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gram is correct.”
    â€œOh,” said Vin. “What’s fallen mean?”
    â€œIt means I am in dishonor, and have lost my immortality.”
    â€œOh,” said Vin. “What’s immortality mean?”
    â€œIt means living forever, stupid!” Krista snapped, rolling her eyes.
    Vin waited for Aru’s nod of confirmation before replying. “Oh. Why are you in this honor?”
    â€œIt’s dis honor, stupid!” Krista wailed in exasperation, shoving to her feet and stomping out.
    Vin seemed unfazed by her scorn, and altogether pleased by her departure. He turned once more to Aru. “Why are you—”
    Aru laughed and held up a hand to stop him. “I committed a very great sin against my god, and to punish me, he took my immortality away.”
    â€œOh. What sin? Did you fornicate?”
    Aru’s eyes flew to Viera’s face as his cheeks filled with color. She swallowed a knot of dismay. “Vin,” she said calmly, “who taught you that word?”
    â€œOur neighbor, Damina. She said my mum’s a whore and a sinner, because she fornicates for money. But she wouldn’t tell me what it means. Do you know what fornicate means?”
    Viera fought down a surge of anger, heat rising to the roots of her hair and her hands clenching into fists at her sides. “Damina is wrong,” she said very firmly, “and I would suggest you do not listen to her anymore. Nothing your mother has to do to put food in your belly is a sin, do you understand?”
    At last Vin seemed to realize he might be on thin ice. His eyes dropped to his mostly empty platter. “Oh.”
    â€œI think maybe you ought to go give your mother a hug and kiss,” Aru suggested gently.
    â€œAll right.” He climbed down from the bench and beat a hasty retreat into the infirmary, leaving Viera alone with Aru.
    Feeling suddenly self-conscious, Viera turned back to the stove, pushing pans around without purpose. Aru’s gaze was a palpable weight on her back, not unpleasant, but unnerving.
    â€œInella is much improved,” he said at last.
    Viera closed her eyes and tried not to be disappointed. What did she expect? A declaration of love and devotion? Just because her world had irrevocably changed last night did not mean he would feel the same. Hadn’t she seen it time and again? No matter how a man was moved by moonlight, it was business as usual when the sun rose. Clearing all trace of emotion from her face, she turned. “She still has pain in her ribs.”
    He fled her glance, seeking safety behind his cup of jaffha . “Another session then.”
    Her stomach clenched, equal parts anxiety and anticipation. “When?”
    â€œThis afternoon, I think.”
    â€œI’ll be ready.”
    His brows drew together over the rim of his cup. “Actually, I thought you could take Mai and the children out while I work today.”
    She kept her face carefully mild, even as the pain of his rejection flowered in her breast. He didn’t want to draw from her. He didn’t even want her there to assist. “All right,” was all she could manage.
    His eyes flicked to her, then away. “Inella is well enough, she doesn’t require a surrogate,” he said reasonably. “But the mother and the children will only be a distraction, or worse.” He picked at his food as if his appetite had abandoned him. “Would you talk to Inella first? Let her know what is involved, so that it will not come as such a shock?”
    â€œAll right,” she said evenly. Everything he said was true, of course. Inella was nearly healed, and Viera would be more help in keeping the woman’s family out of the way, but that didn’t make it sting any less. She thought about how they had parted last night and could not help but regret the indifference with which she had dismissed him. She hadn’t felt indifferent. In that moment of