Orion would have liked to head straight to the Sanctum. The blood crystal felt like it was almost burning a hole in his pocket, and he was sure it was the key to his research on magical foci. Unfortunately, he had to be responsible. Selene might have been the instigator of their adventure, and Esmeralda the one who actually carried it out, but he was older and wiser than his biological age. He could take responsibility. It helped reinforce his decision that he was fairly certain his involvement would eventually be exposed. Whether through extra-sensory perception, magical analysis, or countless other methods, the inspectors would arrive in Silverpeak as soon as it was confirmed that all the maimed scions were thralls. It wouldn’t take long for them to uncover the full story after that. Better to get ahead of it early. I can try to shape the narrative now, whereas if I let them uncover things while hiding my involvement, I’ll look suspicious. The Town Hall was unexpectedly quiet. The few guards still there were alert, and their eyes shone with a dangerous glint. If Orion hadn’t been there that morning, he was sure they would have thrown him out, child of the Sanctum or not. Instead, Selene and he passed through security with only a grunt of acknowledgment. Inside, the scene was much more chaotic than when they’d left. Clerks and servants hurried around, shouting questions and carrying stacks of documents from one office to another. (...)