It was hot outside, and the open window let in a light night breeze I knew wasn’t responsible for the shivers that ran down my spine. His leg and sh...ulder were brushing mine, casually, but it was enough, since every kind of contact was usually avoided between us. I used to do it to not lead him on, since I had a boyfriend, and I suspected he kept away to resist temptation. And now his arm was resting between our bodies, forcing me to keep my own on my thigh. Until… until I thought what the hell. A few of the crews I worked with called me ‘Gem,’ as a nickname.” Ellen’s lips curled into a smile. “Well then, Gem, let’s go meet your adoring public.” ‘Gem,’ took a deep breath, tail drooping slightly, but nodded and headed for the door. * Ellen was watching her new hire with mild awe and high amusement. She was almost sure now that she would be hiring the girl, even if she needed a bit of work. Her initial moments in the store, two hours ago, had been full of expected hesitancy. Less. I grabbed the knob, twisted it, and took two successive breaths. Then I threw open the door, and Verto fired the crossbow. Someone screamed, and I rolled through the threshold, sprang into a leap, and sunk my daggers into the opposite sides of a man’s neck. I ripped them out, squirting red over my face, and I spun, letting his body fall behind me to catch three crossbow bolts that had been meant for my chest. I whipped around, pivoting on the balls of my feet, and I flung one dagger across the. My fingers came up and caressed my new Class emblem, a diamond red at the bottom, green at the upper left, and blue at the upper right. Assuming I'm successful on my next Ride, both the green and blue will change to yellow next month. Otherwise I'll wear my current colors until I die.And the public answer to the mystery? There was a freakish incompatibility in the complex overlaps of procedures between the Guilds, in particular driven by the fact that implementation in the field is not always.