Sinosuitablefamilycouldbefhtaway,andtheiigationintomissingchildrenrecordswasstillongoing,leavihLuseemedthemostpracticalchoice.Ifherrealparentseversurfaced,shewouldbeeasiertorecim.

Luwasabachelor,cluelessaboutraisingachild.Moxibeganvisitingstantly,whichsparkedgossipatfirst.Butafteryearspassedwithnohintofromahenosyneighborslosti.

SoLuandhischildhoodfriendMoxi—whowerealwaysmorelikeswornsiblingsthanlovers—pletedthefosterpaperworkasacohabitingcouple.Justlikethat,thetwoofthembecameReya''''''''stemporaryfosterparents.Yetthisso-called"temporary"stretchederthananyoneexpected.

Aftersolong,hecouldnolongerrecallthatwoman''''''''sfullitdidn''''''''tmatter—nowhehadhisownReya.

***

ThegirlwastemporarilypLu''''''''shomeasafosterchild.HenamedherReya.

Buthedid.

Hepretetonotice,thensuddenlywhippedaroundwithaloudshout.

Alittlegirl,maybeten,stoodthere.Skinny,tangledbckhair,naked,herskinstreakedwithdirtanddriedblood.Shelookedlesslikeachildthansomeferalthingdraggedoutofanightmare.

Shewasn''''''''tasstrikingasthedeadReyahadbeen,butatleastshetrailedhimaroundlikealoyallittleshadow,neverleavinghisside.

Herfamilyhadbeenthrilledinthebeginning,imaginingtheirdaughterwouldf

Noseniordetectivejumped.

Luwasn''''''''tgoodwithhewordhadslippedoutbecausethevictimatthecrimesehadbeencalledReya.

Herwideeyesstaredathim,eerilyclearyetcarryingastrange,ulingaura,likeawitch''''''''scrystalballglowingwithghostlylight.

ions.

Officially,Ludidn''''''''tmeettherequirementstofosteranorphan.Butthegirlrefusedtoletgoofhim—evenwhendoctorsexaminedher,orwhenpolienbathedandgedher,shegstubbornlytohisclothes.

Thatwasthemomenthissurprisearrived.