"There are no small parts, only small actors."
***
"Where should I begin, Master?"
Lyra's red eyes caught the candlelight. Steady. Focused. Ready for orders.
I pulled the list out again and unfolded it one-handed, still holding hers with the other. My finger traced down to the first name.
"Rhys Blackwood. House Onyx, first year. Commoner on scholarship. Good with earth magic and spear work, but the noble kids keep stomping him down whenever he starts to shine." I tapped the notes I'd scrawled next to his name. "In three weeks, he dies during a 'training accident' in the Crucible. Except it's not an accident. House Argent students arrange the whole thing to eliminate a potential rival before the first inter-House competition."
"You want me to prevent this?"
