“He tried to kill you.” Rupert’s voice was hardened with hate—a reminder that I’d need to give notice to all the vampires in Drake Hall that Mason was to be left alone.

“He did,” I agreed. “Under different circumstances that would be enough motive for me to wipe him and his family line from the earth. However…” I paused, wondering if I should really tell this part to the impatient vampire. “Hazel needs to face him,” I finally said.

Rupert’s face scrunched up as he struggled to understand. “You won’t kill a rat-blood who deserves it because the wizard needs practice?”

“No.” Yes. I shouldn’t have bothered telling him—but it was too late to walk back the decision now. “Hazel needs to fight Mason to remove all doubts that she isn’t fit to be Adept. If I kill Mason and she returns to House Medeis, all her life she’ll face talk that she isn’t a good enough Adept—at best. At worst, most will think I took the House back and installed her as my puppet.”

“You’re right, Your Eminence.” Rupert bowed slightly. “It is better if others do not suspect the power you have over her.”

There was something in that statement that made me want to grimace—and that was enough to make me freeze.

When had she changed from being a pawn I could use for my ends, to being Hazel?

Never mind—I knew the answer to that question. It was when she had stopped smelling so foul to me.

But Rupert was wrong. I wasn’t intending to secretly control Medeis from the shadows. I didn’t intend to have anything to do with that wretched House in the future besides visiting Hazel—and perhaps watching her kinsmen turn pale whenever they saw me for the entertainment value.

Oh—I’d try to influence Hazel, but it was more likely she’d give me that fake smile of hers that said she was grimacing so hard her teeth might crack and tell me to buzz off.

And that was very out of character for me.

Essentially, unlike everything else in my life, I wanted Hazel free to do what she wanted.

Right now what she wanted was that stupid House. But she’d also want to get it her way—up front with all the right paperwork and by justly following the process, the boring and thankless things I tended to bypass with my particular politics.

The only thing I could do was try to limit Mason and block him from gathering more allies. The Night Court was going to be an unwanted irritation, but they were easy enough to manipulate. The real danger of the Night Court was the impulsive hatred of the queen and her consort. I could easily provoke her, which would bring out a very predictable fight.

I sighed and rubbed the back of my neck. “You will not tell Hazel of this.”

“Yes, Your Eminence. What of the First Knight and the others?” Rupert asked.

How much of a pain would it be if the others found out?

Probably more trouble than I wanted.

“Keep quiet on the matter for now,” I said. “In a few weeks, when I have finished hunting the false Adept, you can tell them.”

Rupert puffed up his chest—likely he was smug that he’d get to know something Celestina and the rest of the Family did not.

He still acted appallingly young at times, but he’d keep learning—he had already.

“We have the targets, I think we’re done here for tonight,” I said.

Rupert bowed again. “Yes, Your Eminence. I’ll pull the car around?”

“Yes.”

Rupert melted into the shadows and disappeared, heading off in the direction of the parking garage.

I glanced back at the hotel, contemplating my options.

Nope—it smelled too bad with all those wizards in there.

I jumped a bush and landed on the sidewalk that wove around the hotel’s exterior, and swiveled so I faced the direction of the front entrance.

What am I doing?

It wasn’t like me to interfere when I didn’t expect a payoff. Rather—I’d never do something like this if there wasn’t a payoff.

Hazel was making me soft.

The one consolation was that at least it wasn’t without its benefits. She was amusing, not only to me but my Family as well; she had the Night Court scared, as they wouldn’t have bothered to make an alliance with Mason if they didn’t see her as a real threat; and I’d shoot myself in the arm before I admitted it, but it was pretty addicting to sit with her.

I’d forgotten what warmth felt like. But whenever she leaned against me, she radiated a soft heat that sank all the way to my bones.

Her smell was becoming more addicting with each week—which was actually troubling, but she smelled too good for me to seriously consider reversing the effect.

The one downside to that smell was I was fairly certain her blood would still taste as sour and foul as ever if I happened to lose my mind and bite her, given that she was rightfully suspicious of my motivations.

It wouldn’t happen—I didn’t care how amazing she smelled, I would never trust a human enough to feed off them. Even if that person was Hazel.

