He lowered his voice. "The reports Helena mentioned? They've continued. Tools with no Council ties. Nothing dramatic. But the pattern is refining."
"Hunting," Marron said.
"Yes."
She met his gaze. "Will I be targeted?"
Part of her wondered if it was okay to wish the extra tools hadn't come into her possession. A lifetime of protecting them from others sounded exhausting.
When did I just stop becoming a seller with a food cart and evolved into this?
"No," Edmund said immediately. Then, after a beat, "Not directly."
Marron's brow furrowed. "That's not comforting."
"It isn't, but it's honest. You've been keeping up with our requests...so I will level with you."
He set the untouched cup aside. "This person is cautious. Careful testing with response times and jurisdictional overlap. But most of all...they're irritated."
That caught her attention. "How...?"
