Emory's fingers tapped restlessly against the desk. "But... why the academy?" he muttered, more to himself than to me.
I shrugged, though my mind was already racing through possibilities.
After a beat of silence, Emory continued, his voice steadier now as his "broker" persona bled through. "Could it be... evil forces are trying to eliminate students? Or..." His eyes sharpened. "Is there someone important hidden at the academy? A teacher or student they want to target?"
I nodded slowly, though my thoughts took a different turn.
Or maybe that "important person" isn't as grand as they sound.
After all, I was living proof that even background characters could get tangled in dangerous plots.
But what if Emory was right? What if there truly was a high-value target hidden among the students or staff? What if Aeron or Zephyr were the target? Or some other hidden person I don't know of. Possibilities were many.
Only one person would know for sure. Whether this theory was true or not.
