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But that’s not why I’d shivered Off and on all day, I’d had this feeling that I was being watched I kneas being paranoid, not least because the two men I ithout so lamours that only very old and very purebred Alfar could have kept themselves concealed

"You sure?" Anyan asked, his deep voice concerned Right at thatwatched suddenly ceased It had to be"Yeah, really I’--froht before about the Sensors--that there was supposed to be no chance such a very old, very powerful purebred Alfar could ever be in Borealis

That said, Anyan’s words had raised more concerns than they answered, and Julian and I had stayed up late the night before talking everything through On the one hand, everything Anyan had said explained why the Alfar hadn’t succeeded in spying here; why the Borderlands were invisible to them And why they should be relatively safe for our team

In reality, however, ere now left with a whole slew of unsettling issues After all, if unregistered, visiting purebloods were sure to give themselves away, then serious questions had to be asked about how ht here to be killed And about as running these labs and doing the actual killing

As soon as ere alone last night, Julian and I had started asking such questions, turning to good old Sherlock Hol Occa that the simplest, most sufficient explanation of a particular problem was usually the correct one If I applied Occae pureblood dying in a territory that was supposed to be guarded against unregistered pureblood or halfling entry, there was only one obvious explanation: Sos in the Borderlands couldn’t be trusted

There had to be people on the ground working as guards, or soistered power signatures, or both

We knew better than to ask Anyan whether or not that person was one of his friends and contacts here Anyan wasn’t a man who trusted easily, nor was he stupid or naive The enuinely appeared to believe in Capitola and whomever she worked for spoke volu didn’t add up aboutin Borealis, and Anyan, earlier, had adht to Julian and ht, that we should be safe here in Borealis I’d started to understand that Anyan coh what he didn’t say than what he did And the barghest never said ere safe here, just that we should be safe

So neither Julian nor I had slept very well, and I watched Anyan and Ryu interact with the local tea an official Alfar employee, Ryu was undoubtedly unwelcome, and he’d been treated with distrust e first arrived But he was also daratiated hiators

Meanwhile, Anyan andering around sniffing things, in what I assuhestian style of detective work

So Julian and I tucked ourselves away in a corner I kneasn’t of any use in this place, and I thinkto be supportive That said, I was glad I was here Being part of this investigation, in whatever way I could, felt right The safety of ation

I can’t let Jarl run around trying to get back at ht, just as Julian interruptedup?" he asked, his tone careful "Hoas the lab this ?"

"Just like Anyan said," I replied "There was nothing there But I did call ho, Anyan and I had driven south to Kankakee and the other abandoned laboratory while Ryu and Julian slept through their weird vaone without him, but Kankakee was about two and a half hours away fros up here, we couldn’t wait for sleeping beauties

Plus, that lab had been the long-abandoned one, and it had already been cleaned out Anyan had sniffed around while I used the opportunity to ood How’s your dad?" Julian asked

"Oh, fine Nell lamoured him He’s convinced I’uess?"

"Yeah, I guess I’ain But I also know I , so at least my dad isn’t worried about me the way he would be otherwise"

"How’s everyone else?"

"Fine Rockabill never changes, thank the gods"

After I’d spoken with s at the store were slow and I wasn’t needed, although I still felt guilty for abandoning the that Julian didn’t need to know every facet oflife in Maine And I also left out the part where, after one back to watching the barghest sniff around Indeed, when I’d walked back into the abandoned lab, I’d found Anyan sniffing at the corner I’d just abandoned Walking toward hi a moment to sniff me

I didn’t think Julian wanted to know that infor facts of ood a ti the tables on

Julian blinked "Me? I’m fine Why wouldn’t I be fine?"