Jett Fulgen - Book 3, Chapter 10: The Key
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You’ve got the key, got the key
You’ve got the key to me
You’re my energy
Yeah, you’re my energy
So wind me up, wind me up
Wind me up with your love
You’re all I need
—“The Key,” Lumina Wonder
«There are more of them.»
Bakeko nodded his little ball-shaped head, studying the young men a couple tables over. They were animatedly discussing a concert.
“So the latest?” one of them said, looking at his phone. “Some of those G-Tech guys are gonna be there as guests of honor. Confirmed by… wait, is this guy Jett Fulgen himself? Yeah, there’s a checkmark. Damn. Didn’t even know he had a Spoke account.”
“That’s some real shit, ain’t it?” said another. “Bet they’ll cause trouble.”
“Yeah,” said the third, “maybe they’ll actually get arrested this time.”
[I sense it too. Their souls have been touched. Infected by some foreign aether. I don't sense its source.]
«Nor I. It must be outside our range.»
[Which implies that it's stronger.]
Ren nodded, slurping his soup. Paying for services the normal way was boring, he had to admit. Kiri-no-En’s method was like a puzzle at times. Case the mark. Figure out what they needed and what it was worth. Figure out what they could afford to lose. Then give them what they needed and take what you needed for yourself. Permission was usually optional. But he needed to prove to Wasureranu that he could show discretion and not attract undue attention. So today's exercise in balance happened at a counter with money..
[It’s spreading.]
Ren concentrated. Sure enough, a woman at another table now showed signs of the interference. He tentatively probed it with a tendril of spirit aether, and it shrank away.
«Mind aether. Subtle but not very strong. I can resist it easily if it tries to infect me.»
[I don't doubt it. But Ren… doesn't Eunbi Kim use mind aether?]
«She wouldn't do this.»
[Should we intervene?]
«We owe them nothing. I can't incur more imbalance.»
The aether spread to another soul.
[Doesn’t Eunbi have an enemy with similar powers to her own? You came here to repay your debt to her. What if stopping this is a good way to do it?]
Ren’s lips tightened as he watched the infected people, still seemingly unaware that anything was wrong.
«You have a point. But I need to confirm that theory first.»
[At the very least, you should see if Aether Manipulation can cure this. We don’t know how extensive this is, or how dangerous.]
«You are still trying to get me to break the code.»
[Yes, I am. It is not fitting for a Guardian. Wasureranu’s lecti, Nokori, agrees. But if it makes you feel better, accept the experience. You try to cure one of them, and as payment, you learn whether you can cure them. Is that not invaluable knowledge?]
Damn. It was a compelling argument. And in truth, his decision to treat Eunbi’s kindness as a personal debt was a similar bending of the code. Justifiable, but a stretch.
«Very well.»
He sent a tendril of spirit aether into an infected patron’s soul, causing her to shudder slightly, and carefully wrapped it around the foreign aether. It sat placidly in his grasp. He gently pulled.
The aether surged.
It flared up in all of the infected individuals, six of them now, and they stood. Ren quickly retracted his tendril, slowly rising from his own seat, ready to summon his weapon or flee.
«What the hell?»
[Well, we’ve confirmed that it’s dangerous.]
They approached him. The restaurant was well lit, yet their eyes gave off a faint sheen of pink light. They were being controlled.
“Ohayo,” he said. “I mean, greetings. Hello. I mean you no harm.”
The other patrons in the restaurant were watching the altercation curiously. Damn it.
“Do not interfere,” they said. All six people spoke in perfect unison. It was a droning, evil sound that gave Ren chills.
“Hey!” someone called from behind the counter. “Is someone causing trouble?”
Ren weighed his options. He could try to cure one of them again, but it would likely provoke the whole group. He could take them in combat; none of them were sorcerers, and the foreign aether wasn’t enough to grant much additional strength. But if he did that he would surely be branded a troublemaker.
The infected individuals sneered, all of their expressions identical. Or perhaps it was the person controlling them who was sneering. They knew. He couldn’t take action without bringing trouble down on himself.
He turned and left the restaurant, trying to appear casual, keeping his senses tuned on the people behind him in case they tried anything. They didn’t follow.
But as Ren walked down the chilly Level 8 street he sensed more of them. Not everyone. Perhaps less than one in ten, for now. But now that he knew what to look for, it was clear. The infection was widespread. How many would be infected tomorrow? In a week?.
