Just when I thought I was becoming numb to shock, Sol's revelation throws me. Sons? She has sons who live in Keir, while she lives in a village a whole day's travel from here?

What exactly happened to make her leave half of her family behind?

Not many people are outside their homes after dark, but the few who are stare as we make our way down the cobblestoned street, their eyes scorching like the torchlight flickering in the sconces along the street. My steps threaten to falter at the whispers we are getting from the sparse on-lookers. Lucinda and her gossiping daughter work fast.

I desperately want to ask Sol what is going on, and what we'd be doing with her sons, but the far-away look on her face gives me pause. I'll find out soon, either way.

Sol turns down a narrow street housing large bricked houses. She walks up to the first door on the left, and it opens before she can even knock.

A tall man a few years older than me sporting a head of dark brown hair pulls Sol into a fierce hug. This seems to wake her up, and after she exchanges a few words with the man, she turns to me.

"This is Sophie," she introduces me, motioning me forward. I step up next to her in the doorway and the man smiles softly. It's a smile just like Sol's, and it immediately puts me at ease.

"I'm Coen," the man nods at me. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Sophie." Behind him, a nearly identical head pops over his shoulder. Ah. Twins.

"Clive," the second man says, a grin stretching his face. "If you are the one who has brought our mother here, you must be something special."

I don't know why I blush at his words, so similar to what Sol said to me just last night.

"Come inside, night has fallen," Coen says, stepping aside to let us through the threshold of their home. Sol may have been the clan mother in her village, but her accommodations are meager compared to these quarters. There is enough space to fit two of her living rooms in theirs, along with a stone fireplace on the far wall.

"Word out there is that you're in Keir to see the Summus," Clive says, pulling out a chair at the long wooden dining table. We all sit. It has the same rough texture of the one in Sol's kitchen, and I run my fingers along the grain.

"Yes," Sol replies. "It's regarding the girl that was brought in from the walled city." The boys exchange a look.

"So you're concerned about what the Summus is doing all of a sudden? We thought you wanted to escape all of that," Coen points out. "What is so important about the girl that you came back?"

Sol's gaze slides over to me, and the twin's eyes follow. Despite the heat creeping up my collar, I tell them about Sol's offer to help me find Markee. If I'm going to be spending the night in this foreign house, I want to be honest with them. I'd owe them at least that.

"Do you know what Summus Aspen wants with Markee?" I ask. "What makes him think she knows anything about those Skinwalker people?" Simultaneously, all three of them go rigid.

"They are not people," Clive spits. Clearly, I hit a nerve. Not wanting them to dislike me, I pivot the conversation.

"We're meeting with the Summus tomorrow. Is there anything I need to know before I walk into the lion's den?" I ask. The Summus is practically royalty to the villagers. This much, I know. How could I possibly prepare myself to meet someone who holds such a high rank? In Herald, I'd never met any of the Council members. None of my friends or their parents have either. The thought makes me nervous, and I don't want to mess up some Outlander custom by doing or saying the wrong thing.

"Whatever you do, don't take a page from her book," Clive says, motioning to Sol. She frowns.

"Before she left, she nearly set half of his chambers on fire with her voice alone," he continues, chuckling. Sol gives him a look that ceases his laughter. I don't want to pry, but my curiosity is tired of taking the backseat.

"Why did you leave?" My voice is meek, almost afraid as I am of the answer. After a moment of silence, the boys leave the table.

"I'll grab you both some dinner," Coen's voice trails from the kitchen.

"And I'll roll out the spare beds," Clive says, his feet padding down the short hallway.

I haven't felt unease in Sol's presence since we first met at her front door, but now I sense a thick haze between us. Sol's fingers cross and uncross, possibly wishing for her blanket of knots to tie. This isn't easy for Sol, but I have to know.

"My sister," Sol begins. "She and I were very close. Growing up, we did everything together. We ran these narrow streets, the homes of many of Keir's high families. She was especially drawn to a young boy of Keir's finest. He grew up to become the Summus, and she his wife." She pauses a moment, gauging my reaction. I process this information as unbiased as I can, but it's really hard not to freak out when the Summus' sister-in-law is right in front of me.

"Wait, so Summus Aspen... he married your sister?" I try to sound composed. Sol nods.

"Then she found out she would be giving him an heir. That was the happiest I had ever seen her," she reminisces. The ghost of a smile lights her features. "Summus Aspen went to the ends of the world to make her comfortable, to give her and his child an easy life."

