protecting all these years."
Uncle Jin was silent.
Elise's laugh was rough. "I wish you'd told me."
"Considering later events, it's probably a good thing we didn't."
