The Silver Lantern Guild's top floor was quiet at this hour.
Maren Holt sat behind her desk, a cup of coffee going cold beside a stack of documents she had already read three times. The review notice sat on top. She didn't need to read it a fourth time to know what it said.
To Tok—
"Come in."
Harlan stepped inside, a thin folder under his arm. Judging from the bags beneath his eyes, he hadn't slept properly since the hearing either.
"The results came back, Guild Master."
He slid the folder across the desk. Maren flipped it open. From material analysis, energy readings, fragment scans...
Every page said the same thing.
"...Nothing?"
"Nothing."
Harlan shook his head.
"The device does not contain any hidden features that may push it further up in rank."
'It's nothing special, just a speaker with a few tweaks.'
That was basically what he was trying to say.
Maren pinched her forehead and let out a long breath.
"Has it said anything?"
