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I studied him trying to ascertain if hidden rage boiled within him.

Killian ignored me and focused on his phone, his eyebrows twitching with irritation again.

“You aren’t mad,” I said.

“Mad about what?” he asked.

“My heavy-handed use of powers.”

“Of course, I’m not,” Killian said. “I don’t really care why you had to ask me all of this because I got the answer I wanted.”

“And what answer is that?” I asked, curious.

“That you’re amusing yourself somehow,” Killian glanced up long enough to give me a cocky smile. “Which means you aren’t sticking your nose in myaffairs, which is whatIcare about.”

I shrugged. “You’ve given me no reason to interfere. Although I would like to meet your little wizard.”

“No,” Killian said. He was calm, and his body stayed relaxed, although I could feel his tautness like the tuned strings of a violin.

She’s a weakness.

Even such a small sign would have once been enough to make me consider eliminating the wizard.

But.

Could Ireallyconsider that, when Killian was so competent… and I myself had just questioned him for the sake of a human?

Maybe I’m growing soft. Perhaps soon I’ll simply expire from a weak heart?

Wishful thinking.

I faintly heard the elevator ding as I took a sip of my now tepid blood. The cheerful noise was followed by a couple of muffled oaths.

Killian, staring beyond me, stiffened and Josh—standing a foot away from our table, shuffled his armful of papers. “Oh dear,” he said.

“Stop her!” a Drake vampire hissed.

“Don’t be silly, just let me through,” A woman said in response.

“Watch it, she’s got a book in her bag—oof!” One of the vampires said before I heard a thud that signaled they’d been hit. Apparently by a book?

Must be a dictionary of some sort to cause damage to a vampire.

Curious, I twisted in my chair but the herd of Drake vampires blocked my view of whatever female they were trying to keep out.

“I believe I’ll be the first to leave,” Killian stood, his chair scraping the floor as he pushed it back. “Unless you had any additional questions about injured Curia Cloister employees?”

I waved him off. “No. By all means, go contain your wizard,” I guessed.

Killian’s eyes briefly narrowed, but he walked off calmly enough, Josh trailing behind him.

I watched him and drained the last of the blood in my cup. “Interesting,” I said as Killian slipped into the cloud of his vampires.

It occurred to me that I could use one of my powers and go spy on Killian’s One, but I had a hunch that would anger Killian much more than letting my powers loose on him.

I have time to meet her, I reasoned.I’m going to be in Magiford for a while.

I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye and turned to look.