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"Yeah, I get it" I didn’t even try to keep the disgust out of e, they’d pay the owner to arrange a private perforuards had other ideas" The kid’s voice was nonchalant; the rapid pulse in his throat wasn’t "The next ain Next tied the patron more and had you kidnapped and delivered"

"Pretty much" Talon’s bravado was back "That’s when I caood care of his people and paid well And last night he and some of the bouncers from the club came after me I’ve never worked for anyone who’d do that" He scowled "Though what he makes me do is almost as bad"

I didn’t o to college" The kid was indignant "It’s actually inthe day, I don’t get to work at night" He slouched down in his chair "So that’s how I ended up in the birds"

"Talon!"

We both jurinned If the ive him a quick and dirty lesson in volume control

"You’ll be after Piaras," Ronan yelled "Go warave the ht there, sir" Then the kid hly creative and physically ieous"

As he ure in black robes enter the theatre through a door near the foot of the stage

Carnades Silvanus

Two other elves ith him One looked like a bureaucrat He was a full head and a half shorter than Carnades, blinking in the dieted with a pair of spectacles perched on the bridge of his nose The other elf was more familiar Not him personally I didn’t know him, just his type He entered behind Carnades, not froe attract all the attention This one didn’t want to be noticed, either personally or ant aura of power to cover whateverGenerally, if soot, it ot a lot I’d found that out once or twice the hard way Today wasn’t going to be ard "The elves with Carnades Who are they?"

"The little one’s Giles Keril, the elven ambassador to Mid The other is Taltek Balence Don’t knohat he does"

Which was exactly how Taltek Balency liked it

I’d done consulting work for elven intelligence I was recruited by Duke Markus Sevelien, the agency’s chief officer in Mermeia, and I’d only worked with him That’s exactly the way I liked it Markus was an up-front and ency I’d alanted to think that Markus soughtskills, but I knew differently Markus thoughtrelated to criminals helped ht out and adht Truth be told, if it can be picked up, pried off, or in any way pilfered, my family’s made off with it at one tioods have occasionally included people It’s not so I can deny

Most ofpilfered elves--diploents, assorted nobles The kind of people the less savoryhands on It was gratifying work and I was good at it

The agency was always looking to acquire fresh talent

I sat up slowly So the talent

Carnades spotted me--I’d already seen him--and the tension in the rooard warned

"Don’t worry I’ll be good if he will But if he’s looking for trouble, I will give it to him"

"I’ve been ordered to sit on you, ma’am," the Guardian told

"I know" I gave hi Carnades and his merry e Piaras had just finished his war to Piaras would just get hi a sleepsong, but this version wasn’t for a battlefield; it was for a nursery If Taltek Balmorlan or anyone else in the theatre ca to be really disappointed But that didn’twith Piaras would be a very bad idea

"Vegard?"

"Ma’am?"

"I know all these Guardians are for me, but could you spare a few to discreetly, but obviously, arrange the?"

The big Guardian was instantly beside er?"

"Not i"