Shady

Ky was startled to have it said so directly to her. Victim blaming was gross. And yet.. well… maybe Ada was right. “… maybe so.”

"Meh, science is stupid," Sadie said, ignoring the fact that if she went to university it would be for computer science . Programming was better than the nasty kind.

Ky nodded in agreement. “It was my own fault— he outsmarted me, or none of it would ever have happened… but he didn’t need to be as terrible to me ...

“I am, too,” Ky agreed quietly. “I’m sorry he ever got you in the first place, though. You didn’t deserve him.”

Ky nodded. She still hated that she agreed with that sentiment. It still made her feel uneasy. “I am, anyhow… and most of the world.”

“Aleth liked a lot of the people that hired him. He thought it was funny to watch them torment their slaves and children. So it does kind of say a ...

Ky nodded in agreement. “He’s terrible… even Aleth didn’t like him. Even though they acted the same.”

“I don’t know,” Ky admitted. “He acted different in front of Tomhas, though. We got there a few days before Tomhas did and he pretended to be nice I’m front ...

“He didn’t know how terrible Tarr is,” Ky said firmly. She adamantly refused to believe that Tomhas would have given Lyra to Tarr if he’d known. He couldn't have known. ...

“To spy on Gaius.” Ky flushed a bit, looking at a tree rather than Ada. “Back when he was fighting with Tomhas instead of with Tarr.”

“Um, I mean, that…” Ky shrugged. “I guess I can’t claim to know him, properly. But I had to go to his Keep when he was hiring my previous master, ...

Ky hesitated, considering. “I can’t speak for him… but he’s very reasonable on the whole, so… maybe?” She was quiet for a moment. “… helping him would get to Tarr ...

“I understand,” Ky said gently, nodding. She hesitated. “I’m… happy you have a home to go back to.” It was genuine, not bitter. Even though it did hurt a bit ...

Definitely okay to critique him, then. Ky glanced at her, a bit uneasy. Was Ada a threat? Maybe. Not to her, probably. But she seemed far harsher than Ky enjoyed ...

“Tarr’s bar is so low it’s a tavern in the underworld,” Ky muttered under her breath, hoping it was safe to critique him in front of Ada.