That night, while tending to the leech wounds still clinging like bruised shadows on Vinson’s small legs, Felix tried gently to uncover what his brother remembered about the accident. He trusted Vinson completely. He knew the boy could never harm Esther. Yet he needed to hear it from Vinson’s own trembling voice.

But before he could even begin, Elson arrived at their doorstep. The child stood at the threshold with a posture too sharp, too arrogant for someone his age. His eyes gleamed with ...