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“A lot of threads are converging in a way that I don't like. First the Wolves, then Greene. The Dumont residence being attacked. Kara Dumont being taken and questioned. Are the assassination attempts unrelated to the Wendigo, and instead a means of taking Dmitri into custody to be molded into the weapon they want?”
Saying ‘over my dead body’ was redundant. Since if that were the plan, it would be over my corpse and the Dumonts. The thought chilled me, but I didn’t interrupt. He was feeding me information and I’d take it.
“To prosecute political families a witness who is a citizen of the Guild is required.” Silver paused.
“That leaves me out.”
“Yes. That same law, however, allows the witness to use hearsay. If you were to discover anything and a citizen showed up and you told them about it, they would not necessarily need to see it.”
“And since I'm not a citizen, it's more likely that I'll see something if they don't think there's going to be a citizen coming by?”
“Exactly. The Allison Smith cover you used for the Ball is a non-citizen and it's keyed to your biometrics. I want you to go to Ross Cohen’s territory and see what you can discover. You interface with the spirit community well, and that’s a place to start. Poking around the area as a student slash part-time escort isn’t as suspicious as an indentured. I’ll arrange for an assignment from the college you’re enrolled in that requires you to be out in the woods and moving around the area. A magical survey; that territory hasn’t had one in over a century.”
I considered his words. “How long would I have to do this? And exactly what do you want me to find out?”
“I want you to go there, ask the spirits in the area what they remember about that time. Talk with people as well, and see if there’s gossip about disappearances. There aren’t any official reports, but that doesn’t mean anything. I’ll send an undercover team four days after you arrive to collect your report.” Silver tapped on his comm.
Wow. Quick backup. That meant he was really worried about the situation and possibly my continued health. Good. Now that I had a chance of getting the gem and geas gone, I wanted to make sure I did this by the numbers. Especially with the threat that higher-ups in the government were moving to try to take Dmitri.
“And if I find anything?”
“Try not to act without firm justification. This case needs to be airtight, which means we’ll need a witness to testify about the summoning—an adult Guild citizen. Once they’re found, we need to keep them safe.”
A witness. He wanted me to find Tuuli, which meant he had good reason to believe she was still alive and in the area. The holo- she couldn't have been older than her mid-teens. And had lost both parents and been framed… poor kid.
“How old were they?” The question burst out of me.
“Tuuli—and Melissa Cohen-Rossi, who was visiting the territory that summer, were both sixteen. She could be the witness to the original event, if she’s still alive. She could confirm that Melissa was possessed.”
I raised a brow. “Last night wasn’t a confirmation?”
Silver snorted. “No. The working there bordered on being illegal, and was feeding something, but it was dismissed before I had time to analyze it. I was rather busy at the time. Melissa left just after your fight started. No sign of possession I could detect. No law against using your power to ensure your privacy, either. Were you able to touch her to confirm one way or the other?”
I shook my head.
“So it’s still a question. I’ll set another agent on it too.”
I shifted in the chair. I needed details, and I was going to ask about Dmitri once the main briefing ended. “Anything else I should know about the place?”
“There’s a veteran’s hospital for battlemages nearby the administrative mansion. There hasn’t been a reported incident of the patients being violent or disruptive in the past decade.” He frowned.
“Which is as reliable as the disappearance data.”
“Yes. And dangerous enough that if you choose to investigate there, use extreme caution. I’m putting the rest up for you to read; I don’t want it on any of your devices in case you’re caught.”
I rolled my eyes. Nice to know I mattered.
Information scrolled up the wall. “They farm wild rice there, so harvesters have to go into the water for the crop. This Administrator is insane!” I exclaimed, a shiver rolling down my spine.
“You need to work on that phobia,” Silver answered, and I got the sense he wanted to roll his eyes.
“I want more time with Dmitri. And I want to know what arrangements are going to be in place to keep him safe.”
“Once the mission is done, you’ll have an uninterrupted month,” said Silver. “As well as some time before. The Representative you injured has filed a personal injury suit for his medical costs, which you’ll have to appear for before you leave. It’s in the docket for three weeks from now; I’m going to get it pushed forward so you’re free to leave Capitol. We’ll use the time before the trial to solidify your cover and make security arrangements with the Dumonts. Walker’s house is one of the most secure places in the Capitol. I’ll tell you once other arrangements are solid.”
A month with no assignment. How strange, that was incredibly easy. Even while I was pregnant with Dmitri, I’d done simple assignments, accompanied and observed by Silver.
As I stood, he signaled me to wait. “Alys. I want to ask a personal favor.”