«This is very bad.»
[What shall we do?]
«We have no choice. I will have to speak with Eunbi sooner rather than later.»
[We’ve already seen she is usually with the Fire Guardian, as well as the other one. The new Metal Guardian. How will you approach her safely?]
Ren thought back to that day. To the parade. It was the awful day his cousin had died. But guiltily, it was also one of his favorite days.
“Your company is enough… We’re friends now.”
«I may not have time to do it safely. If I must, I will march into G-Tech headquarters and demand to see her.»
He could almost feel the smugness radiating from Bakeko.
[I’ll make a real Guardian out of you yet.]
It was an on-call day. Fu and I shared a borrowed cubicle, signing papers, answering emails, and generally doing boring but important Guardianly and team leaderly stuff. Also, I was “studying.” I had one earbud in, listening to 5/LRM croon something about love and believing. Some, but not all of the lyrics were in Eunbi’s native language, like they couldn’t make up their minds. This shit was going to get stuck in my head forever.
Meanwhile, every so often, Fu would snicker. Not about my forced auditory torture. Or at least, not only about that.
“You are enjoying this way too much,” I muttered.
“‘Cause it’s funny.”
“You always find it funny when I’m uncomfortable.”
She turned and ruffled my hair. “Can you imagine how miserable I’d be if I didn’t?”
“You know, I generally try not to scorn women. I don’t make a habit of it. And the one time. The one time…”
Fu snickered again.
“You should feel threatened by her,” I said.
“Should I?” Her chair creaked, and I felt hot breath on my ear. “You gonna make eyes at her knowing what’s waitin’ for you at home?”
“Well, no, of course not. It’s more her. She flirted with me all night at that club, you know. She gave me her number.”
“Oh yeah, she was really flirtin’ yesterday too, wasn’t she? Don’t get me wrong, Fireman, I know she still wants to jump ya. Just now it’s in an alley with a knife.”
She giggled, and I gritted my teeth. Yes, Marissa had been honey laced with cyanide during our meeting the previous day. Apparently she’d enjoyed a nice spike in views and followers after she’d “leaked” G-Tech’s “plan” to put me on a team. Then, unbeknownst even to me, Marin had issued a quiet retraction after the fact. It hadn’t changed my fate, as I still got what I wanted—sort of—with my initial assignment to Team Ambassador. But enough people saw it and amplified it that Marissa took a big credibility hit. She bled followers. A few trolls even dressed up as celebrities and tried talking her up, promising to “spill tea,” as a prank. I did feel bad about that part.
Eventually things got so dire she had to get a real job. So when Catalina posted a position for a social media manager she applied. Her credentials and experience were still solid, and I really suspected the irony was just too delicious for Catalina to pass up. I thought she liked me now. And so the woman I'd tricked, whose reputation I'd inadvertently ruined, was now in charge of my reputation.
“Why you tryin’ to make me jealous, anyway?” asked Fu.
“I was hoping you'd see Marissa like Evan or Julian. Nickname her ‘Teabag’ or something. Not clap with glee every time I'm forced to interact with her. I mean, what if she sabotages me?”
“Nah, you know Catalina is on that. She’s still doing her gig on the side, and her fans are watching. If she pulls any shit the rest of her career gets ruined. As for me? I’m trying to improve. Live up to those Guardian expectations and shit. I am a reformed Fu.”
“I seriously doubt that.”
“Don't make me smack you right next to Denise from HR’s office. I am gonna try though, for real. Might have to change my tune about Evan anyway.”
“Evan? Really?”
“For Piranha’s sake.”
“For—what?” I spun in my chair.
Fu shrugged. “Guess he ain't simping over Jess so much anymore. They're going to his family's house this weekend. Lina told me. She seemed overly pleased.”
“Lys and Evan?” I thought about it. “Why does that make sense?”
Fu blew a strand of hair out of her face. “Ya know, if Evan can avoid being a two-faced dick, they do both got that nervous, eager-to-please thing going on. Maybe they could fall over themselves, together. I'm keeping an open mind about it. Who knows? It might be stinkin’ cute… What?”
I was smiling at her. “You're stinkin’ cute.”
