Kaya leaned closer. "Wait… and this one?"
"The woman was different."
Her eyes narrowed. "And here?"
"She suddenly vanished."
Kaya stared at him, processing. "Wait, wait—so you mean you can actually read this language?"
He glanced up at her, calm. "Of course I can. This is nothing strange."
"Nothing strange?" She frowned. "How do I know you're really reading it and not just making up words?"
His lips curved faintly. "Do you really think I need to?"
The steady resonance of his voice through her earstone made Kaya hesitate. Then she said, "Swear on your god."
At that, veer stilled, as if the words hadn't reached him—or maybe he was pretending not to hear.
Kaya repeated, firmer this time. "Swear on your god. That's what you people do, right? Swear on your god so you can't lie."
Whisps of amusement flickered in his eyes before Veer suddenly burst into laughter. He looked straight at her and said, "Why would I swear on a god I don't even believe in?"
