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"Why can’t you takein the mines I’m claustrophobic" She stopped "Are you?"

"Afraid of small spaces?"

She nodded "And the dark?"

"No lanterns?"

"Plenty of light, but sometimes an errant wind blows them out We puht ofhidden in a box under a pile of sand, swi a couple weeks chained in a dark cell "I’m not claustrophobic"

"Good"

"Do you know the location of the vein?" I asked her

"No I think only Father and Galen do They tend to get all paranoid when they make a new find Both of them know every shaft below I don’t even think there are any maps" She shook her head and continued

Pazia led me to the lowest level of the command center Rumors about the main entrance to thein the basement of his house, the doorway for the miners was deep under the command center

I waited with Pazia as the day shift’s personnel strearoup, the workers stripped off their jumpers, stood under spouts of water and were searched before they donned clean clothes The process reminded ht be sled out of the mines than in Mirrors lined the wall opposite the search area and I suspected they were tay ones and observers lurked behind them

When the last worker left, Pazia told me to hile she slipped behind thebefore she returned

"Coround entrance She finally sloe exited the building

"I hope you’re not in trouble," I said

"Not at all Galen just gives me the creeps He practically lives in the mines In fact, I haven’t seen him in seasons, which is fine by e" She sets aith that attitude because my father trusts him"

"What does he do?"

"Whatever my father wants" She took a breath "I know I shouldn’t be so down on him He’s dedicated to our family, and he was the one who found the black diaive you a tour touesthouse, but convinced her to join me at the Tourmaline Inn for supper Pazia e pink tourmaline the inn’s owner, Carleen, wore around her neck

Carleen remembered me, but since I had paid in full before Janco and I had made our sudden departure, she welcomed me back She led us to a nice table and served us each a heaping portion of beef pie Pazia and I chatted about our days at the Keep