Rick pov

Rick learned early that adults spoke more freely when they believed children were not listening.

He sat on the wide stone steps near the inner hall, knees pulled to his chest, pretending to focus on the small carving he held in his hands. The voices nearby were low at first, then sharp, then heavy with things Rick did not fully understand but felt deep inside his chest.

“He should never have brought the boy back here.”

“That’s not for you to decide.”

“It is when the ground ...