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"If something happens..." Caelen's voice lowers.

"She arrives after the site is secured."

"Yes." Rhyven.

"Not before."

"Agreed."

"No direct residue."

"Obviously."

"No solo response."

Rhyven sounds irritated now. "Do you think I wrote the protocols with crayons?" I bite the inside of my cheek. Caelen ignores him.

"She stays behind senior officers."

"She follows Vayne's judgment."

"That's not what I said."

"I know."

Caelen exhales. "You're very calm about sending her into this."

A pause. Long enough that I lean closer without meaning to. Then Rhyven: "I'm not." My heart does something stupid. His voice remains flat. "But she's still the best person for it."Silence again.

Caelen doesn't argue immediately. That matters. "I hate when you're reasonable." He finally mutters.

"So does she." Rhyven answers. I almost laugh.

Then someone approaches from behind and I continue walking before I'm caught eavesdropping like an idiot.

The Rapid Response briefing is surprisingly practical.

No heroics. No chasing. No touching unknown magical residue. Site containment first. Witness identification. Depletion measurement. Siren scan. Blood Echo only after authorization. Everything recorded. Everything repeatable. Nyra would approve.

I find her afterward in the central courtyard. She is assigned to command documentation. Of course. Cassian has joined the siren response unit. He's pretending this makes him important. It does. Unfortunately.

"They put you on evidence response." Nyra says.

"Yes."

"Rhyven?"

"Vayne."

She looks at me. "Mostly."

I sigh.

"Don't."

"Didn't."

We continue walking. The Academy looks different under the accelerated schedule. Students everywhere.