Killian smirked. “Sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I held a finger up. “Technically, you’ll see me today since it’s already so early—”

Killian cut me off with another kiss—this one was barely more than a quick touching of the lips—but it was just as magnetic as the first.

I blinked, and he was gone—halfway across the patio.

I sucked in enough air to make my cheeks puff, and then let it go with one slow, long breath.

What just happened?

Wait, no, I knew what just happened…but…why? What did it mean?

“Hazel?”

I was in the process of trying to get off the wall without ripping my dress, but Celestina’s sudden appearance caught me off-guard, so I almost fell on my face and barely managed to catch myself in time.

“Heeeeeey, Celestina,” I said.

A slow smile spread across Celestina’s lips—one that was a thousand times smugger than anything I’d ever seen Killian wear. “His Eminence said I should take you back to one of the cars and go home.”

I coughed and grabbed my clutch. “Yeah, that’d be great. Thanks.”

Her smirk grew. “Yes. You must be so exhausted.”

I bumped my hip into her. “Shut up.” I could feel my ears burning red as my friend laughed at me.

Celestina led me through the patio door Josh guarded, avoiding Killian and the other vampires entirely.

The ballroom had emptied some—it looked like some of the wizards had left as Killian predicted. It was still stiflingly hot, so I gratefully trooped behind Celestina and wheezed with relief when we stepped through a foggy wooden door and set foot back in the Curia Cloisters.

“I’m sorry you didn’t get to talk to anyone. You still look gorgeous.” I gave Celestina a side-eyed look of admiration.

Celestina laughed. “I didn’t attend to chatter, but to protect. I am greatly satisfied with the night, and everything I witnessed.” She wriggled her eyebrows at me.

I groaned. “Can we not? I don’t even know—that was. Ugh.”

Our heels clicked on the flooring as we made our way through the hallways, nodding to the few party attendees lingering to finish conversations.

“Do you regret it?” Celestina asked.

“No, but I have no idea what the takeaway is.”

Celestina was so amused she actually snorted a laugh as we passed through the Curia Cloisters’ entrance.

Once she had recovered, she snapped open her red clutch and pulled out her phone. “I’m texting one of the drivers. It will take them a minute to pull around.”

I made a noise of understanding. “I need to get better about carrying my phone,” I said.

Celestina’s mirth left her, and she frowned at me. “You didn’t bring it?”

“I didn’t want it getting crushed by the rocks if I had to take a swing at someone.”

Celestina’s lips warred between a frown and a grin for a moment before she gave in and smiled. “I guess that’s fine for tonight. You were always going to be guarded anyway. But in the future, you need to bring it.”

“Okay, Mom.”

I expected Celestina to laugh—or maybe poke me. At the very least I thought she’d grin.

Instead, her gun appeared in her hands, and she glared at something over my shoulder.

I turned around, and all the loose, happy feelings that had been bumping around inside of me froze. “Hello, Mason.”

Mason looked handsome in his tuxedo, which had a House Medeis coat of arms pin stuck into one lapel. His hair was slicked back, and he had that calm, tempered smile he wore as a mask. “Hazel, I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“I could say the same.”

I passed my clutch to my throwing hand—preparation is key in launching surprise attacks. “What do you want?”

“Nothing,” Mason said with too much innocence. “I just want to express my well wishes to you.”

“Hah!” I laughed. “Why are you bothering to act when there’s no one around?” I jerked my thumb to gesture over my shoulder. “Celestina already hates you because you threatened Killian. Or are you unaware she’s part of the Drake Family?”

Mason nodded very politely to the gorgeous, gun-wielding vampire. “Good evening.”

Celestina racked her gun, pulling back the slide to load a bullet in the chamber with a metallic click.

“That seems to be a pretty clear message.” I idly swung my clutch by its strap. “Get lost.”

Mason slightly bowed his head. “Very well, but since we were family—”

“HAH!”

“I’d like to share my news with you.” Mason held out his wizard ID registration card.

I raised my eyebrow and was about to ask what the point was, when I glanced at the fine print—which was readable only because of the street light near us.

There, by the coat of arms for House Medeis engraved on the plastic ID card, was his title. Adept Mason of House Medeis.

