"I don't have a family apart from the girls. My family banished me when I was thirteen because I failed a test that is a tradition in our family," he explained.
Pausing for a moment, he continued, "They weren't nice at all. I got bullied by my siblings and neglected by my mother and father."
Archer glanced at Ella, who wore a sad smile on her face. "But I had Ella and my aunt Sia, who cared for me," he added.
He went on to explain how the Ashguards treated him and the abuse he suffered. When he finished, Hemera's sisters all had sorrowful expressions on their faces.
Her brothers showed pity, but the most emotional was Cassandra, who was in tears. She stood up, approached him, and asked Hemera to move over, which she did.
Archer watched as the woman hugged him. She felt immense sorrow for this abandoned boy. Everything suddenly made sense to her.
