"Is the baby asleep?" Esme asked, her voice casual as she attempted to divert the conversation.
Helga looked at her with a knowing stare. "Esme!" she repeated, her tone firm.
Esme pressed on, ignoring the warning. "What are you doing here? Aron must have missed you; you two have been apart for so long."
"Esme!" Helga interrupted again, but Esme continued, clearly trying to avoid the real conversation. "You've been away for such a long time. Why don't you go to sleep?"
Helga wasn't having it. "Esme!," she said again, more forcefully this time, trying to bring her back to the topic at hand.
Esme, realizing she couldn't dodge it any longer, sighed deeply. The lightness in her voice disappeared, replaced with something heavier, tinged with pain.
"They know about Cain."
The mention of the name made Helga freeze. "What?" she whispered, shock creeping into her voice.
