Page 143 of Legacy Elite

Forty minutes later I have an escort, no placements, and a schedule that apparently qualifies as classified information. Movements decided each morning by five people, one of whom is me. Nothing published. Nothing on an open channel.

I hate every item on the list and I agree to all of them, because yesterday scared me.

"And relocation stays on the table," Wren says. "If this comes back a second time, the Council may make your attendance here conditional on it."

"I understand."

And then it's basically done, and people are gathering paper, and one of the Council faces on the screen says, in the tone of a man wrapping up:

"Of course, the underlying problem doesn't change. Until the Fourth House question is settled, Miss Miller remains a destabilizing presence, and this is likely to recur."

I stop moving.

"Say that again."

"Miss Miller—"

"No, genuinely. Which part of me is destabilizing?"

"I intended no—"

"What have I asked for?"

Nobody answers.

"No, come on. Somebody in this room list it." I put my hands on the table. "I've sat in nine of these meetings and I've heard people discuss my property rights and my representation and whether my House legally exists, and I would like somebody to tell me which of those things I requested."

Silence.

"I didn't ask for the land. I don't want a seat. I don't want a title. I turned into a direwolf on a mountain because something was about to eat me, and every single thing since has been done to me by people in rooms."

"Jessica," Falken says quietly.

"And somebody still tried to kill me."

Somebody is willing to kill me to keep that House buried. I want to know why.

"I want the records," I say.

Falken looks up. "I'm sorry?"

"The Fourth House records. Whatever's left. The war material, the proceedings, the correspondence, the House papers." I look at the screen. "I've read the histories. Now I want the records."

"Miss Miller," Faris says.

I turn, and she isn't arguing.

"The surviving material is under Council seal. It isn't in this academy. The Chancellor could not hand it to you if he wanted to."

"Then who can?"

"The Council. By resolution."

"Fine."

"Jessica." Luke, beside me, low. "Wait."

"Why?"