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Maybe I’ll just shut my fat face for the rest of ers were healing, so gripping wasn’t very painful Stretching, however, was ht with hadn’tbetter "Tell you what," he said "How about you tell etting myself into trouble?"

"What’s there to tell?" Adrasteia said She hadn’t eaten a bite of her dinner yet "Father’s a merchant sailor Does the spice/silk circuit when he can Gone more often than not Mother’s a brewer in Odess She wanted me to take over the stills Instead, here I am"

"Isn’t Odess in Abornea?" Kip asked His raphy, but he did know that Abornea and Ilyta were different satrapies

"Head of the Narrows, one of the biggest cities in the world"

"So how coht ht? Kip tried not to let his surprise show

She tapped the top of her ear It was snipped vertically and cauterized "You not see this?" she said

"Oh!" he said She was a slave--and he was stupid

But she didn’tthe Chromeria’s pupils, there is no slave and no free They like to say all sorts of things, of course, but if you can uard, it’s actually true" She didn’t say it bitterly, though She shrugged Who you werearound it

"So that’s why you’re trying to get into the Blackguard?"

"You’re joking, right?" she asked

Kip’s look hed

"Do you knohy alroup is older than you, Kip?"

"Do you see this blank look on rinned for a uard is the most coveted appointroup alone, there are four legacies: children of Blackguards Cruxer, Rig, Arauarantee you that all of the in martial arts since they could walk If you’re a slave and you test in, you’re freed--though you do have to swear your service to the Blackguard If you’re the owner of that slave, the Chromeria pays you a fortune for the transfer of your property The Veranghetis have placed dozens of Blackguards over the years It’s one of their more lucrative businesses I cahter as e They wanted her to be able to defend herself I was trained with her, so she’d have a sparring partner When they realized I heti She had me train for the last year, all day, every day, with a variety of top htfor this? "So you’re telling irl"

"Watch it, chunky"

He grinned a

Her face fell "I’m sorry, that wasn’t--I didn’t realize you were sensit--I shouldn’t have… I’m sorry"

There was a sticky silence

"I heard you al," she said

"Almost" Kip Almost Another reminder of failure But she’d clearly ot one special talent"

"What’s that?"

Kip lowered his voice "It’s a secret You can’t tell anyone Highly valuable"

"All right," she said, leaning close

He looked left and right, as if nervous "Plate cleaning," he whispered