Bright blue eyes looked up from staring at his hands and his palms turned up. "Being with them. Not so bad. Marrying is frowned upon. Having a child with a gadji makes for a confusing life," he scoffed. "There is shunning that happens when you can't speak the language or know the culture."
There was so much more to it than that, so many minute details about the culture that went into how outsiders or half-breeds were treated, but that was not for Halle to know- nor any gadji really. Secrets became a way of survival when half the world did not trust you.
"Bitsy is a cousin. Her mother died in child birth and father couldn't handle a gifted like her. So Baba Violetta decided that she was to stay with us." The old woman had that kind of authority within the extended family. Her soft appearance, long white hair, and knowing eyes hid the hard hand of a woman who had an elongated life because of her power.