After the meal I was overall pretty content, and by the time we left, I was happily zig-zagging back and forth, swinging my clutch as I hopped off the elevator.

“Excuse me, Your Eminence, a moment of your time?” One of the waitstaff had rushed down what looked like a set of emergency fire stairs, catching Killian just outside the elevator.

Killian slid his hands into his slacks. “Yes?”

“Club Luminary offers our sincerest apologies for this evening…”

Not sensing any magic, and swiftly losing interest, I continued ahead through the dirty warehouse, making a straight line for the door that opened out onto the street where our SUV waited.

I was hoping if I got out there and buckled into the front seat before Killian followed, he’d forget to order me to sit in back with him.

I walked past the rusted-out car, then felt the sizzle of wizard magic.

Chapter Sixteen

Hazel

Pinpointing it behind me, I switched so I held my clutch by the edge and whirled around.

A female wizard had snuck up behind me. She held sparking fireballs in each hand. “Surrender, Hazel Med—”

I slammed the edge of the clutch into her throat, choking her. The fireballs evaporated from her palms, and she toppled like a log.

As she went down, she flung a bolt of electricity. I jumped over it—though the landing made my feet hurt, and one of the heels almost slid out from underneath me.

She tried to jab me with an icicle, but I dodged it and—following the endless martial arts drills I’d practiced—kicked her in the gut.

I let my clutch dangle from my wrist by its strap, then slammed a foot down on her stupid robe, pinning her in place. “This! Is Why! You should! Have let me! Bring my! Sword!” I shouted as I pummeled my clutch into her head again and again.

When she sagged listlessly, I stopped smacking her and studied her clothes.

Unlike House Tellier and House Medeis, she was dressed in a robe of periwinkle blue. Only one House in the area wore that shade of blue—House Rothchild. “It can’t be,” I whispered.

Somewhere behind me, a man roared. I turned around, but I could tell I was going to be too late. He was right behind me, supporting an orb of spark-spitting lightning and wearing the same color robe as the woman.

I braced myself and blinked, and my vision was abruptly filled with the back of a black suit.

Killian stood in front of me, casually holding the wizard’s arms as if this was a common occurrence. “I issued a warning,” he said—the red of his eyes glowing unnaturally in the shadows of the warehouse. “It was the only warning you’re going to get.” He threw the wizard so hard, the man flew halfway across the warehouse and dented the metal wall on impact.

I winced, then turned back to the female wizard—who was still dazed on the ground. I squatted down next to her, inspecting the House crest sewn on the robe. Yep, it was definitely House Rothchild. But why? They had been my parents’ allies! Even more troubling, they were a heck of a lot more powerful than House Tellier. Their wizards all packed a lot more magic in their blood.

Which is why it was an equally shocking realization that I had just beaten down a House Rothchild wizard, using just my training and a book-padded purse. “Oh my gosh,” I said, thunderstruck. “Killian is right. We are easy to fight off!”

“You don’t say!” Killian’s velvety voice was a hair’s breadth from a snarl.

I rushed to get between Killian and the wizard. “Don’t kill her!”

“I don’t intend to,” Killian coldly said. “She needs to be questioned—and she’ll have to be alive for that. But Manjeet and Leonardo will take care of it. We’re leaving.” He grabbed me by the wrist and tugged me away from the woman.

Already two vampires I recognized as belonging to the Drake Family stepped through the open side door. Killian only had to flick his eyes at the woman. Both of the vampires bowed slightly, then glided up to her. I didn’t get to see any more—Killian towed me out of the door before they reached her.

The SUV was waiting for us, and I knew better than to aim for the front seat when Killian slid in, still holding my wrist. I scrambled after him, and it wasn’t until I had my seatbelt in place that Killian let me go. I glanced at the warehouse as the driver appeared in the driver seat with his vampiric speed and started the car.

Someone had turned on the lights inside the warehouse—light glowed from the dirty windows near the top. But even in the shadows of the night I could see the dent where Killian had thrown the male wizard.

The wizard was dead—there was no doubt in my mind about it. But I wasn’t really sure how I felt. As a part of House Medeis, I knew I should have abhorred his death and Killian for doing it. But Killian had made a public announcement when I had previously asked for mercy—even Momoko and Felix knew about it. And still, the wizards had attacked me.

