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And then, he’d kicked the bucket after his One died.

It wasn’t worthwhile caring for others. In the end, all you were left with was pain.

“What I haven’t figured out, is why you do it,” Killian continued.

“What is your best guess?” I asked, curious.

“You don’t deny it, then?” Killian asked.

I shrugged, not interested in committing.

Killian rolled his eyes. “Fine. Be melodramatic. I suspect that you’re bored, and you get an unholy sense of delight in making my siblings live the boredom out with you.”

I laughed. “Not a bad conjecture! You’ve taken my temperament into account.”

“Yes, but it doesn’t fully work,” Killian countered. “As you don’tlikeany of my siblings, and it seems like it would be more trouble to hang around them in order to terrorize them.”

“I don’t like anyone,” I countered. “Although I find you tolerable. And Margarida and Sachiko have their moments,” I said, naming the next youngest siblings after Killian.

Killian boredly drummed his fingers on the table. “Then allow me to warn you that my siblings are most alarmed by your disappearance.”

“Alarmed? Whatever for?”

Killian shrugged. “They seem paranoid that you are using this time to plot and scheme against them. It’s upsetting their fragile inner balance.”

I toasted Killian with my glass. “Good for them.”

Killian sourly frowned. “Hardly. I didn’t know it was possible to communicate one was havingvaporsover cellphone text conversation, but they have managed it.”

I shrugged. “You were the one stupid enough to tell them I’m not staying with you.”

“Something I regret, I assure you,” Killian’s nearly indiscernible British accent grew stronger with his irritation.

I laughed. There was something fun in knowing I wasn’t the only one to suffer for the existence of the Dracos Family, however temporary Killian’s discomfort was.

“Fine, then. As my thanks for dealing with your siblings, I’ll get to why I’m here.” I set my crystal glass down, and my amusement died as I narrowed my eyes at Killian. “Just how dangerous is it at the Cloisters that non-combat employees can be harmed while working?”

It was a risk to so blatantly ask Killian. He’d use the information somehow. But it was a calculated risk on my end.

Jade had been hurt.

If I poked Killian—the vampire Eminence of the Midwest—I could possibly nudge him to interfere with whatever stupidity the Cloisters was up to.

Not that I truly care for her. Rather, Jade makes my days amusing, and I’m not ready for such amusement to end quite yet.

Entertainment was a luxury I didn’t often come across, so Jade had to be preserved.

Killian blinked twice, his eyebrows crawling up his forehead. “What?” he asked, sounding—for the first time ever—truly bewildered.

I kept my gaze on him, pushing a little of my power into it so he’d feel my strength. “A non-combat employee was recently injured during a shift at the Cloisters.Howdid that happen?”

Killian frowned. “I’m afraid I don’t know what specific instance you’re referring to.”

Good. That’s exactly what I want.

Aloud, I said, “Are you not the vampire Eminence—the vampire representative on the Midwest Committee of Magic?”

“I am,” Killian said. “But that means I make and shape laws and events—I have no control over daily activities within the Cloisters. I’m not informed about them unless there are political ramifications.”