She rolled her eyes. “Get back to work, Captain. I'm an aether fatigued mess after yesterday’s training and Valery’s sap juice. Y’all don’t do it justice when you describe that shit. Plus my hair’s outta control and I’m a bloated sack.”
“Weren’t you just bragging about your appeal?”
“Woman’s prerogative, Fireman. I can and must be the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen—even if I’m ugly tired.”
“Well, fortunately you are. The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, I mean. No matter what else is going on, it’s you and I love it.”
She tilted her head. “Are you quoting 5/LRM at me? Already?”
“What? No, what? I said it independently. They don't own that phrase.”
“Hmm.” She leaned toward me, deviously biting her lip. “You sure? ‘Cause that was stinkin’ cute. You kinda had some Taeo swagger goin' on when you said it. Rawr. Keep talking like that and Denise from HR will have to write me up for sure.”
“Are you kidding me right now?”
“No hot-blooded woman would kid about that.” She winked, then turned back to her laptop.
I thought about that. An idea began to form.
Jessie was signing paperwork when Julian knocked on the doorframe of her office. He smiled. She didn’t smile back.
“Do you have a moment?” he asked.
She gestured wordlessly to the chair across from her desk, then returned to her papers. He sat and regarded her in silence for a moment. She gave him an annoyed, suffering glance.
“It’s good to see you again,” he said. “I don’t believe I said that the other day.”
“It’s somewhat mixed to see you again,” she said. “In a way I wish you’d just accepted a check for the amulet and left.”
“Ah. That was pointed.”
“I’m taxed right now, Julian. This job is taxing. Keeping this company afloat is taxing. Dealing with the board is taxing. I love my people, but they’re taxing. And now you’re back, and we both know you’re taxing. The timing could have been better.”
“Will there be a better time? You’re always taxed, Jess. You take on more and more until it hurts just to hold it. Then you take a little more on for good measure, and then you stand up and try to run with it. And if you actually manage to get anything off your plate? Well, then you scramble to replace it.”
She sighed, returning her attention to him. She found herself fidgeting with her pen and set it down. Who was she, Marin? “What can I do for you, Julian?”
“Well, perhaps a better question is, what can we do for each other? Let’s catch up. No training, no negotiations, no maneuvering. Let’s just catch up as Julian and Jessie. Dinner, perhaps. This Saturday?”
“I’m… I was talked into going to a girls’ night event.”
“Oh.” He raised an eyebrow. “Good for you.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Faxton with friends? That is a change.”
“That’s not… I have Fu.”
“Indeed you do, and a wonderful friend she is. Who else?”
She looked at him flatly.
“May I make a conjecture?” he asked. “And by all means, tell me if I’m off. I think even Fu adopted you. I have the strangest sense you didn’t just ‘become’ friends. Rather, she pestered you until you finally gave up and allowed her to be your friend. And you relented because it was a more optimal use of your energy than constantly putting her off. It was a tactically sound decision. Or at least, that’s what you told yourself at first.”
Jessie sat silent. This aggravating man. And yet, what he described. Was he only talking about Fu?
Julian smiled. It wasn’t his winning smile, but the real one. He stood. “Go and have your girls’ night, Miss Faxton. Perhaps some other time.”
“Julian, do you—?”
She trailed off as he studied her. The question wasn’t ready to come out.
Do you actually care about me?
“Yes?” he prompted.
“Julian, what do you think of the Guardians so far?”
He shrugged. “Fu is as usual toward me, just with frightening new powers and an impetus to use them against me during training, so that is quite harrowing. But you always say she’s sweet ‘once you get to know her,’ and I hold out hope I might actually reach that point during this trip. Lys and Eunbi are both lovely. Jett is… intriguing, shall I say?”
“Intriguing?”
“Yes. He’s been like a ghost over our relationship. You know, the way you sometimes compare me to him. And now I finally get to meet him. It’s like finding a missing piece. Or a key.”
“A key?”
“Yes, I think that’s right. If you find a key, what’s the first thing you ask?”
“‘Who does this belong to?’”
He tutted. “Very well, what’s the first thing a normal person asks? ‘What does this open?’ I’m interested in finding that out. Yes, I will observe all of the Guardians, as you’ve suggested. But I’ll be watching him the closest. Have a good afternoon, Miss Faxton.”
He left her office, whistling. Jessie just blinked for a moment, trying to understand what he was getting at. Then she returned to her signing.
