I had thought she had plans with her twin sisters, who were around the same age as my Julea. “I thought you were busy today…”

“The twins are otherwise occupied. Faith is helping the Lycurgus healer friend of hers again, and Einsley…well, Emily took her today. She’s using Einsley as a personal assistant, I think. So…they’ll each get paid for doing something.”

Coty hated that she wasn’t contributing to her own keep. Hated it immensely. But…the head of the resort’s IT department refused to even consider allowing a daughter of Albert Boltier work in his department. Not that he allowed many females, but…his cousin had been killed by Coty’s father.

It was understandable that he would be grieving, but…I cannot judge Coty based on her father’s actions.

I do not believe in sins of the fathers being revisited on the male’s daughters.

That was not how a Woald was taught.

We valued each of our family for their unique skills. We judged them on their own actions. And no one else’s.

I don’t know when our people became so dark of the soul.

I have seen the goddess now. She embodies love and acceptance, hope and light. 

Yet, I do not often see these things within my own Kind. 

It…it hurts me to my soul to see how dark we have become.

Anyway…

Evalanedea. I suppose it is finally time I write of this place that apparently only the Woald still remember.

Some of my family has said that the blood of Evalanadea still flows—but only in the veins of the Woald. Some say we female Woald are often smaller than the rest of our Kind because most of our DNA is still of the old world.

And we are just not the same as the Dardaptoans who came after our House was formed.

Our House is the oldest known House to be formed by the goddess Kennera. Other familial legend says…we were never formed. That the Woald line is far older than even the goddess’s. That it is she who was modeled after us, and not the other way around.

I just…know…that there are many of my female Woald cousins who have something extra now. Something that others of our Kind do not have.

But that is a closely held secret.

I cautioned Coty of that as I explained to her Woald history.

I can trust her. I sense that to my very soul.

Coty and I—we are connected somehow. And I just know that we will be for life.

Some day.

It is just a matter of time.