Just then, Caron and Vincent strolled in, looking far too smug for this early in the day.
Both were grinning like kids with a secret.
“What’s got you two smiling like that?” I ask, suspicious but curious.
Caron doesn’t answer right away. She heads straight for the coffee pot like a woman on a mission, fills her cup, and sinks into the seat across from me. Vincent sets a small box on the table and tips it over.
Dozens—no, hundreds—of necklaces spill out in a glittering wave.
“I managed to get my hands on more crystals,” Vincent says, his voice a little too casual considering the miracle he just performed. “We’ve got enough for every ranked kid now, with a few spares to share. I’m working on getting enough for every child in the pack.”
For a second, I just… blink.
Then I shoot up from
