"All right," Soma conceded, though a trace of her frown still remained on her face. Pretending to be something she wasn't had never come naturally to her, even after her own circumstances had changed.

It didn't seem right that she should be the one holding all the secrets, though. If Lingormr trusted her enough to tell her all this, the least she could do was return the favor.

"You've told me your story," she said after a moment. "It's only fair I tell you mine. I mean, if you want."