But it rankled me to know she didn’t trust me the same way I, apparently, trusted her.

Maybe one day that would be useful—it seemed like the sort of thing I could twist for my own purposes.

For now it was enough to take action against Mason and go home and pull Hazel’s proverbial tail to see if I could get her to produce those funny squawking noises she made when outraged.

And at least I had one move I needed to analyze: what was the easiest way to broadcast to the region that I was serious in my protection of Hazel, so the small fish like Adept Fayette stayed out of the fight?

I suspected the solution was going to be quite a bit of fun, and lots of delightful squawking from Hazel…

Chapter Thirteen

Hazel

“Attack him, Hazel. Stop retreating!” Celestina shouted.

It was a nice sentiment, but Rupert was so fast I couldn’t do anything except block.

I threw a shield up in front of me and switched my sword stance.

As expected, Rupert zipped around my shield, but I was prepared for that and stabbed my chisa katana behind me.

He had to veer backwards to avoid being stabbed, but by the time I tried to follow it up with a lightning bolt, he was already gone, back around to the front.

I backed up, trying to get some space between us so I actually had room to maneuver, but Rupert followed so close his clothes flicked my shield.

He’s almost got me—if I don’t wing him soon he’s going to corner me!

I planted my feet and stabbed forward, taking my shield down at the last moment so my sword could pass through.

Rupert ducked the sword, slugged me with enough force that I felt it all the way back in my spine, and when I sagged forward he ruthlessly grabbed me by the neck and threw me to the ground, planting his foot on my throat.

I tried to gasp for air, but it wasn’t easy with Rupert’s shoe pressing down on my windpipe.

“We’re finished here,” he sneered down at me.

I nodded—my lungs burning like a wild fire—and coughed with a strangled gasp when Rupert removed his foot and prowled off.

I was going to be so bruised when I woke up tomorrow. I groaned and tried to stand, but my muscles wouldn’t listen to me—they were too sore and jelly-like.

Obviously, Rupert still hated me—he was brutally ruthless, and based on his freaky smile he enjoyed throwing me around. Equally obvious, however, was that he had learned his lesson. The first time I’d faced him he made me black out. Killian hadn’t taken kindly to Rupert damaging his wizard-in-training, and had just about killed Rupert proving that point.

I’d faced Rupert twice in the past week during my training sessions, and he’d been very careful to take me to the brink of pain but never push me into unconsciousness.

Celestina’s face veered into view. She’d braided her thick hair in a single braid today, which dangled over her shoulder as she peered down at me. “You could beat him if you stopped defending.”

“You say that, but if I didn’t defend, he’d take me down in one hint,” I groaned.

She offered out her hand, which I took, and peeled me off the ground, helping me stand. “You have magic, Wizard. But you don’t use it much besides making that beloved shield of yours.”

“I’ve attacked him with lightning bolts and fire,” I protested.

“Blast him with your magic,” Celestina advised. “You’ll never match his speed in defending—you’re only fighting the inevitable. Your best bet is to push him straight off and take him down with as much magic in as short an amount of time as possible.”

I set my hand on my aching lower back and peered in Josh’s direction. “You have anything to add, Josh?”

The dark-haired vampire was sharpening a sword, though when I spoke he paused. “Death is inevitable; by facing Rupert you are only learning how to prolong your miserable end. Strength is nothing when we jump off this mortal coil, and offers no sweet solace when it is over,” he said.

“See?” Celestina planted her hands on her hips. “He also thinks you need to attack more.”

“How on earth did you get ‘attack more’ out of that?” I pointed to Josh.

“Celestina does speak the truth,” Josh added. “One can never take a castle solely by defending their own, nor can you beat an enemy of superior size, strength, speed, and strategic intellect by hiding behind a shield.”

I scowled at my trainer. “Hey, that was a little too personal—and hurtful!”

“Try again,” Celestina firmly said. “This time use more of your magic. You have a greater capacity for magic than most in your generation, and magic is a vampire’s greatest weakness. Use it.”

I sagged, but I didn’t bother protesting because Celestina was already marching across the gym.

“Rupert!” Celestina barked. “You’re fighting again.”

“I do not wish to,” Rupert said in a stiff tone.

“Your wishes don’t matter, get back to the mats.”