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"You may come inside, but not him"

"That’s fine," I said "Thank you"

She waved ot around the corner, Kope was nowhere to be seen

"Go in," she told me The door was unlocked, so I pushed it open Inside she quickly closed the door and locked it behind us before peering out a sideandn Everything froold drapes to the handcrafted ork of the furniture Taking a seat in an ornate chair, I ran ers over the thick maroon and yellow tasseled cushion, then theme from across the room, knife still in hand For the first ti under her black badge, as if it would squeeze the life fro, she racefully to a wooden case and lifted the lid, revealing a beverage bar She poured a shot of soerously close to her eye She poured a second glass and looked at h to snap

"Do you want one?" she asked

Yes I paused two beats "N-no, thank you"

"No?"

Just one! I didn’t knohat to do I was already jittery, but I really wanted that drink As if sensing le, she smiled as she sipped the second shot

"Okay," I whispered "Maybe--"

Zania straightened up and made a faraway face "He whistled Why did he whistle? Is he signaling someone?"

"Who? Kope?" OhI slouched a little I was officially the only Neph I kneho didn’t regularly use their extended hearing to listen out "No, he’s whistling to htest bit Kope wouldn’t whistle for no reason If he was telling ood idea for irls with a weakness for drink and a bottle of liquor wasn’t the safest combination I had a job to do and a limited amount of tiht otherwise "He forbids you to drink? And you obey? Why?"