“Taxing,” she muttered.
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You’ve got the key, got the key
You’ve got the key to me
You’re my energy
Yeah, you’re my energy
So wind me up, wind me up
Wind me up with your love
You’re all I need
—“The Key,” Lumina Wonder
«There are more of them.»
Bakeko nodded his little ball-shaped head, studying the young men a couple tables over. They were animatedly discussing a concert.
“So the latest?” one of them said, looking at his phone. “Some of those G-Tech guys are gonna be there as guests of honor. Confirmed by… wait, is this guy Jett Fulgen himself? Yeah, there’s a checkmark. Damn. Didn’t even know he had a Spoke account.”
“That’s some real shit, ain’t it?” said another. “Bet they’ll cause trouble.”
“Yeah,” said the third, “maybe they’ll actually get arrested this time.”
[I sense it too. Their souls have been touched. Infected by some foreign aether. I don't sense its source.]
«Nor I. It must be outside our range.»
[Which implies that it's stronger.]
Ren nodded, slurping his soup. Paying for services the normal way was boring, he had to admit. Kiri-no-En’s method was like a puzzle at times. Case the mark. Figure out what they needed and what it was worth. Figure out what they could afford to lose. Then give them what they needed and take what you needed for yourself. Permission was usually optional. But he needed to prove to Wasureranu that he could show discretion and not attract undue attention. So today's exercise in balance happened at a counter with money..
[It’s spreading.]
Ren concentrated. Sure enough, a woman at another table now showed signs of the interference. He tentatively probed it with a tendril of spirit aether, and it shrank away.
«Mind aether. Subtle but not very strong. I can resist it easily if it tries to infect me.»
[I don't doubt it. But Ren… doesn't Eunbi Kim use mind aether?]
«She wouldn't do this.»
[Should we intervene?]
«We owe them nothing. I can't incur more imbalance.»
The aether spread to another soul.
[Doesn’t Eunbi have an enemy with similar powers to her own? You came here to repay your debt to her. What if stopping this is a good way to do it?]
Ren’s lips tightened as he watched the infected people, still seemingly unaware that anything was wrong.
«You have a point. But I need to confirm that theory first.»
[At the very least, you should see if Aether Manipulation can cure this. We don’t know how extensive this is, or how dangerous.]
«You are still trying to get me to break the code.»
[Yes, I am. It is not fitting for a Guardian. Wasureranu’s lecti, Nokori, agrees. But if it makes you feel better, accept the experience. You try to cure one of them, and as payment, you learn whether you can cure them. Is that not invaluable knowledge?]
Damn. It was a compelling argument. And in truth, his decision to treat Eunbi’s kindness as a personal debt was a similar bending of the code. Justifiable, but a stretch.
«Very well.»
He sent a tendril of spirit aether into an infected patron’s soul, causing her to shudder slightly, and carefully wrapped it around the foreign aether. It sat placidly in his grasp. He gently pulled.
The aether surged.
It flared up in all of the infected individuals, six of them now, and they stood. Ren quickly retracted his tendril, slowly rising from his own seat, ready to summon his weapon or flee.
«What the hell?»
[Well, we’ve confirmed that it’s dangerous.]
They approached him. The restaurant was well lit, yet their eyes gave off a faint sheen of pink light. They were being controlled.
“Ohayo,” he said. “I mean, greetings. Hello. I mean you no harm.”
The other patrons in the restaurant were watching the altercation curiously. Damn it.
“Do not interfere,” they said. All six people spoke in perfect unison. It was a droning, evil sound that gave Ren chills.
“Hey!” someone called from behind the counter. “Is someone causing trouble?”
Ren weighed his options. He could try to cure one of them again, but it would likely provoke the whole group. He could take them in combat; none of them were sorcerers, and the foreign aether wasn’t enough to grant much additional strength. But if he did that he would surely be branded a troublemaker.
The infected individuals sneered, all of their expressions identical. Or perhaps it was the person controlling them who was sneering. They knew. He couldn’t take action without bringing trouble down on himself.
He turned and left the restaurant, trying to appear casual, keeping his senses tuned on the people behind him in case they tried anything. They didn’t follow.
But as Ren walked down the chilly Level 8 street he sensed more of them. Not everyone. Perhaps less than one in ten, for now. But now that he knew what to look for, it was clear. The infection was widespread. How many would be infected tomorrow? In a week?.
