Serix flinched at the ferocity in Cassie’s eyes when she accused him of going through her things. He didn’t think she would be this mad. She pushed past him and went into the room with the beds, heading directly for the drawer where he had hastily shoved the album moments before her return. He followed her back, but lingered by the doorway while she retrieved the album and held it protectively to her chest.

[b]“What made you think you even had a right to go through my things?”[/b] Cassie said angrily. [b]“You are just so... so... urg! I don't even have words for how I feel about this!”[/b] She started pacing, full of frenzied energy. Serix just watched her in silence. He wasn’t sure what to say. He [i]had[/i] gone through her book without permission, so she had every right to be mad at him.

Finally, Cassie stopped pacing and walked up to him, [b]“Yes… mother was Lunairan. And she was the one I spoke of.”[/b] Her rage seemed to have faded. She walked back to her bed and sat down, opening the photo album to the picture of her mother. [b]“Go ahead. Make fun of me for it. Call me a freak against nature. After all, I don't belong to Lunairan race, and yet I don't belong to the human race either. To your people I must seem like an abomination.”[/b]

[i]That’s[/i] what she was worried about? She had kept her parentage a secret because she wanted to fit in somewhere. This was just another thing Cassie was suffering from. Not only had all of the other humans died, but she just found out one of her parents belonged to the race of beings that murdered them. She was trapped between two worlds.

Serix stepped towards her, hesitated for a moment, and then walked across the room to sit next to her on the bed. He kept his eyes focused on a spot on the floor, averting his gaze from Cassie’s dejected form.

“I don’t know what the rest of my people would think of you,” he said quietly. “They might call you an abomination or a crime against nature. I don’t think that’s right though.” His voice wavered slightly as if he was unsure of what to say. “I think you shouldn’t look at yourself like that. You’re unique. You’re probably the only half-human-half-Lunairan in all of existence. Isn’t that something to feel proud of?” He glanced up at Cassie’s face. “You’re one of a kind; living proof that our people might have been able to coexist if they had given each other a chance.” He paused again and sighed. “I’m no good at this, am I? Just… think about what you said to me before. You told me that all life is precious. Doesn’t that include your own?”