Carden carefully maneuvered the steering wheel, veering around a deep gully as they made their way back home along the quiet street. Thira sat rigidly in the front passenger seat, eyes fixed in one direction. The children sat wordlessly in the back, their silence matching the heavy atmosphere.

The only sound in the car was Thira’s breathing … quick, shallow, laced with fury.

“What a jackass…” she muttered under her breath, then slammed her palm against the dashboard.

“What a stupid, ...