Rynn turned her nose up at Arin. "Fine. Maybe knowing someone isn't enough, [i]elf[/i], but I'm not going to go around and accuse people - [i]good[/i] people - until I can say for certainty it was them who played a part in the theft of the dagger. Say what you will, I may be protecting them but that's my job." Her hands were fisted at her sides. "Until we reach the Underground, until we exhaust every other possible clue, I am not going to start pointing fingers at [i]my[/i] people."

"We set out for Rosebriar in an hour. I suggest you start packing your things, because I am not going to be as lenient with extra time as I was before."

She stepped back into her room. Her hand was on the door. The frustration that had welled in her seemed to calm. She opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again. "If you must know my real thoughts on the matter, I'll tell you." Rynn bit her lip. "I don't want to believe it was him, but my brother was in a bad way when they . . . when [i]he[/i] left. Callin is a good man, and he isn't stupid by any means, but I've known my brother to get himself caught up in things he has no right to be caught up in.

"That's why I've come with you all. In the end, if it does end up being Callin . . . I'm not going to lose my brother a second time. Not when I can actually do something about it."