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Cade stared off in the distance, his gaze unfixed Was he sorry she wanted to leave?

"Will you help an asked the professor "Help me free Lhean?"

The professor’s bushy eyebrows shadowed his eyes "What you ask is difficult--it could bring down the opposition AsSilk’s prize would provoke retaliation on a grand scale I need to consider it, think about the consequences and how they ht be avoided I must consider if his rescue is even achievable I’m afraid it may already be too late"

"What do youhow soon Silk sends the Eletian to the Capital, once he is there, he is beyond our reach"

"Then we must help him now"

"No" The forcefulness of the professor’s voice stilled Karigan "You o off on your own This requires thought and planning"

"But--"

"You requested ranted it, but I may I definitely will not help if you don’t allow me to consider the problem in my own time That is my final word on the matter" Then he softened his voice "I realize you fear for your friend and are homesick, my dear, but please realize that there is much more at stake here I need at least a couple of days to an knew that pushing hi Lhean on her oould be difficult--she knew so little of this world--and if she made the attempt without the professor’s leave, he would see it as a betrayal of his trust, and she could lose his protection He would never allow her to endanger the opposition She dropped into one of the chairs with a heavy sigh

"Hoas your ?" Cade asked the professor

"Not nearly as interesting as Silk’s party, apparently" The professor chuckled and so of his jovial self returned "The board , but I have secured our funding for another year"

As the two an sank deeper into her chair and rested her head on her hand, wondering how they could go on and on about the inane politics a their fellow scholars at the university when ain about Lhean and decided the consequences of aiding him, even on her own, did not matter She simply could not allow him to be hauled away for whatever torment awaited him in the Capital She had to try He was part of the answer to her way hoh all the horrors of Blackveil They’d been through ether She was sure he’d aid her if their positions were reversed--not so she could say of all Eletians It wasn’t just a hts, eh?" the professor said

Karigan shook herself back to the present Had shetheir way up the road," Cade replied