“If you’re sure,” Thayva said, done with her own meal a moment before Serapis, “I’ll go help the staff prepare for the cleaning.” She stood, gave her husband a quick nuzzle in farewell, then hurried down to the kitchens to aid the others in gathering enough cleaning supplies for all the orphans.

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	“Shh!” Nick hissed as harshly as he dared, moving to clap a hand over Aurelian’s mouth at his laugh when he caught wind of Laya’s observation.
	“It was probably nothing,” he heard Laya say after a short pause. “I don’t hear anything now.”
	When the girls started talking again, Nick gave a sigh of relief and let his hand drop back to his side. “I recognize Laya, Kia, and Laura, but who’s the human?” he whispered in Aurelian’s ear.

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	“Not the pendant,” Kia said with a sigh once what Laya thought she had heard was dismissed. She glanced to Belle with a muttered, “no offence,” to which the human only shrugged. “You’re episode of gloom and doom.”
	“If you want it, you can have it.” Satisfied with the cleanliness of her satchel, Belle placed it just behind her, and sat the pendant down close to Laura.