as the soulless. Their leader is a male named Serpent.”
She cringed at the name, but only asked, “Is Elburu Obak a separate location or is it here in Ghost City?”
The most accurate answer was both, but she wouldn’t understand unless he elaborated. “It’s technically within the boundary of Ghost City, but it is very much its own place. The population is unique and it has its own government. The rest is just lines on a map.” He sighed softly. He wanted to learn about her, not teach her all of the cities dirty secrets. “Urbanites, soulless, city-dwellers and all the different villagers, I warned you we are tribal. Everyone has all but forgotten that we are all Sarronti.”
“Sounds like the Battle Born and the Outcasts. Most of them are from the same planet, but you would never know it to listen to them. They sound more like enemies.” Her gaze drifted off into the distance as she absorbed what he’d told her. “Is it rude to ask what sort of mutations developed in the urbanites? How different are they from the villagers or even the other city-dwellers?”
“Some believe that Sarronti magic in its entirety began with the Great Devastation. Still, many of the people who live here look different and have unusually strong abilities. Those with the most obvious mutations seek out the sanctuary. I saw the way you reacted to Caster. You tried to control it, but you wondered what was ‘wrong’ with him.”
She nodded and her cheeks pinkened. “I didn’t mean to stare.”
“It’s a natural reaction,” he assured her. “Urbanites have come to expect it. Caster’s appearance is actually mild compared to a lot of his friends.”
“I had no idea.”
“Why would you?” Natalie had learned about the world below from Lady Eza and Malik. Both were far too lofty to concern themselves with—that wasn’t fair. Lasting change happened gradually, which meant priorities must be set. Unfortunately, the orphans of Ghost City didn’t rank very high on anyone’s priority list. “All of the other Sarronti do their best to pretend Ghost City doesn’t exist. Except when they dump mutated offspring here, of course.”
Natalie gasped, pressing one of her hands against her upper chest. “The Ayrontu abandon babies here?”
“Oh, it’s not just the Ayrontu.” It was impossible to keep the bitterness from his voice. The villagers had elaborate rationalizations for why they were justified in dumping their imperfect offspring in the back allies of Ghost City like unwanted pets. Salvo had heard all the excuses and was disgusted by each. “It’s considered the compassionate option, but no one here has the resources to care for someone else’s offspring. Most can barely meet the needs of their own.”
“Then what happens to the babies?” Tears gathered in her eyes and her lips began to tremble.
If Caster had still been there, Salvo would have punched him in the face. Natalie needed to be eased into the harsher realities of life in Ghost City, not thrown into a churning sea before she knew how to swim. This was not anyone’s idea of how to begin a courtship. He started to change the subject then decided to finish the conversation. Honesty had been one of the things she said she valued. “Depends who finds them. There’s a network of orphanages owned and operated by those sympathetic to the urbanite cause. Unfortunately, there is just as many run by the bastards who own the workhouses. The babies are kept alive long enough to join the ranks of the wretched.”
She blinked back tears as conviction ignited in her dark gaze. “The rebels are going to change this, aren’t they? You’ll make sure they do?”
He didn’t need an empathic link to recognize the familiar reaction. Anger was gradually pushing through her other emotions. “Of course. But each person on the United Council represents a different village, or in my case city. We each have concerns crucial to our people. Often one member’s top priority is not nearly as important to the others. Right now, everyone is focused on minimizing the power of the Opposition Force and figuring out what happened to Velmar Rylin. He is exceptionally powerful, and our success is more likely with his assistance than without.”
“Thanks to Zerna Stront, we know the answer to that, or at least have a place to start a serious investigation,” Natalie reminded.
“Zerna can easily deny what she said, claim that she was trying to keep Blitz Perian from causing a public panic. We have no actual proof of anything.”
Disregarding the