Elena was quiet, watching her egg donor carefully. The sleeve of her shirt shifted as Uncle Jin unwrapped himself from around Elena's bicep before working his way up to her shoulder.
Elise's face hardened as her gaze shifted to him. "I entrusted her safety to you. How could you let her be so reckless?"
"You don't get to talk to him like that!" Elena flared up.
Uncle Jin was one of the three people who had helped raise her in the egg donor's absence, contributing both time and attention to her development. He'd earned his place as Elena's guardian through countless hours spent at her side. Teaching her. Caring for her. Just being there when she needed it.
Who was Elise to her? A stranger. Someone who'd abandoned her at birth.
"I'm your mother."
"You're an egg donor. Aunt Kira and Aunt Selene are my mothers. They were there when I needed them. You weren't."
Elise's face went blank.
Elena tried not to feel bad, sensing her words must have hurt the other woman on some level. That reaction, the way Elise's face emptied of all emotion, was a self-defense mechanism that Elena had noticed a lot of the forty three shared.
Aunt Kira and Aunt Selene were the same. The stronger their emotions, the more expressionless they became. As if they were afraid the things they felt would be used against them.
Aunt Selene was the worst about it. Her emotions almost always tamped down and controlled except for the rare occasion when she let herself go around the children. They always cherished those moments, competing to see who could make her the most expressive.
One time Tommy even got her to laugh. Not a snicker either. A full belly, tear forming laugh.
Aunt Kira was different. It took a lot to get her to retreat to that state. Elena thought that had something to do with the fact that Aunt Kira had spent more time interacting with humans. She was more used to wearing her expressions on her face.
But even she would occasionally get that flinty look in her eye. Her expression made out of stone. As if nothing in this world could affect her.
Elena hated when she looked like that. Hated it more seeing the same expression on her egg donor's face now and knowing she’d put it there.
Elise looked down at her hands. "I deserve that."
"Yes, you do."
"Elena," Uncle Jin chided softly.
Elena's flinch was tiny. She steadied herself, projecting a bravado she hoped would conceal her guilt.
"You're lucky it was me who ran across you," Elise said, seeing right through Elena's facade. "If it had been anyone else, it would be a very different story right now. They would have turned you over in a heartbeat. I can promise you wouldn't have enjoyed your time in the Osiri's care."
An uncomfortable feeling rose in Elena's chest at the rebuke. "It's not like I meant to wander into that place. It was an accident. That's all."
"You can't afford 'accidents'. A single mistake and you're dead. I thought Kira and Jin would have taught you that."
"What do you care?" Elena shot back, the words out before she could stop them. "You abandoned me, remember? It's too late for you to pretend to care now."
"Is that what you think? That I deserted you? Because I didn't care?" Elise didn't hide her shock or distress as she looked from Elena to Jin. "That's not what happened."
Elise rose to kneel in front of Elena, reaching for her hand. Elena pulled back, but she wasn't quick enough. Elise caught it and cradled it gently in hers.
"I left you behind, not because I didn't love and want you, but because things were happening that I wasn't certain I could protect you from."
The sincerity on the egg donor's face felt genuine. Sincere enough that it was hard to remember that Elise was considered a master of manipulation.
Despite everything she knew about the woman, Elena found herself wavering. She wanted so badly to believe in her mother. This hero of her childhood. The person she'd yearned for despite the love and approval she'd received from her aunts and uncle.
"I left you with someone I trusted. Who would care for you in my absence," Elise explained.
Elena yanked her hands out of Elise's grip and stepped back. "Except you didn't."
"What are you talking about?"
"She's right," Jin interjected. "I found her living hand to mouth in some back alley on Idra. She'd long been abandoned and a pair of lowlifes were planning to sell her to cover their debts."
Elise shook her head in denial. "That can't be. That's not right."
"My first memory is of the cold. Shivering so hard as I wondered if I'd make it to morning. Unable to feel my hands and feet."
If that was what Elise considered being "cared for", Elena would hate to see what she considered neglect.
"A disabled, homeless military vet took pity and cared for me the best he could. He gave me his food and his jacket on the cold nights. Things weren't so bad then."
He'd been kind. Kinder than anyone Elena had met up to that point.
He could have overlooked her presence like so many other people had. Instead, he'd provided for her and protected her from the worst of the predators stalking those streets.
"When he died, I was on my own again. I survived by foraging food from dumpsters. At least until I was caught by a pair of 'good Samaritans.'" Elena sneered. "They were not nice people."
"That's not possible. She was supposed to look after you in my absence. If I didn't return, she was to deliver you to Kira."
Elena snorted. "I hate to tell you, but that's not what happened."
Elise's face paled, her expression seeming lost as her gaze turned inward.
"Auntie and Uncle always tell me to consider every angle before I do something. Maybe they should have given that advice to you instead."
Even if what had happened hadn't been Elise's intention, she'd still made a mistake. One that could have ended Elena's life when it had barely begun.
Elena needed to hold onto that and not let herself be swayed by a few pretty words and some well-timed tears.
"Who did you give her to?" Uncle Jin asked.
"Thea."
"Why not Selene?"
"I've never been close to her and back then I didn't know about her and Kira's little side project." The egg donor gave Uncle Jin a hard look. "A heads up on your extracurricular activities would have been nice. It was real fun being broadsided with that news once the generals got hold of me."
"You know secrets. They only work if the circle of trust is tighter than a drum."
Wait a minute.
Elena knew about Auntie's rescue missions. Did that mean she was in the circle?
She hoped so. She'd always wanted to be part of a trust circle.
"They think she's been killing the children she found to prevent them from falling into the hands of the Osiri," Elise said, not taking her eyes off Jin.
The lu-ong avoided her stare. "Is that so?"
"Funny thing is—I know Kira. She wouldn't harm a child. Not even one that belonged to an enemy."
"Ah ha," Jin mumbled.
"You've been saving them, haven't you?" Elise said, sounding certain. "They're the children Selene has been protecting all these years."
Uncle Jin was silent.
Elise's laugh was rough. "I wish you'd told me."
"Considering later events, it's probably a good thing we didn't."