She really didn’t want a repeat of that.Lisa clutched her decoy tighter, taking comfort in the protection it offered. It was herself, mostly. A phon... copy of her true personality. One that knew nothing about the Guardians or any secret plans. Every couple minutes brought another quick touch, as Elizabeth checked for signs of duplicity.That was, perhaps, her greatest risk. It was one thing to walk into a trap meant for herself. If they discovered Derrick’s team in time to prepare, her stay with. Cousin Liz had a very different idea. They met here to strike a deal. The negotiations have lasted for forty years.”“It would be an unbeatable combination,” Mike said.Melinda felt like the world was spinning around her. Lee Engineering was run by Elizabeth Lee; a woman judged by many to be the finest female engineer in the country. Melinda had gone into engineering after hearing a talk by her. Hoping that she was wrong, she asked, “Your mother is Elizabeth Lee?”“That’s mom,” Mike answered with. "You're weary of face." Piggidigi finally spoke, her words just as twisted by her strange accent as usual. "Why?"Yelka breathed a heavy sigh, putting his shoulders into the effort."My own father doesn't trust my judgement." He answered, squeezing and releasing the handle of the goblet between his fingers over and over. " ... The man is older than the mountains themselves and he still thinks he knows more than I do about the state of things."Yelka paused on Piggidigi's features, staring at her. The idea of being caught up in the Hegemony’s grip for months...” He shook his head. My cheeks went hot again and Mal pursed his lips. “Then again, considering what we saw in the throne room.”“Spill, Venn,” Techne said. “Don’t leave out any details.”I flushed. I could do this. Just ... lay it out.“Uh...” I said. “Okay.” I gulped, then hugged my threshold blade tighter to my chest. “I-I guess it all started when Thale n’ me got connected. I don’t know why we did, but we did. We share dreams. And.