The world slammed to a halt, and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. “…How?”

“It’s all thanks to you, Hazel.” Mason’s eyes crinkled with his smile. “You helped me a great deal when you destroyed the House Medeis signet ring.”

I frowned. “You destroyed it! It was your spell, and you broke at least a dozen laws threatening Killian Drake!”

“The Wizard Council didn’t see it that way.” Mason’s smile had an edge now. “When I told them how you willfully destroyed it, they decided that until you show the maturity necessary to lead that I will be the Adept of House Medeis.”

How could they?

I was so shocked, so appalled, I couldn’t feel anything. It felt like a haze had settled over my mind.

“Though you may have successfully saved yourself by running to the Drake Family, it ultimately will be your undoing,” Mason said. “Did you really think you’d be trusted when you’re living with vampires and conveniently had your magic sealed?”

“I won’t let this go,” I snarled. “I’m not giving my family over!”

Mason slightly shook his head. “You’ve already lost, Hazel. House Medeis is mine.”

“I have the deed!”

“You do. But you don’t have the leadership. You don’t have the signet ring, or even the support of other wizards.” Mason’s smile deepened. “And you don’t have the resources to fight me.”

“Killian does.”

“But you won’t let him go after me.” He laughed, a sound I felt in my toes. “Not when some of your beloved family could get caught in the crossfire. Besides, didn’t you see?” Mason brandished his ID card again. “Since I’ve taken leadership, House Medeis has moved up in ranking of respect. And as you know…the House comes before everything.”

He reached out, extending his hand. I don’t know if he was going to touch my cheek or hit me, but the quiet click of a gun’s safety flicking off broke the silence.

Chapter Seventeen

Hazel

Mason froze, and gave a sheepish smile as he raised his hands. “Come now, First Knight. You can hardly kill me on Curia Cloisters lands.”

For the first time since knowing Celestina, I felt the predator hiding under her skin.

She’d never trotted it out before—even in training, she was so much stronger than everyone else she didn’t have to bother. But now, facing Mason, her eyes were flinty and glowed red, and she peeled her lips back in a snarl that displayed her white fangs.

There was a pressure to the air that hadn’t been there before, and her usual elegance was razor sharp.

“I think you’d be surprised just how easy it would be for me to kill you, wizard.” Celestina’s usually beautiful voice was so cold it made my heart twist. “Unless you’d like to discover just how fragile the human throat is, leave.” She licked her lips as she stepped in front of me, almost blocking my view so I had to peer around her.

Mason’s smile dropped. His eyes flickered in my direction, but he must have realized Celestina wasn’t playing around because he slowly backed up and didn’t say anything else.

Celestina stood there—her teeth bared and gun out—until Mason disappeared inside. Then she sighed, flipped the safety back on her gun, and all the deadliness seemed to drain from her, leaving her as beautiful and warm as she had been before.

She scowled, and thankfully one of the Drake SUVs pulled up.

“Come on, let’s go home.” I tugged on her elbow. “He’s not worth it.”

That got Celestina loose. She twirled around to complain to me—while herding me to the car. “He’s not, but the act of killing him would be worth it! So worth it! And so incredibly satisfying. I wouldn’t even have to use my gun—no, I wouldn’t want to.” Her voice was dreamy as she pictured the many ways she could maim Mason.

“Thanks,” I said to the driver when he opened the door. I scrambled inside, Celestina right behind me.

I stared at my hands as the car rolled forward. Darkness threatened to press in on the corners of my mind.

They’d made Mason Adept.

How could they?

My hands shook, and I recognized if I didn’t do something I was going to dissolve in a puddle of goo. And I couldn’t, because this wasn’t over. It felt like it, but I couldn’t give up. Even if the Wizard Council improved House Medeis’s rank—even if the House had turned apathetic like Momoko had told me and didn’t hate Mason as I thought it would.

None of that mattered.

Mason thought the House came before everything, but I was more concerned about my family and how they’d survive under him. For them, I’d fight until the end.

So I couldn’t break down. I had to keep going. I squeezed my eyes shut, then forced myself to look at Celestina. “I’m surprised you seem to hate him so much. I didn’t think anyone from the Drake Family had much of an opinion about Mason and House Medeis.”