"And that," he said at last, his tone even and deliberate, "is precisely why I called you here. I need a favor from you."
"Favor?" Thaleia murmured, the single word slipping from her lips before she could stop it. Her fingers tightened slightly around the dagger she was still holding. Her mind began to move quickly. A favor, after a speech like that, could not be something small.
Her thoughts turned heavy.
Edward walked back toward his desk, calm as ever, and rested one hand lightly against its surface.
"I am forming an independent expedition guild for Atlantis," he said.
The words settled into the room slowly.
Thaleia blinked. "Independent?"
"The White Tower permits it," Edward continued. "As long as the participants meet the requirements. Any group may enter if each member is at least at the Adept stage and below Archmage. However, to register as an official expedition guild, there are additional conditions."
He looked at her directly.
