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A sn he’d been accepted He put his hand out slowly and his finger passed through the plane

"Did you put this up?" E his hands where the ladies could see the toward the door

"Her father did,toward the future, though I don’t think even he could’ve kno bad it would get He uild Their recordkeeping was limited to handwritten files at that time Easy to , that wouldn’t have been possible" Ms Bristol stepped back and brought up the gun, the black holes in the barrels staring at his chest "I’ve kept the ward active The first ward used to be just a warning, but I aht as another line of defense I’ifts lie…elsewhere"

"Wise," E Penny’s rinned "Directhis hands up, until he reached a plush recliner in a cozy living rooe, decently furnished house This fah they didn’t spend it lavishly "Was Mr Bristol eical field?"

"He was a top-level Sheriff, set to carry out the decree of the Regional, though that title would make a lot more sense if they had expanded like they’d planned" Ms Bristol sat opposite E on her lap, but at such an angle that she’d still put a hole in hier "Penny, sit farther away"

Penny, who had been lowering herself onto the other end of the couch, straightened and moved to the recliner next to it

Eet to hih up If I may ask, how did he die?"

"On the job That’s all they would tell uild My craft is too lowly for the likes of theanization, not even about a family ranite "But he’d said things before he died He was uneasy about some of the laws he was told to uphold Then he put up these wards and told hter if he should die Hide her away and never let the guild know of her existence That was before the accident He wasn’t a et easily riled up He wasto hihter, so I didn’t hesitate I did exactly as he asked, but I kept an ear out for any whisperings The guild grew rew ional, trying for a pro him

Ms Bristol shifted, and he could see the surprise in her eyes "That would’ve put hih Chancellor, correct?" He nodded "He must’ve been powerful"

"He was a natural As ah her teeth It didn’t come back out

"How did your brother die?" Penny asked into the sudden hush, her voice deep and soft, the pain of loss evident "Do you know the details?"

"No Just like you, I only know he died on the job It’s the details I intend to find out That, and who ordered it I knoho killed ment, but I want the initiator as well"

"You don’t think it was the High Chancellor?" Ms Bristol asked

Eut "I’ve ruled hi h he’d try to reset uess he would’ve wanted the same from my brother No, he wouldn’t have ordered h clout?" Ms Bristol asked

He ran his fingers through his hair "A Baron or a Regional would’ve had the power to order it And only they could’ve prevented an in-depth investigation afterward"

"My late husband didn’t get an investigation at all," Ms Bristol spat out A few seconds of concentrated blinking cleared the sudden gloss over her eyes

Emery nodded solemnly "He is far frooes so far"

She nodded, blinking quickly again The sudden emotion didn’t show in her voice when she said, "You want to find those responsible Fine If I didn’t have a daughter, I e too But then what?"