“We have opinions,” Celestina said. “Very strong and very violent opinions. But that is a discussion for a different day. Tonight you should dwell on what fun you had at the party—you know, chatting with everyone, greeting leaders, kissing His Eminence.”

“Celestina!” I groaned as I buckled myself in.

Celestina’s laugh was so gleeful I couldn’t resist joining her, and we spent the rest of the ride in barely contained laughter.

Killian had said there would be no training the following day. I kind of assumed that meant I’d get to bum around the house, sleep in, maybe raid the kitchen or something.

Instead Celestina roused me in the early afternoon and dragged Josh and me out to the mall for some shopping.

This mostly involved clothes shopping for Celestina, but she bought me some really nice steel toed boots that I was pretty sure I could do some serious damage with—hopefully to Mason, one day—so I wasn’t inclined to complain.

It wasn’t until I was sitting in a booth at the food court with Josh and Celestina, sipping the iced coffee Celestina had bought for me, that I realized this wasn’t about Celestina wanting the chance to be out and about, but probably for me.

They were trying to distract me from the bomb that Mason was officially considered Adept of House Medeis.

“So, Celestina.” I set my coffee on the table and folded my hands together. “Do you want to tell me what the Drake Family’s strong and violent opinions about Mason are?”

Celestina sighed and slumped a little in her spot next to me. “I was hoping you would forget that.”

“Your mistake.” Josh took a sip of his chai latte—he sat across from me—as he carefully scanned the food court.

Celestina drummed her fingers on the table. “We Drake vampires would like nothing more than to end Mason’s miserable existence.”

“Violently,” Josh piped in. “Preferably death will not warmly embrace him, but instead eviscerate him.”

“However, His Eminence has warned us off killing Mason, specifically,” Celestina continued.

“Why?” I asked. “I got the feeling he didn’t care a ton about him, and I would have thought that Mason threatening him would be an instant death warrant.”

“It would,” Josh agreed.

“Except if Mason were to perish at the hands of the Drake Family, it would make your position as Adept of House Medeis even more unstable,” Celestina said.

I cupped my hands around my iced drink and took another sip as I thought.

I would have scoffed at her excuse last night, but after seeing the way Elite Bellus leaped into assumptions, perhaps she was right.

Killian Drake was famous for his manipulations, under-handed maneuverings, and pushing to get what he wanted—politically speaking. Before I’d come to stay at Drake Hall, I probably also would have made the assumption that he would kill Mason and use me as a plant among the Adepts to give him information and spy.

I was certain Killian would eventually call in some favors when I finally did get my position back. But given his tendency to call me a virtuous idiot, I knew he’d never be asking me for anything…seedy. (He’d probably tell me to join fights or something given my magic powers, and leave my House out of it entirely. He’d made it clear that he considered me a decent fighter, but he still considered traditionally trained wizards useless anyway.)

“He’s not moving because he thinks I’ll eventually be able to take House Medeis back, and I’ll take care of Mason myself, which will re-establish me as the legitimate Adept.”

Celestina made a noise of disgust. “I still fail to understand how Mason could have been made Adept.”

I pressed my lips together. “He said the Wizard Council decided to do it once they found out the signet ring was destroyed. I guess I can kind of understand—I don’t think a signet ring has ever been destroyed. Not in the past century for certain.”

“It’s still doltish of them,” Josh said. “They believe they can justify a dramatic switch in leadership—for a House, which bonds with its family line—over a mere ring?”

“It’s a bigger deal than that,” I said. “The signet ring helps establish an Adept’s initial connection to the House. You need it for the ceremony that officially ties you to the House, and it’s necessary to wear for at least the first five to ten years, until you have a good enough connection with the House that it’s no longer needed.”

My iced coffee was sweating all over the table, so I absently wiped it up with a napkin. “They’re made with really old magic, too. I don’t actually know if there’s anyone around who can make them. Mom used to say they were forged by the elves…and they’re all gone now.”

Josh set his latte down. “It’s been hypothesized that their death is what kicked off the steady downward spiral of magic and it’s slow—but inevitable—death. Perhaps this is another example of why the loss of the elves hit our world so badly.”

