Lucia crossed her arms. "Do you believe me now?"

Castor ignored the question and turned toward Key, concern shadowing his face. "It appears you have the wrong person locked up."

"I've been trying to tell everyone it wasn't my investigation in the first place," Key said, exasperated. "I haven't even had time to polish my belt buckle, let alone run an investigation."

"Every investigation that comes out of your office is your investigation," Castor said sharply. "Your team is a reflection of you, and you are a reflection of me. You can meditate on all that later. You have a problem to fix. I suggest you do so quickly… and quietly."

"Yes, sir." Key saluted. He normally reserved his military bearing for public settings, but given that he was surrounded by the unlawful sort, he wasn't sure whether it qualified.

Castor dismissed him with a nod, then turned his attention to Lucia. She was squinting at him as if trying to use her perception skill. He stood unmoved like a stump in a windstorm. He was used to high-level scrutiny and had nothing to hide. Or at least, nothing Lucia would be able to perceive just by looking at him. At least he hoped not.

"What exactly do you want?" Castor asked finally, eager to skip past the guessing game.

"I want to solve Key's abduction," Lucia said, brightening. "All I need are the ropes, the blindfolds, or anything that could be linked to the crime. When I solve it, I want a thousand gold."

There was no chance Castor would pay her to uncover a secret he was trying to bury, but he did want to uncover her trick. He suspected she was hiding something. Perhaps a rune, or maybe she already knew the information before looking into it. Whatever the case, he intended to find out. And if it turned out she truly had a gift, he would be interested in using her.

"I may be willing to work something out with you. Let's meet at my office first thing in the morning," Castor asked the moment a plan formed in his mind. "There is a strong chance that breakfast will be provided."

"I don't do mornings," Lucia said, ruining his plan.

Castor opened his mouth to negotiate, but voices erupted across the auditorium before he could answer.

"Why, if it isn't the newlyweds back from their travels!" Jafa called, striding toward them with his arms thrown wide. "Is that Bird? I've missed you so much I could just give you a hug! Come here, you. Where are you going?"

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Benj recoiled like someone dodging a contagious cough. The last time Jafa had embraced him, he picked every one of his pockets, even the ones he didn't know about. He kept the table between them, prepared to bolt in any direction.

Reese, Draiden, and Pots walked in through the wool-cluttered passage way with an excitement that was highly suspect. Their cheer wasn't for Lucia - she barely earned a glance - It was for Benj. It turned out they didn't miss him, exactly. They missed his cooking.

"Bones disappeared three days ago," Reese explained. "Samir's been doing the meals. It's not good, the meals and Bones."

Benj frowned. "I'm not that good at cooking," he said, watching their eager faces fall slightly. "I'm a baker."

"We've all had your cooking," Reese encouraged, slinging an arm around his shoulders in an entirely unwanted display of friendship. "And it's a far sight better than Samir's. What do you say, Bird? Will you be our cook for old time's sake?"

Benj sighed, staring at the group's pleading faces. "Fine," he muttered. "But only until Bones gets back."

"Great! So, you two are married now, huh?" Reese asked, thankfully removing his arm from Benj's shoulders. "That's probably for the best, we might need to use one of your rooms for storage if you two are going to start sharing one."

Benj and Lucia had slept next to each other for countless nights in the previous months, but that didn't prepare them for the implications of moving in together. They both blushed and stammered reasons why they might need the extra bedroom. Benj accused Lucia of snoring, and Lucia mentioned needing the storage space.

Lucia glanced at Benj and said, "Oh, I snore, do I? Well, at least I don't kick and toss around in the middle of the night. It's as if you're battling imaginary monsters in your sleep."

"Really?" Benj asked, genuinely curious about his sleeping habits. "Like a full-on brawl or just a random kick?"

Lucia shrugged, "Some nights just a kick, but other nights…." She began flailing out punches and kicks and explained, "It's like that."

"Why do you need the extra storage anyway?" Benj asked, pointing out the newest additions to the cathedral. "What is all this?"

"That's wool, and come winter, it will be very profitable," Draiden said, speaking for the first time. His long twisted locks fell around his shoulders, covering parts of his chest left uncovered by his open vest. His black leather look had gone completely unchanged since Benj and Lucia saw him last. He explained their monopoly on wool and how all they needed to do was wait. He also mentioned some minor sales here and there and asked if Lucia was interested in helping.

Lucia shook her head. "Technically, I'm working with the captain on a project. We are going over the conditions first thing in the morning."

"Are we working the same job?" Jafa asked, giving the captain and Lucia a puzzled look. "You know, with that lady tomorrow?"

Castor shook his head, "No, I believe you and Delina have something entirely different worked out. I'm not sure exactly what you're doing tomorrow, but Lucia might be helping me with an investigation."

"We're reverse pickpocketing a cursed coin!" Pots exclaimed, helpfully.

Jafa shushed him, "We can't say more, it's a secret mission. Anyway, if you are working on our secret mission and you're not saying anything because it's secret, then I'll see you tomorrow."

Draiden cleared his throat and asked, "Since you're cooking now, how about a snack? None of us have eaten a proper meal since Bones disappeared, and we're all starving."

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