Chapter 55

Decan and his companion left shortly, and Lan went out the door, his shoulders tense. I went out to meet him standing near the moonlit forest, staring up at the dark skies.

As if hearing me approach, he said in a deadened tone that had my throat tightening, "It's all been a lie." He laughed humorlessly. "All this time I've accommodated the very person that killed my mother, ate at the same table with him, laughed, shared toasts... Goddess, I was so blinded by hate. I...I could have conducted a proper investigation, I could h--"

Walking up to him, I passed my hands over his shoulders gently. "Lan... Don't beat yourself up. You couldn't have known..."

My voice trailed up when I felt a shudder wreck his huge form. He pinched the bridge of his nose and when his shoulders heaved, I realized he was crying.

My eyes stung and I went over to stand before him. Wounding my arms around his shoulders, I hugged him to me tightly. After a while he buried his face in the