Page 358

Nyra looks offended. "That's profiling."

"It's experience."

Cassian whispers: "He's got you there."

She elbows him. Rhyven finally looks up.

"Why."

Nyra turns immediately. Explains. Not emotionally.

Not dramatically. Original civic sources. Academy reproductions. Old settlement ledgers. Village census archive. Historical repository. Possible uncensored testimony. By the time she finishes, Caelen isn't reading his ward report anymore. Rhyven has moved closer. He picks up one copied page. Reads. Then another. "How old is the library?"

"Original foundation predates the current Academy Archive system by nearly a century."

"Council controlled?"

"Civic."

"Restricted collection?"

"Unknown."

"Renovations after the Silent War?"

"Some."

"Records transferred?"

"Unknown."

Rhyven looks at Caelen. "Possible."

Caelen sighs. "I hate that word."

"So does she." Rhyven nods toward me.

I fold my arms. "I wasn't involved."

"You came here."

"Against my better judgment." Cassian makes a sound. I ignore him.

Caelen studies the references. "If the originals still exist, the Council may already know."

"Then they can tell us." Nyra says.

"And if they don't?"

"We look."

Caelen glances toward Rhyven. Rhyven's attention remains on the page. Then— "We should." I turn toward him.

Caelen does too. "You just enjoy making my life difficult."

"No."

"Convincing."