“I’m sure he will be glad to hear it.” Years of training kept her face bare of the bubbling frustration that tore at her, but only until she turned on her heel and fled the office with all the grace she could muster.
There were two others sitting in the reception area just outside the office when she emerged. When one saw her, he flinched at the look on her face, and a second later, the other man did the same. She ignored them as she tore from the building and into the bright light of midday. Alara didn’t realize until she was fully out on the cobblestone streets trying to reassert calm on her breathing that she was holding the metal cylinder clenched tightly in her fist. It was hot to the touch, not yet hot enough to burn, but enough that she almost dropped it when she realized what it
