Chapter 122

One woman’s hand snaked out from the crowd and slapped her cheek. Another grabbed hold of her hair. “You thief! You thief!”

“We will deal with you today!” another person shouted.

As they dragged her away, she thought,

Maybe, just maybe, this is how it was written in the stars.

Maybe, just maybe, this is the way it was meant to be.

Maybe, just maybe, this is the way I’ll reunite with my mother again.

Baski was picking herbs with her daughter. Remeta had been happy all day, and her expression was cheerful and bright. That was how it had been for a few weeks now. It gave Baski a special joy. Today, they were picking newly fallen leaves.

Suddenly, Remeta let go of her bowl, and it fell to the ground. Her eyes went wide, and she began crying—a loud, distressed cry filled with pain.

“Remeta! Remeta!” Baski dropped her own bucket and ran to her.

Remeta’s eyes remained wild, staring at the space in front of her unseeing. “No,