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Evander noted the casual drop of the honorific his station merited with an inscrutable stare.

Rufus straightened to his full height, his jaw clenching and a muscle twitching near his temple as he struggled to contain his ire.“I was merely doing my job.As we all are right now.”

“Your job,” scoffed the portly professor next to Dearmont, “seems to be harassing respectable magical institutions based on the flimsiest of pretexts.”

“A missing person is hardly a flimsy pretext,” Evander countered coldly, keeping a tight rein on the irritation causing magic to flare inside his chest.“You may believe yourselves above the common concerns of society, but that is far removed from the truth.Particularly when the person in question is a distinguished member of your faculty.”

“Professor Whitley has taken leaves of absence before,” Dearmont said dismissively.“His wife is hysterical.There’s no need for the Metropolitan Police to involve themselves.”

“And yet, here we are,” Evander replied in a deadly tone.He stepped forward until he practically stood toe to toe with Dearmont.

A tense silence fell over the group.Evander could feel the weight of dozens of stares from the students and faculty members who’d paused to watch the confrontation.The air thickened with unspoken challenge.

Dearmont curled his lip, evidently unimpressed by Evander’s stance.

“With all due respect, your Grace, your current occupation does not grant you special privileges here.The Institute governs itself.”

“With all due respect,Professor,” Rufus interjected, his patience visibly wearing thin, “a man is missing and the evidence suggests foul play.We have jurisdiction.”

“Evidence?”The portly professor snorted.“What evidence could your little forensic mage possibly have gathered in the short time she was allowed inside before we discovered her snooping?”

Shaw bristled.“I wasn’t bloody snooping!I was conducting a lawful investigation, as is my damned right as an officer of the law, you insufferable ponce!”

Titters rose from a group of students.They cleared their throats and schooled their features into polite masks when they became the target of their professors’ glare.

“That’s quite enough, Miss Shaw,” Evander cut in, giving her a warning look.

Dearmont narrowed his eyes.“I think it’s time for you to leave.The Institute has its own methods for locating Professor Whitley, should that prove necessary.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” Evander said stonily.“Commander Winterbourne has assigned me to lead this investigation with the full backing of the Arcane Division.I would like to remind all of you that the Institute is not a sovereign territory, nor does it stand on foreign soil.”He scanned the hostile faces behind Dearmont before focusing on the professor.“As such, you have to abide by the laws of this country.”Evander arched an eyebrow.“I trust that won’t be a problem?”

He was doing his best to hide his astonishment at the way Dearmont and some of the faculty were behaving towards them.This wasn’t mere academic arrogance.Dearmont and his colleagues were acting like they were protecting a secret, which only roused his suspicions.

The hairs rose on Evander’s neck with his next heartbeat, his pulse quickening at the subtle shift in the atmosphere.Shaw tensed when she sensed the magical pressure around them intensifying.

Dearmont glared at them.

“What are you doing?”Evander asked stiffly.

“It seems we need to be more persuasive.”Dearmont’s fingers twitched.

Evander’s spine stiffened, a cold jolt of alarm racing through him as he sensed the elemental magic gathering around the man.This wasn’t mere posturing anymore; it was an outright threat.

A gasp came behind him.Evander whirled around.

A thin tendril of wind magic had coiled around Rufus’s throat, lifting him an inch off the ground.The inspector’s eyes widened in shock, his hands flying to his neck.

“Bloody hell!”Shaw gasped.

White-hot fury surged through Evander, bringing forth his magic.The power crackling to life between his fingers caused the air to whoosh outward from his body.

The sight caused several faculty members to retreat hastily, pulling the closest students along with them.

The fear painted across their faces brought Evander to his senses.He took a deep breath and clamped down on the riotous magic roaring through his blood.When he spoke, it was with the deadly quiet before a storm.

“Gordon.”His voice was dangerously soft as he addressed his old classmate by his first name.“Release him.Now.”

“Or what?”Dearmont challenged, though there was a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes.“Will you arrest me,Special Investigator?”