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In that moment, he knew: after all he’d just done to save the world froreen

Chapter 69

Commander Ironfist breathed "Kip, do you have any idea…"

"No! I don’t"

Co at the blade intently "Strange Why are two of the jewels colored and the others clear?"

"I was sort of hoping you’d tell me Sir"

"Kip, I don’t know that much about this blade except that it’s important, that the Spectru the war I don’t knohat it does besides look pretty, but people have killed for this knife Literally More than once These er to touch them, but then stopped

"Luxin?" Kip asked "White and black luxin?"

Ironfist looked troubled "I’d always thought black luxin was simply obsidian Hellstone This…"

Kip hadn’t noticed, maybe hadn’t really looked since he’d first exae, but the black metal threaded down the middle of the white blade looked different than he remembered It looked like it shimmered dully, a tiny thready pulse

Other discipulae had asked about white luxin and black luxin in Kip’s classes The response had been tart--you’re not ready for those talks All Kip kneas that no one had ever seen either, so he’d concentrated on et his ass kicked and figuring out how to use a stupid abacus andseven hundred and thirty-six idiot cards that didn’t even include all the forbidden cards that were, apparently, all theones Kip reached out

"Don’t touch the blade!" Ironfist said "They call it the Marrow Sucker--and I don’t want to find out why the hard way" Then his visage darkened "This looks familiar Where have I seen this?"

"Zymun, sir This is the knife he tried to kill the Lord Prise?"

Kip nodded

"How do you know his name?"

"He tried to kill me back in Rekton"

"And how--never mind You need to hide this, Kip From everyone"

"I think it’s too late for that," Kip said "Andross Guile thinks I have it Or at least he thinks I knohere it is I’m afraid what he’ll do for it"

"As well you should be" Co through a box He ca with nuer’s sheath "Strap this on your calf, under your trousers Now, Kip"

Commander Ironfist went to the door, then pointed Kip to stand out of the line of sight Kip did, and Ironfist cracked the door

"Jade, I’ers Especially that damned snake"

"With pleasure, sir," a wo up, not quite having figured out the straps yet

"Andross Guile’s slave, Grinwoody He was barely even a drafter, but Andross pulled strings and got hiood service, we supposed He , made friends, learned secrets both personal and corporate, and on oath day decided to sign with Lord Guile instead Who used those secrets Twenty years ago, and still we reht before they sign, but it wastes a huge ao to all the work of training soh and dry"

"Grinwoody?" Kip asked He couldn’t get over it "That old stuuard?"

"He’d be dead by now if he had been a Blackguard, of course The constant drafting So maybe he’s the smart one"

"Doesn’t make it any less a betrayal," Kip said