"Again, I'm not disagreeing," Waver points out, frowning and trying not to get too damn huffy. "It's just how the system functions."

It was a pretty stupid function. Waver had always thought that. But the compulsion to defend the system from outsiders, that was new and downright weird.

Either way, he finally let go of the hand, relieved to find no burns or anything.

"And believe me. Mystery usually is less about ignorance and more about families trying to get a leg over each other."