Chapter 101

• KAEL
• “Charlotte and Bryan were kind to us,” Emily said softly. Her voice was low, almost careful, like the memory could still hurt her. Her eyes drifted, unfocused, as if she were standing in that old moment again. “We couldn’t use our real names. We couldn’t even think of fake ones. We were too scared to talk to anyone. Every word felt dangerous. They were the ones who gave us names. Christa and Carla. I think, even now, they still believe Gemma and I are sisters.” She paused, then looked at me fully. “Kael, I don’t want you to think I forgot our parents.”
• The fear in her eyes wasn’t about the past. It was about what I might think of her.