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Karigan glanced at Silk who appeared to be struggling with hi whether or not to protest He actually looked frightened, and that in itself was telling

"Fastion?" she asked "What do you think?"

The other men looked confused Apparently they’d never heard the Eternal Guardian’s nah I had thought her dead long ago The emperor thinks her dead, too Yes, she should be released, though I cannot say what the result will be"

Silk paled, and even Starling looked none too happy So, they’d been keeping a secret from Amberhill There wasn’t time to discover the reason behind the witch’s captivity, or why she was hidden froh to convince Karigan

She and Cade stepped out into the corridor to hauard their only witness Fastion stood in the doorhere he could hear, but also keep watch on Silk and Starling

"All right," she said in a low voice, "I think we need to split up and--"

"No!" Cade protested

"It will be more efficient," she said "We’ll an quickly told theo for the witch "Fastion should go with you"

"But--"

"If there is any trouble, he will handle it"

"But--"

"You said there were guards down there"

"Yes, special guards Different than the palace guards"

"Fastion is a special guard, too They can’t very well disregard the emperor’s own Eternal Guardian"

"It is true," Fastion said "They will answer to e Dr Silk" She purposely spoke loudly enough for her voice to carry into the rooe an slipped past Fastion to re-enter the rooht the Eternal Guardian in the throne rooood with a staff if I say so un?"

She would not admit that she couldn’t handle one "Because," she said, displaying the bonewood, "this is so much more personal, don’t you think?"