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The first man he saas a skinny Ilytian with a burn scar across one cheek, sitting on his bed, reading A few othera ways back in a co rumors about assassinations in Abornea frouards only, boy," the man said
"I need to see Ironfist," Kip said "I’er And it’s secret"
Blackguards didn’t get to be Blackguards by being indecisive The man stood "No one will harm you here I’ll take you to the coht now--he alorks longer than any of us--but he’s usually back by an hour after ht? Of course Kip hadn’t realized that his ownsessions with Ironfist were actually part of the man’s norht Every day
The Blackguard walked Kip past the others, who looked askance but didn’t object, and took Kip to a small room He opened the door, which wasn’t locked
"No one except the coet in while any of us live" He hesitated, then said, "Do please note that if you steal anything from this room, the consequences will be dire"
"Yes, yes, thank you Of course," Kip said
He felt a huge wave of relief, quickly replaced by exhaustion and then discomfort as he looked around Ironfist’s room
For some reason, it felt oddly intiuard coht, of course Where’d you figure he sleeps, Kip?
The rooe despite his exalted position, finely carved lean black oak chairs with no cushions, the narrow bed covered with a green-and-black-checkered blanket, a rack ofopposite the bed It was of a young wolie halos, beautiful, chin lifted, hint of a playful twist to her lips Kip didn’t know anything about painting, but it was clear even to his untrained eye that this was exquisite
A knock on the door interrupted his reverie He opened it The soleuests sit in that chair," the"You can pull it by the fire Is it the kind of eency where we need to send runners for hi is fine," Kip said "Thank you"
The door closed with a click, and Kip’s heart went out of hiht he’d die if he didn’t ency, decisive in the face of uncertainty, dangerous, masterful, confident
He toweled off as well as he could, then stretched the two cloaks out to dry and sat in the chair by the fire
Standing there in the warht He drafted sub-red directly froh his skin He arh not too quickly or he’d burn hione back into the building when it was on fire He could have drafted the heat away from himself--and then what? Recovered a few treasures and still been inside the building when it exploded? Maybe he could have drafted shields around the kegs of black powder If he’d been thinking
He hadn’t even thought to draft himself an umbrella on his way back to the Chromeria to stay dry It simply hadn’t occurred to hih for this A failure, stupid, his mother would say
But then, he’d been not a drafter for his whole life, and only a drafter for a couple ht, the worries, his mother’s lies, away
The card box smelled of cherry cavendish, tobacco like fruit leather Janus Borig had hidden her most valuable cards in her tobacco And it had worked Funny old coot
Kip had liked her
His quick grin faded Orholam She was dead Murdered
By Andross Guile A soul-deep loathing settled in hiut, Kip See if the man only has the balls to hire murderers Kip put the card box on the table Don’t stop , Kip Weakness and fear beckoned He tossed his knife on the bed It was safer here than anywhere