ions.

Sinosuitablefamilycouldbefhtaway,andtheiigationintomissingchildrenrecordswasstillongoing,leavihLuseemedthemostpracticalchoice.Ifherrealparentseversurfaced,shewouldbeeasiertorecim.

Officially,Ludidn''''''''tmeettherequirementstofosteranorphan.Butthegirlrefusedtoletgoofhim—evenwhendoctorsexaminedher,orwhenpolienbathedandgedher,shegstubbornlytohisclothes.

SoLuandhischildhoodfriendMoxi—whowerealwaysmorelikeswornsiblingsthanlovers—pletedthefosterpaperworkasacohabitingcouple.Justlikethat,thetwoofthembecameReya''''''''stemporaryfosterparents.Yetthisso-called"temporary"stretchederthananyoneexpected.

Aftersolong,hecouldnolongerrecallthatwoman''''''''sfullitdidn''''''''tmatter—nowhehadhisownReya.

Alittlegirl,maybeten,stoodthere.Skinny,tangledbckhair,naked,herskinstreakedwithdirtanddriedblood.Shelookedlesslikeachildthansomeferalthingdraggedoutofanightmare.

ThegirlwastemporarilypLu''''''''shomeasafosterchild.HenamedherReya.

Thatwasthemomenthissurprisearrived.

Luwasabachelor,cluelessaboutraisingachild.Moxibeganvisitingstantly,whichsparkedgossipatfirst.Butafteryearspassedwithnohintofromahenosyneighborslosti.

Luwasn''''''''tgoodwithhewordhadslippedoutbecausethevictimatthecrimesehadbeencalledReya.

Herfamilyhadbeenthrilledinthebeginning,imaginingtheirdaughterwouldf

Shewasn''''''''tasstrikingasthedeadReyahadbeen,butatleastshetrailedhimaroundlikealoyallittleshadow,neverleavinghisside.

Hepretetonotice,thensuddenlywhippedaroundwithaloudshout.

Noseniordetectivejumped.

***

Buthedid.

Herwideeyesstaredathim,eerilyclearyetcarryingastrange,ulingaura,likeawitch''''''''scrystalballglowingwithghostlylight.