«This is very bad.»
[What shall we do?]
«We have no choice. I will have to speak with Eunbi sooner rather than later.»
[We’ve already seen she is usually with the Fire Guardian, as well as the other one. The new Metal Guardian. How will you approach her safely?]
Ren thought back to that day. To the parade. It was the awful day his cousin had died. But guiltily, it was also one of his favorite days.
“Your company is enough… We’re friends now.”
«I may not have time to do it safely. If I must, I will march into G-Tech headquarters and demand to see her.»
He could almost feel the smugness radiating from Bakeko.
[I’ll make a real Guardian out of you yet.]
It was an on-call day. Fu and I shared a borrowed cubicle, signing papers, answering emails, and generally doing boring but important Guardianly and team leaderly stuff. Also, I was “studying.” I had one earbud in, listening to 5/LRM croon something about love and believing. Some, but not all of the lyrics were in Eunbi’s native language, like they couldn’t make up their minds. This shit was going to get stuck in my head forever.
Meanwhile, every so often, Fu would snicker. Not about my forced auditory torture. Or at least, not only about that.
“You are enjoying this way too much,” I muttered.
“‘Cause it’s funny.”
“You always find it funny when I’m uncomfortable.”
She turned and ruffled my hair. “Can you imagine how miserable I’d be if I didn’t?”
“You know, I generally try not to scorn women. I don’t make a habit of it. And the one time. The one time…”
Fu snickered again.
“You should feel threatened by her,” I said.
“Should I?” Her chair creaked, and I felt hot breath on my ear. “You gonna make eyes at her knowing what’s waitin’ for you at home?”
“Well, no, of course not. It’s more her. She flirted with me all night at that club, you know. She gave me her number.”
“Oh yeah, she was really flirtin’ yesterday too, wasn’t she? Don’t get me wrong, Fireman, I know she still wants to jump ya. Just now it’s in an alley with a knife.”
She giggled, and I gritted my teeth. Yes, Marissa had been honey laced with cyanide during our meeting the previous day. Apparently she’d enjoyed a nice spike in views and followers after she’d “leaked” G-Tech’s “plan” to put me on a team. Then, unbeknownst even to me, Marin had issued a quiet retraction after the fact. It hadn’t changed my fate, as I still got what I wanted—sort of—with my initial assignment to Team Ambassador. But enough people saw it and amplified it that Marissa took a big credibility hit. She bled followers. A few trolls even dressed up as celebrities and tried talking her up, promising to “spill tea,” as a prank. I did feel bad about that part.
Eventually things got so dire she had to get a real job. So when Catalina posted a position for a social media manager she applied. Her credentials and experience were still solid, and I really suspected the irony was just too delicious for Catalina to pass up. I thought she liked me now. And so the woman I'd tricked, whose reputation I'd inadvertently ruined, was now in charge of my reputation.
“Why you tryin’ to make me jealous, anyway?” asked Fu.
“I was hoping you'd see Marissa like Evan or Julian. Nickname her ‘Teabag’ or something. Not clap with glee every time I'm forced to interact with her. I mean, what if she sabotages me?”
“Nah, you know Catalina is on that. She’s still doing her gig on the side, and her fans are watching. If she pulls any shit the rest of her career gets ruined. As for me? I’m trying to improve. Live up to those Guardian expectations and shit. I am a reformed Fu.”
“I seriously doubt that.”
“Don't make me smack you right next to Denise from HR’s office. I am gonna try though, for real. Might have to change my tune about Evan anyway.”
“Evan? Really?”
“For Piranha’s sake.”
“For—what?” I spun in my chair.
Fu shrugged. “Guess he ain't simping over Jess so much anymore. They're going to his family's house this weekend. Lina told me. She seemed overly pleased.”
“Lys and Evan?” I thought about it. “Why does that make sense?”
Fu blew a strand of hair out of her face. “Ya know, if Evan can avoid being a two-faced dick, they do both got that nervous, eager-to-please thing going on. Maybe they could fall over themselves, together. I'm keeping an open mind about it. Who knows? It might be stinkin’ cute… What?”
I was smiling at her. “You're stinkin’ cute.”
She rolled her eyes. “Get back to work, Captain. I'm an aether fatigued mess after yesterday’s training and Valery’s sap juice. Y’all don’t do it justice when you describe that shit. Plus my hair’s outta control and I’m a bloated sack.”
