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Her reaction to his question was immediate: shaking hands, avoidance of eye contact and a rushing onset of guilt. She glanced toward the hand holding the rock, and then back at Dawali, who had stopped a short distance from Tayui. She wanted to respond quickly and confidently, but there was nothing she wanted to be confident about – Noir was dead, Attila had disappeared again, Océane was still missing, Claudius was unresponsive, and she was not speaking with Aurèle.
She didn’t want to be the bringer of bad news again. Every time she said it, it just hurt more, especially now that she knew who murdered her. She had tried so hard to ensure their heritage was kept a secret, but somehow, Noir had been discovered. She was a horrible mother.
“Noir is dead,” Tayui replied, choosing her words slowly. She kept her eyes on Dawali, watching for his reaction, and then added: “Haku killed her.”