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“Not really?” Though it seemed you’d be meeting more often in the future. “She wanted to ask for somethin’, and tell me somethin’, too. She’s chasing after Van Halm, and he asked me t’ help shake her off. Then she asked me t’ stop doing that.”
Magnus looked up at you with a cocked eyebrow. “I hope he doesn’t take offense to that.”
“He won’t,” you brushed the implication aside and picked up a finger sandwich. It looked like you could eat the whole thing at once. Maybe you ought to try, to see if you could fit something like-
“Anya, don’t choke yourself,” Magnus scolded, “We’re in no hurry, are we?”
Psh. You wouldn’t share that part, yet. “She told me somethin’ about a bunch of strays from the old guard over in Netilland, part of the old Council Kommissariat, wandering around these parts. Deep cover operatives along with people just out and about. She put it like a warning, I guess.”
Magnus’s shoulders went stiff, and he stared at you. “Pardon? Why…<span class="mu-i">how</span> would they be here? How would this Von Blum girl know?”
“She said her family poached them, since they want experts, and in exchange they offered safe passage and a place far away t’ go. Some of them got stupid ideas, apparently. Mathilda warned that we ought t’ be careful, is all.”
Magnus pinched his brow and grimaced, “Why didn’t you say this when-” He leaned heavily on the table, “This is bad. I ought to take Yuliana and leave as soon as we can. We can handle this later, when the danger has passed-”
“No.” You interrupted sharply, “I didn’t bring it up because I’m not afraid of them. An’ you ain’t either. You aren’t goin’ nowhere.” You gestured aggressively with the sandwich. “Got it?”
Magnus frowned at you, face set in a fixing glare. “You’re underestimating this situation, Lady Nowicki. The Kommissariat was always extremely adept at hiding itself and operating with odds against them, and I made no attempt to conceal my or Yuliana’s plans to come here.”
“They weren’t so tough when they had all the power and influence they could ask for,” you pointed out. “On their home turf too. Mathilda said they’d only try and act like biker thugs. I’m about as scared as I’d be of a bottle of flat cola. Besides.” You reached into your shorts and drew one of your derringers out, “I’m always ready for surprises.”
Magnus paused, weighing his words. “You still should have said something <span class="mu-i">then</span>.”
“Fine. I should’a.” You relented with a pout, “I just didn’t want it gettin’ in the way of…<span class="mu-i">this</span>, y’know?”
Magnus’s expression softened again. “I understand,” he said, his voice softening as well.
