Chapter 308: A Kick In The...
"Bollocks. That’s what I have to say about that story," Chancellor Lumin put down her third cup of coffee and stared across the space between them.
It was the morning after the assassination attempt. She was sitting at her desk and Kir was standing across from her, having not been invited to sit in one of the comfortable leather chairs.
"You really expect the Watch to believe that you, a fully vested archmage with enough power to level this city a baker’s dozen times over, would let yourself get kicked in the balls before being escaped? I know Inspector Tomcot hates your guts but even she won’t be laughing hard enough to believe that nonsense."
"That was my story. I could make up a more complex scenario if you want, but then we’d have the Inspector prowling around the Academy for months instead of weeks. Remember what happened last time?"
"Last time Ghostheart backhanded her across the Courthouse square. I won’t repeat myself on how personally she takes anything even remotely connected to that demon. This stunt could compromise your identity and our association, to say nothing of our mutual friends. If she finds out and manages to get the word out."
The unspoken line between them was, ’Especially to Heaven’s agents.’
"If it does, I’ll just say I align with the Ghostlights and resign. The last time I checked, it wasn’t a crime in Norneau to associate with abolitionists."
"And when has Heaven, much less nations, cared about the laws of city-states like mine? For someone who just witnessed an assassination, you’re awfully cavalier about the fact you might get assassinated yourself," Lumin put down her cup and Terry, her shoebill-like birdkin butler, took it and refilled it.
"You’re more worried about if such a fight would damage the city."
"Wouldn’t you be if you were having coffee with an unchained dragon?"
"That would require me to actually have some coffee. You’re welcome, by the way."