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“Ms. Byrne—”

“‘Kenna’ is fine,” I quickly correct, and she nods.

“Kenna. We wanted to speak with you about the news that came out online yesterday. Regarding the recent dragon kidnapping downtown.”

“Uh, yeah,” I say. “What about it?”

“Was the dragon who took you a Bureau employee?”

My mind blanks at the question. They… don’t know? I mean, I didn’t think it was super common knowledge what kind of paranormal creature Blair is, but the fact that they don’t know seems… unbelievable.

What would happen if I outed him now? And do I even owe him any kind of protection?

Looking back and forth between Yvette and Yolanda, they both seem entirely sincere. They really have no idea.

Without knowing why I do, I shake my head. “No. It wasn’t anyone who works here.”

And just like that, I’ve lied to my boss and to HR. I’ve put my ass on the line. For Blair.

“I’ve already spoken to the police,” I continue. “It was just… a misunderstanding. It’s settled.”

Why am I protecting him? Blair’s words from that day in his office echo in my mind, when he asked me why I didn’t say anything to the police.It would have been well within your rights to.Even then, he was putting it in my hands, leaving it up to me to decide what I wanted to do.

And I guess I’m making the same choice now.

“Am I getting fired over this?”

“No,” Yolanda says quickly. “You weren’t at fault in any of this. We just wanted to ensure there’s no ongoing issue at the Bureau or any violation of our employee code of conduct that needs further investigation.”

The comment puts a slight sheen of sweat on the back of my neck. I’m pretty sureeverythingbetween me and Blair has been a violation of the code of conduct. Swallowing over the lump of nerves in my throat, I look back and forth between the two of them.

“So… what’s going to happen?”

Yvette’s face is creased with concern as she answers. “I think it would be best if you took some time outside the comms department this week. Just until this blows over. Having you in on meetings and discussions about how this is being handled on the Bureau’s end could be seen as a conflict of interest. Both within the Bureau and if any news outlets got wind of it.”

My stomach drops to somewhere near the floor. “Are you sending me home?”

I can’t afford to take leave without getting a paycheck, and I don’t have any vacation time banked yet. Rent in the Victorian isn’t all that much, but I’ve got student loans to pay, a cell phone bill, groceries… I’m pulled out of my panic spiral by Yvette rushing to reassure me.

“No, of course not. I’ve asked around, and they’re looking for some help down in Records this week.”

Great. I’m being exiled from my job after less than a month, sent down to the basement to push papers. It could be worse, though, and I just nod silently again.

With that settled, we stand to leave the conference room. Yolanda goes first, and I’m just about to do the same when Yvette calls out after me.

“Kenna, is there anything else you want to tell me?”

There’s a slight edge to her voice, something suspicious that makes me stop short when it hits me.

She was there.

On my first day at the Bureau, Yvette was just a couple of steps away from me when Blair was making his speech. She saw the way he stared at me, just like all my other coworkers saw.

And now she’s giving me another chance to say something, to confide in her, to tell the truth.

Only… I can’t.

Whatever’s happening between Blair and me, that’s where I want it to stay. I want to keep the rest of the world out. The idea of saying something and having all of this blow up in our faces when it still feels so precarious, when I know I’ve just barely started to scratch the surface with him, makes me feel desperate to keep it a secret.