"What do you want from me?" Maren finally asked.
"The truth. And your silence."
She blinked slowly. "Which truth?"
"All of them. The ones you copied. The ones Reina gave you. The ones you're still hiding."
Maren didn't flinch. Instead, she reached under her desk and pulled out a plain black ledger. Bound in worn leather, pages curled with use.
"I don't give this for free."
"I know."
We didn't need a contract. The exchange was silent, unspoken—a new balance.
"Why help me now?"
She closed the ledger and pushed it toward me.
"Because Reina still thinks she's the only one with a plan. She underestimates how much you've seen."