“Weren’t you just bragging about your appeal?”
“Woman’s prerogative, Fireman. I can and must be the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen—even if I’m ugly tired.”
“Well, fortunately you are. The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, I mean. No matter what else is going on, it’s you and I love it.”
She tilted her head. “Are you quoting 5/LRM at me? Already?”
“What? No, what? I said it independently. They don't own that phrase.”
“Hmm.” She leaned toward me, deviously biting her lip. “You sure? ‘Cause that was stinkin’ cute. You kinda had some Taeo swagger goin' on when you said it. Rawr. Keep talking like that and Denise from HR will have to write me up for sure.”
“Are you kidding me right now?”
“No hot-blooded woman would kid about that.” She winked, then turned back to her laptop.
I thought about that. An idea began to form.
Jessie was signing paperwork when Julian knocked on the doorframe of her office. He smiled. She didn’t smile back.
“Do you have a moment?” he asked.
She gestured wordlessly to the chair across from her desk, then returned to her papers. He sat and regarded her in silence for a moment. She gave him an annoyed, suffering glance.
“It’s good to see you again,” he said. “I don’t believe I said that the other day.”
“It’s somewhat mixed to see you again,” she said. “In a way I wish you’d just accepted a check for the amulet and left.”
“Ah. That was pointed.”
“I’m taxed right now, Julian. This job is taxing. Keeping this company afloat is taxing. Dealing with the board is taxing. I love my people, but they’re taxing. And now you’re back, and we both know you’re taxing. The timing could have been better.”
“Will there be a better time? You’re always taxed, Jess. You take on more and more until it hurts just to hold it. Then you take a little more on for good measure, and then you stand up and try to run with it. And if you actually manage to get anything off your plate? Well, then you scramble to replace it.”
She sighed, returning her attention to him. She found herself fidgeting with her pen and set it down. Who was she, Marin? “What can I do for you, Julian?”
“Well, perhaps a better question is, what can we do for each other? Let’s catch up. No training, no negotiations, no maneuvering. Let’s just catch up as Julian and Jessie. Dinner, perhaps. This Saturday?”
“I’m… I was talked into going to a girls’ night event.”
“Oh.” He raised an eyebrow. “Good for you.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Faxton with friends? That is a change.”
“That’s not… I have Fu.”
“Indeed you do, and a wonderful friend she is. Who else?”
She looked at him flatly.
“May I make a conjecture?” he asked. “And by all means, tell me if I’m off. I think even Fu adopted you. I have the strangest sense you didn’t just ‘become’ friends. Rather, she pestered you until you finally gave up and allowed her to be your friend. And you relented because it was a more optimal use of your energy than constantly putting her off. It was a tactically sound decision. Or at least, that’s what you told yourself at first.”
Jessie sat silent. This aggravating man. And yet, what he described. Was he only talking about Fu?
Julian smiled. It wasn’t his winning smile, but the real one. He stood. “Go and have your girls’ night, Miss Faxton. Perhaps some other time.”
“Julian, do you—?”
She trailed off as he studied her. The question wasn’t ready to come out.
Do you actually care about me?
“Yes?” he prompted.
“Julian, what do you think of the Guardians so far?”
He shrugged. “Fu is as usual toward me, just with frightening new powers and an impetus to use them against me during training, so that is quite harrowing. But you always say she’s sweet ‘once you get to know her,’ and I hold out hope I might actually reach that point during this trip. Lys and Eunbi are both lovely. Jett is… intriguing, shall I say?”
“Intriguing?”
“Yes. He’s been like a ghost over our relationship. You know, the way you sometimes compare me to him. And now I finally get to meet him. It’s like finding a missing piece. Or a key.”
“A key?”
“Yes, I think that’s right. If you find a key, what’s the first thing you ask?”
“‘Who does this belong to?’”
He tutted. “Very well, what’s the first thing a normal person asks? ‘What does this open?’ I’m interested in finding that out. Yes, I will observe all of the Guardians, as you’ve suggested. But I’ll be watching him the closest. Have a good afternoon, Miss Faxton.”
He left her office, whistling. Jessie just blinked for a moment, trying to understand what he was getting at. Then she returned to her signing.
“Taxing,” she muttered.
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