And while my parents had followed the rule of no killing and avoiding physical fights to the letter, they had lied to me my entire life. Where exactly did that leave me? Uncomfortable, and wishing I didn’t have to think about any of this. So, I decided not to—for the moment.

“You know, I can finally see I’m really improving!” I almost clapped my hands in glee. “I think I get discouraged because the only people around for me to compare myself to are vampires—which I’ll never be able to beat even if we manage to unseal my magic. But tonight showed me just how much better I am now!”

“With enough training, you’ll be able to fight on even ground with the average vampire,” Killian said.

I didn’t believe that, but I suspected Killian didn’t care if I believed it or not, he was going to attempt to make me into a stalwart warrior capable of kicking butt. After tonight, I had no complaints about that!

With the adrenaline surging and the glee of having won—without magic—making me ride high, I figured now was as good a time as any to drop the bomb I’d been sitting on. “Have you considered if the murders could be an inside job?”

Killian glanced at me. “I assume by your bizarre shift of conversation, this is something you’ve been thinking of for a while?”

“Maybe—yeah.”

Killian stared out his window. “The Drake Family is loyal to me.”

“I don’t know about that, because let me tell you not all of them are happy.”

He raised an eyebrow as he studied my face. “You suspect Rupert?”

“I’m not saying it’s him, buuuuut…”

“You suspect him because you dislike him.”

I leaned forward against my seatbelt so I could pluck my chisa katana from the front seat. “But he’s definitely capable of it.”

Killian was still for several moments, then shook his head. “It’s not anyone from my Family. I looked into that possibility after the first casualty in Drake Hall, before you arrived,” he said. “The Night Court is absolutely behind it.”

I shrugged. “If you say so.”

I wasn’t surprised by his refusal—I actually thought he’d instantly reject me instead of thinking it over for even a moment. But I’d done what was right and spoken up. I’d just have to keep an eye on Rupert—and my senses open in case it really was a fae sneaking in and out.

“What do you have in your purse?” Killian asked, drawing me from my thoughts.

“It’s called a clutch, and it’s stuffed with the biggest book I could fit in it.”

“A rather eccentric weapon, but one that Club Luminary could not feasibly refuse. Good thinking.”

“Thanks! Do you think tonight was a success?”

Killian shrugged. “It’s difficult to say—I’m not sure how desperate or gullible the murderer is.”

I nodded slowly and pushed back against the bench seat.

I suspected that our display had gone well—not in the club, but in the attack. The supernatural community was just chock full of gossips…and I suspected that by morning everyone important would know how Killian Drake had protected me—his supposed pet wizard he was training up—and then dragged me from the warehouse by my wrist.

Undoubtedly, he’d done it to protect his investment, but there was a pretty good chance that everyone else would ignore that truth and make us into something else…hopefully it would be enough to bring the murderer knocking.

Which meant I intended to never let my katana out of my sight until the creep was caught, and I had better take my training as seriously as ever.

I was feeling marvelous when I jogged into the gym two days later. Celestina had sent me outside for a warmup run, and I was happily chortling because I was jogging at a faster pace than when I had first started my training. I really was improving!

“Finished,” I told Celestina as I came to a stop in front of her.

“Great job.” Celestina waved Josh down—who was holding my chisa katana for me on the other side of the gym. “Let’s get started, then.”

I caught sight of her nails—which were a dainty shade of blue with pink dahlia flowers on her thumbs and pinkies. “Did you get your nails done?”

“Yes!” Celestina eagerly held her hands out for inspection. “I went to a shop while Killian was wining and dining you. What do you think?”

“They’re so pretty! I love them!” I appropriately cooed.

“Are we admiring nails?” Josh handed me my sword as he peered over Celestina’s arm.

“Yep,” I said.

Josh cleared his throat and said in a much more enthusiastic and slightly higher pitched voice, “Wow, they are so totally gorgeous! You’re a queen, and they absolutely suit you!”

I stared at him as Celestina almost jumped with her joy.

“What?” Josh asked. “I can mimic girl talk—though I am limited in my vernacular.”

Before I could ask—because Drake Hall was not a hotbed of modern phrases and girl talk, which begged the question, how had he learned it?—Celestina clapped her hands. “Okay! Since you so easily defeated that female wizard, we’ve decided you’re ready for a bigger challenge.” She swiveled and pointed to the area cushioned with thick mats the vampires used for sparring. “Starting today, you’ll be in mock fights with some of the other Drake Family vampires while Josh and I coach you from the sidelines.”