Noctisardor Bypass i fell into my fear, and took a lie for a truth

Laurel smiled as she looked out over it — Birdsong Lagoon — and sighed thoughtfully.

She knew of the Nova mountain when he mentioned it, because she'd been there before and she had seen it in the distance as well. She had lived here for a long time, after all. She imprinted the name of Rusalka, and thought back to Wyatt. Hadn't he lived there? No wonder they were a bunch of thugs, to take in a young boy and not go looking for his parents. She did not mention Wyatt to Mahler, though, for he was a bad memory she rather erase, same as with her youngest three. As far as Laurel was concerned, Piper and Lucas were the only children that she had, and Lucas the only perfect one. But he had been stolen away far too soon.

The story that Mahler told was a bit difficult for Laurel to grasp: he mentioned a truce, but it seemed that not all parties intended to stick to this truce. So she guessed, anyway, if she were to steer clear of Rusalka. Ironically, Laurel pictured them as brutish men and that made her fearful after Mahler's stories of them.

She looked towards Mahler. Would you come with me? Laurel asked, almost a little bashfully so. She did not like having to ask such a thing of him, and the thought of being alone with him frightened her, but he knew where the place was and there was something enticing about spending more time with him.

You and I both know why, my sweet dearest. Her hackles rose involuntarily and it took everything in Laurel for that to be the only signs of Iliksis' hot breath in her neck as his voice whispered poisoned truths in her ears.