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“A ball? I thought you said it was a cotillion?”

“It’s a ball,” Xiomara said, “with a cotillion in it”

Melody still looked confused Xiomara’s mouth twisted into a frown

“Forget the tery Ms Larson, and take it for what it is? Just another stupid fucking dance”

Melody bit her tongue Nothing the old woman said surprised her much anymore, not even her vast vocabulary of colorful sords Luckily she was learning that when dealing with Xio silent was usually the best course of action

“Anyway, you’ll be leaving tonight Mo out front, and—”

“Right now?” Melody’s et to pack I don’t even have a dress!”

“Oh we packed for you,” said Xiomara “Dress and all”

The whole thing was strange — e, actually — but Melody would never say so She ay too excited Her first real assignht now she was afraid to ask any of them

The Head of the Order led her down a stone ramp, into another part of the Manor Melody’s eyes went everywhere, checking out everything Though she’d been living at the Blackstone for almost a year now, she still felt like a tourist This entire wing — the one forbidden to acolytes — was new to her

“Ah,” said Xio before an old oaken door “Here we are”

She pulled a long key from inside her robe and inserted it into the lock The door swung open heavily, with an avalanche of dust It looked like a closet A big closet

“Stand back,” said Xioht”

Melody stepped to one side as the old woh a series of dusty shelves She saw boxes, cases, containers The glint of gold, a flash of silver There were stacks of cash too — old bills, not the new ones Xiomara shoved them aside like they orthless paper None of it made any sense

Since when has this place made any sense?