Free Deception of the Magician (Waldgrave Book 2) by A.L. Tyler

joining the Colburn staff end of this Council session, because ‘she’s not adjusting well here,’ according to Howard. I can’t believe he’s sunken so low as to be catering to  her  needs. I bet he sends her off with a good deal of cash, too. Absolutely ridiculous.”
    “She’s ten…” Lena looked sternly at Griffin. He was waiting for her to make her point. “She’s  ten , Griffin. And Cheryl’s just thirteen.”
    “ Just  thirteen? You think she shouldn’t know better at thirteen? When I was thirteen Master Daray had me traveling the globe with a fake I.D. picking up relics and doing his other chores during the two weeks’ vacation that Howard gave me.” Griffin leaned back in his chair casually, gazing across the office with a reminiscent look in his eye. He smiled.
    Lena gawked at him. “And you think Cheryl’s the one with a problem?”
    Griffin gave his usual superior look. “Children grow up differently here.”
    Lena got up from her chair. She wasn’t exactly angry at him; she was more startled that Howard hadn’t talked to her about sending Marie away. She had been much more comfortable since she started staying outside the house…they had even turned the barn loft into a nice little apartment for her over the summer. “Yet another reason I won’t be having children.”
    “Because we have different parenting styles?” Griffin mocked. “Just give up. I’m right.”
    Lena ignored his implication. “Because children grow up differently here, and that’s not the kind of life I would want for a child.”
    “Our way is better, I assure you.”
    “Goodnight, Griffin.” He nodded at her and stayed at the desk as she left the office and walked down to Ava’s room. Lena was thankful she was already asleep, they had been up talking much longer than they should have. It was already passed midnight, and Ava would have read much too far into it. She was still holding out hope that she would have grandbabies someday. As Lena climbed into her cot, she reflected on the fact that it was nice that her relationship with Griffin was beginning to resemble something like getting along. It was professional, and possibly even respectful.
    She hoped he was going to be ready to tell her everything he knew about Ben Collins by Thursday; she was hoping to complete her proposition by Friday. If she ever hoped to retrace his steps and locate that portal, she was going to have to complete the proposal and serve it quickly—before anyone found out what she intended to do. Howard was too sheltering; he would never allow her to do it because he worried too much. Griffin and Daray were perhaps the biggest challenge because they would never allow the portal to be found for the reasons Lena intended to find it; she would probably have to fight his sway in the vote anyway, but the faster she moved the fewer obstacles he could lay down in her path. She wanted her proposal set out by Friday, and nothing was going to stop her.
     
    “We missed you at cards last night. Meeting run late?”
    Lena looked up at Devin. He was smiling, but it wasn’t his usual smile. “Hey, Dev. Sit down for a moment.”       
    Devin looked around the deserted dining room, uncertain if he was actually going to comply. It was too early for anyone else to be up, but still… He sat down next to Lena. They watched each other awkwardly for a moment.
    “So…cards?” He prompted, still looking around nervously. It wasn’t the place of a kitchen hand to sit in the dining room like he belonged.
    “Oh.” Lena yawned. “It was a political thing…I’m working on a project.”
    “Oh yeah?” Devin’s face lit up. Even though he had bags under his eyes, he still looked wide awake when he was happy. “What’re you doing?”
    “I can’t tell you.”
    “Why not?”
    She leaned in close and looked around the hall one more time to be sure it was clear. “It’s a secret. No one can know, but it’s big. It’s going to change our