So many things can break with such little effort.

Brisa Crowe peered through the keyhole, able to see very little of the room beyond, but hearing so many different conversations. She tried to force her focus onto what her parents were saying, though it was incredibly difficult.

Still, she managed it.

“We’ve got to get out here,” her dad said quietly.

“Where?”

“Anywhere. Anywhere but here.”

Brisa felt hope spark in her heart. Rilikya was hardly the safest place for mages — this meant her parents had finally realised.

Aunt Ivy and Uncle Caspian had been killed five years ago now.

“We’ll be killed if they realise who Carmen is!”

“That’s why we’re not taking Carmen.”

Something broke.

What?

They were… Carmen’s mother was her mother’s twin!

And they were just gonna leave Carmen?

She was ten.

Brisa wasn’t sure what to think, but she couldn’t bear to listen to the conversation anymore. She’d convince her parents to take Carmen with them if they did leave.

She would.

(She didn’t.)