Flashback ( PDFDrive )

Magnate Leto frowned. “There isn’t any sort of official contract—
and telling Fintan we’ve discovered his lie will only give him a good
laugh.”
Sophie was sure it would.
“But the Council’s been going along with all of his demands
because they thought he was cooperating, right?” she asked. “So now
they can move him somewhere miserable and make him meet with as
many Telepaths as it takes to find out what he’s hiding.”
“I suppose it’s worth considering,” Magnate Leto told her. “But . . .
I also fear it may cause the Council to ask about Kenric’s cache. And
as I’m sure you know, if they discover that’s fake, there will be
consequences.”
There definitely would be.
Sophie had sworn to protect Kenric’s cache with her life.
“No need to look so nervous,” he assured her. “These kinds of
challenges can always be managed. But part of that involves risk
assessment. And speaking with Fintan doesn’t seem worth the risk of
cluing the Council in to our deception about Kenric’s cache—for all
the reasons that you and I have discussed many times, and for the
added fact that if the Councillors did agree to the meeting, the best
Telepaths for the job are currently confined to this room for at least a
week, with bed rest at home to follow—”
“Whoa, back it up there,” Ro jumped in. “Did you just say that
Sophie and the pretty boy are staying here for a week? Together?”
“He did,” Elwin said, striding back into the room along with Grady.
“Neither of them can light leap until their bones are completely
healed. So they’re stuck with me.”
Tam grinned at Sophie. “I’m guessing that’s news to you?”