Alpheo took a slow sip from his cup, his eyes never leaving the girl. He set the cup down on a small wooden table beside him, then leaned forward slightly, elbows on his knees, fingers steepled with a studied air of calm curiosity.
"So," he asked gently, "what did Robert say about me?"
Her small hands stopped mid-motion, and she glanced up at him with wide, searching eyes. There was hesitation there—but also a raw honesty only a child could hold onto amidst a world turned violent.
Then she said it.
"A lying, backstabbing, self-righteous cur," she recited in a breath, as if quoting something she'd heard many times before. "A snake.He said many things about you"
Jarza's brow arched slightly. Even Alpheo blinked.
The girl continued, clearly emboldened now that the door was open. "He said you'd smile to a man's face while twisting a knife into his back, and that if you ever showed him kindness it was only to see how far he'd fall when you kicked him down later."
