Larksong Grotto the bazaar of bad dreams

ignoring her tone, hiram began to pepper vuk with questions, and irritation prickled at her nape. she did not want to speak to him, least of all regarding seff, who should have been beneath his protection. vuk blamed only herself for seff's disappearance, but how dare hiram address her as if he had not returned to break her heart, calling her beautiful even when ...

"h-hiram," she murmured in a firmer tone, meeting his eyes with an expression that said plainly she did not wish to discuss her son. he could force her into it, she supposed, dominate her before his daughters, but vuk did not think he would. pulling her eyes away from the dark man, she smiled again. 

"l-laurel. t-that is p-pretty." the other little girl seemed to hide behind her sister and vuk gave a low sound of invitation toward them both. "y-your s-sister is s-shy," vuk murmured to laurel, hoping to glean another name.