Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 134898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 674(@200wpm)___ 540(@250wpm)___ 450(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 674(@200wpm)___ 540(@250wpm)___ 450(@300wpm)
I follow him in, my expression betraying nothing. If Sparrow notices anything out of the ordinary in our manner, she doesn’t comment. A trunk crashes upstairs, and a cat howls and races down the steps. Sparrow exclaims and gets to her feet, and then I’m left alone with Hawk.
The Taurian master says nothing until we’re in his study and the door is shut firmly behind him. Then he looks at me and down at the note in my hand. “Is anything on that?”
I unfold the paper, grinning. “It’s blank. I just thought it might look better than me showing up with nothing but a smile.”
“Good call.” Hawk moves behind his desk, then sits heavily and rubs his hands over his face. “I have five repeaters on my team as commanded, and I swear that they’re more clueless than entirely new students. How is that possible?”
“You’re just lucky, or they were failed for a reason.” I sit on the edge of his desk, keeping my tail carefully off to the side, and I eye the study. Last year, this was Master Magpie’s domain, and all the tattered furniture is gone, along with the fleet of empty liquor bottles. This room is somewhat spare, with a cat bed by the hearth and a few heavy books on a table next to a large chair. There’s a smaller chair pushed right next to the larger one, and I imagine Hawk spending his nights here with Sparrow at his side, holding hands—or holding other things.
Makes me think of Sarya. Damn the five hells, but why can’t I find her?
“Tell me about your Five,” Hawk says, picking up a quill and an empty sheet of parchment. “I’ll relay what I can back to Rooster. Any leads?”
“All repeaters,” I drawl. “I latched on to the slitherskin and the woman, since I figured they’d bear watching.”
He sits up, frowning, and puts down the quill. “Gwenna and Kipp? I doubt they’re our thieves.”
“They’ve been caught stealing before,” I point out. “Just because you’re fond of them doesn’t exclude them from suspicion. Both have plenty of reasons as to why they’d steal from the guild.”
Hawk grunts. “I don’t know if I believe that.”
“You also believed that Magpie would change, and we saw how that went.”
His expression darkens and he glares at me. Mental note, Hawk still doesn’t like being reminded that he was fooled by Magpie. Good to know.
“I’m not trying to be a prick. I’m just reminding you that we can be fooled by anyone. You said Gwenna was a maid, right? Sparrow’s maid? Have you ever known of any household staff that didn’t take a little nip from their master’s stores here and there? And she doesn’t have money of her own, so it’d stand to reason that she’d be looking for a way to make some. Would anyone suspect a woman?”
“I hate that everything you said makes sense. If it’s Gwenna, Aspeth will be devastated.” He picks up the quill and scribbles again. “Fine. We’ll keep them on our suspicion list for now. Who else?”
“Some idiot named Hemmen. Repeated four times already.”
He shakes his head. “I know the one. ‘Idiot’ is right. I doubt he’s our man, either. He’s not clever enough.”
“I also have a tall human named Arrod in my group.”
“Arrod. I don’t recall him.” Hawk pauses, staring into space.
“Says he was failed for truancy. Worked under Crow last year and has been a runner while repeating.”
He writes all this down. “I’ll confirm this with Crow and see if I can pick up on anything suspicious. I’m also compiling a list of all repeaters who are serving as fledglings this year. See if you can befriend as many of them as possible and find out what you can.”
“Will do. I’ll run you more notes when I can and tell you what I find out. I’m serving with Master Jay this time around.”
“Jay?” The ring on his nose flexes as Hawk’s nostrils flare. “You actually went with him?”
“You suggested him!”
“Yes, but I didn’t think you’d take me up on it. Was there no one else?”
“It works. He ignores his students in downtime.” I shrug. “Figure it’ll give us plenty of opportunity to get to know one another.”
“Yes, he might ignore you in downtime, but that’s because he’ll work you like dogs during your sessions. I don’t envy you.”
“Just buy me a beer out of pity now and then,” I joke. “And speaking of, I have to head off before anyone realizes I’m gone.”
He keeps writing. “Good luck, Raptor. You’ll need it.”
“I know.” When my friend chuckles, I slip back out of the study and then out of the dormitory that serves as Master Hawk’s fledgling nest. Instead of heading back to Jay’s dormitory, however, I head out of Vastwarren’s heart and down a side street, toward a tavern. I can smell the King’s Onion before I even see it, and when I step through the doors and head for the bar, I’m looking for a familiar face.