Her eyes darken, all traces of joy erased from her lips. "That's when our problems took root. Maybe it was just all a coincidence, or the timing was wrong for them to start a family. The Skinwalkers had been increasing their numbers, and the Summus acted in kind. An increase in security around Keir, more hours spent in his strategy chamber, and less time he allowed himself for his wife and son, all for the sake of their safety."

I try to imagine the woman and her toddler, too precious to want for anything. The Outlands are harsh, but the boy never had to know it. The only thing missing from his care-free life was his father.

"She was not one to be held back. As soon as the boy could walk, she was eager for them to be by Summus Aspen's side. Of course, overprotective as he was," Sol scoffs, "he sent them away, but that did not deter her one bit. One evening, the Summus did not come home for dinner, and once again she went to him. He sent her away, claiming there was still work needing to be done." Sol pauses, closing her eyes. When she opens them, there are tears there. "That night, the Skinwalkers broke the perimeter and swarmed the village."

The hairs at the back of my neck rise with goosebumps along my flesh.

"We lost many, all under the cover of darkness. Friends, neighbors, and my sister. My best friend. All because he valued his position over his family." Sol takes in a shaky breath. "Celina was found mangled, her limbs torn from her body."

A horrified gasp escapes me at the brutality she suffered. Seeing Sol reliving this with tears in her eyes chokes me up. This brave, strong woman has been reduced to a trembling girl.

"I was so angry. Angry at Summus Aspen for neglecting his family, angry at him for sending her home alone. The only light in the dark was that my nephew was at home, already asleep, but that was not enough for me. I lost my sister and best friend because of his selfish actions." Sol's voice shakes with fervor.

"The very next day, I stormed his chambers without an audience." She casts her eyes down, as if ashamed. "He was mourning and I ruined that for him. I disparaged him. He told me he never wanted to see my face again."

"So he made you leave?" I inquire softly. Sol shakes her head.

"I was not exactly banished, but for years I was shunned. Some, like my friends you met earlier, believed our feud to be ludicrous, but not everyone was so forgiving of me demeaning our leader." I think of Lucinda's upturned nose.

"I was so tired of living with their arrogant judgment. I couldn't rely on his generosity any longer. Not after what he allowed to happen," she tells me, her voice strong with conviction. "Eli was lucky enough to be one of his advisers. Because of that, he lawfully could not leave. The boys were old enough, and stayed with him in Keir, but Hazel was so young, I could not leave her to the mercy of such selfishness, so we left in self-imposed exile."

This is a whole other Sol from my experience. The Sol I know is kind and compassionate. She is selfless, made so from her tragedy. Here she is, facing the ghost of her sister and husband she left behind. Just imagining the loss and stress she endured cuts between my ribs, digging into a sore spot reserved for my closest loved ones. She's not my sister, but I don't know what I would do if Markee was gone forever. And then with what happened to Rhett...

Sol picks up on my concern, clear as day on my face. "Eli and the boys come to visit us every few moons," she explains, and a bit of weight is lifted from my heart. "You remind me so much of my younger self, Sophie. Your passion for protecting your friends. I knew I wanted to help you from the moment you showed up."

Just then, Coen returns from the kitchen with two steaming bowls of vegetable stew and my stomach lets out the loudest grumble. I blush, but it doesn't deter me from digging in. After today's hike and only eating snack-sized portions throughout the day, I'm famished.

That night, I'm tucked into one of the twins' beds. I suppose Sol's generosity is engraved into her sons. Even though I argued that I could sleep on the floor, they blatantly refused. I'm just closing my eyes when Sol walks in, sitting on the edge of the mattress.

"I hope you are not ashamed of me after that revelation," Sol says softly. I sit up abruptly.

"I could never be ashamed of you," I urge. The fact that she's worried about what I think of her proves how burdened she still is by what happened years ago. And more than that, she cares about my opinion of her. It's a prideful feeling, knowing my thoughts matter.

Sol smiles softly at me, smoothing my hair back in a motherly fashion. Her hand lingers on my head for a moment, and it's comforting.

"Tomorrow will be challenging," she says, breaking the peaceful moment. "Summus Aspen most likely will not be happy to see me, but that is no matter. We will finally have answers."

"Thank you for this. If I had known what it has cost you, I never would have agreed to put you through this," I tell her, but she just shakes her head.

"It is time I faced the past anyway," Sol whispers. "Thank you for giving me a reason."

My heart swells with honor. With Sol's help, I've come this far. Tomorrow will be the biggest hurdle I have to jump, but setting Markee free will be well worth the struggle.