NEVA POV
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The kitchen cleared the way kitchens clear after a verdict — not all at once, but steadily, each person peeling away to deal with whatever specific piece of the problem belonged to them. Mitch went to work on the operating license claim with the particular focus of a man who'd been building a counter-argument since before he'd finished reading the original. Reine stood near the door in the way of someone who understood she'd arrived at an inconvenient moment and was deciding whether to stay or give the room back its air.
Holt looked at Ryke across the table.
"I didn't know Edric would move this fast," he said. "I want that on the record."
"Which record," Ryke said. "The one you've been keeping about my compound for years without mentioning it, or a different one."
Holt w