Celestina tapped the lid of her coffee drink with a manicured nail. “Perhaps, but this is the reality we live in. We will have to learn to cope with our situation.”

“Perhaps this is the wizards’ attempt at coping,” I said. “House inheritance should never be taken public, unless the Adept and Heir die and a new family line has to be declared, but they went ahead and did it anyway. Killian said they can’t back down since no one tried to help me when Mason first came after me, and given that we wizards usually are a little more passive, I can see that. And I think they chose to back Mason because they didn’t want an Adept with so little power in place.”

“Why do you believe that?” Josh asked.

“The ranking of House Medeis jumped up.” I pursed my lips as I tried to remember exactly what Mason’s ID card had shown. “I think the wizards are seeing what has happened and realizing we will become irrelevant in a few generations. In day to day life, a local House with a weak Adept isn’t a big deal. If we look at the long-lasting effects, however, there could be repercussions in my family line, it would maybe permanently weaken House Medeis unless I married someone with enough magic power to counter-act what we thought was my lack of magical ability.”

“Naturally, the best way to face this fear is to throw a coup and deal in underhanded politics,” Celestina grumbled.

I nodded. “No matter their motivation, they were wrong. Most obvious is the fact that Mason is Adept.”

Josh glanced curiously at me. “Are you talking about the blatant stupidity in ignoring that you are still alive, or…?”

“Nah—though that is a big deal too. No, I mean that Mason was made Adept when the Wizard Council hasn’t met since the last monthly meeting when they told me to get re-registered. That means they approved Mason out of session.”

Celestina snapped. “I wonder if all the wizards sitting on the council are even aware. It’s possible Mason could have privately approached some of them, and skipped over the Adepts who supported your case.”

“Probably. That’s totally illegal, but given that the council didn’t care I was being hunted like an animal and my allies couldn’t be bothered to keep their word, it’s not out of character.” I narrowed my eyes. “So much bloodshed and manipulation…all because my parents chose to block me from my real abilities.”

A sour taste flooded my mouth—one that even the bitterness of my iced coffee couldn’t wash away.

One day I could hopefully think of my parents and feel peace. But now, while I was still trying to deal with the aftermath of what their manipulations had done, it wasn’t coming.

Celestina gave me a side hug, then stood up and took my trash. “We should probably head out soon.”

Josh checked his cellphone. “Yes. I assume His Eminence will rise, soon. I imagine he will want us back by the time he finishes his morning reports.”

Celestina walked the trash to the trash can, and I took the last few noisy sips of my coffee as Josh slid out of the booth.

“Sorry, finished.” I slid along the bench seat, but there was a soft pop, and something spattered by my head.

In an instant Celestina was by my side, gun out, and Josh had pulled out a handful of throwing knives that he layered between his fingers.

People screamed, and Celestina shoved me under the table. “Josh.”

“I smell it.” I saw Josh’s dress shoes disappear as he ran off.

“Celestina?” I asked, huddled under the table. “What happened?”

“Someone shot at you.”

I froze under the table, my throat squeezing painfully. “What?”

“It appears to be a paint ball. Do you detect any magic?”

“No, none.” Just in case I opened myself up to magic, letting it swim through my blood. “I can’t sense anyone using any kind of spell or enchantment.”

Celestina paced back and forth in front of me. Even from my low vantage point, I could see her pull her cellphone out of her pocket. “Bring the car around, there’s been an incident—come to the food court,” she barked.

I shifted under the table, breathing a little easier with magic surrounding me.

A paint ball? Why would someone shoot at me with a paint ball? Was Mason trying to make a point? If so he was a total idiot to attack me with Killian’s First and Second Knights sitting with me.

“Hazel?” Celestina slowly turned in a circle. “We’re going to move. I want your shield up at all times. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“Good, then let’s go.”

I scrambled out from under the table, my blue shield flickering to life at my back.

It was much steadier and more stable—I’d been practicing with it and area attacks since fighting Rupert—so I moved confidently with it at my back, and I stretched it a bit to cover Celestina as well.

Celestina led the way outside. The set of her mouth was a grim slant, and she almost wrenched one of the exit doors off its hinges with her excessive vampire strength.