“But surely you must have noticed the increase this past week in outbreaks? First the kobold scare, then imps, then blight hounds.” Nora punched a floor number on the elevator panel, giving me a curious look.

Rene blew out a breath. I didn’t spend longer than a second wondering why he was coming along with us. He seemed so much a part of my little gang, I was just grateful to have one more head to consult. “Mon dieu. Three in a week?”

Nora nodded. “And three last week, at Salvaticus.”

“That being ... ?” I asked.

“The start of Vexamen. It’s the date when the ruling prince of Abaddon begins to lose his powers.” Nora stepped onto the thankfully empty elevator. We all filed in with her, including a woman with short blond hair who was carrying a coffee mug and a portfolio.

“I thought the ... er... situation was normal,” I said, mindful of the stranger in our midst. “To be honest, I thought it was due to the dr—to Drake and his kind. I had gathered that things like those outbreaks happen whenever they disagree.”

“Not this sort of thing,” Nora said, shaking her head.

I mused on that for the few seconds it took to get to the seventh floor, following Rene and Nora as they walked down a long hallway to an office in the rear. Nora paused with her hand on the doorknob. “Rene, the guild has very strict rules about who is allowed into their offices. I know you do not present any threat, but I want to warn you that you may be refused admittance.”

He gave one of his effective Gallic shrugs. “We will see, hein? You do not mind if I come with you?”

“No, certainly not. I’d be grateful for a friendly face.” Nora gave him a bright smile that made me feel ashamed of my self-absorption. Here she was facing an investigation into her professional capabilities, and I was too busy worrying about my own problems to be supportive and helpful.

“Don’t worry; we won’t let them mess with you,” I said with a little hug. “If it’s me causing the guild concerns, I’ll formally de-mentor you, and we’ll just go on in an unofficial capacity.”

Nora laughed, hugging me back. “I wish it was that easy, but let us not borrow trouble. Brave hearts, everyone.”

She opened the door and stepped through it, Rene following. I started to go through the door but found myself held back as if by an invisible webbing. The door had been warded with a powerful protection ward, no doubt to keep dark beings out.

“Uh. . . that’s not happening,” Jim said. “Ward. Big one.”

“There’s nothing I love more than a little challenge,” I muttered to myself as I opened the door in my mind, gathered up some dragon fire, shaped it, and focused it on the ward. The pattern glowed purple in the air for a moment. I grabbed Jim by the collar and forcefully shoved it through the doorway, bullying my way through the ward. I thought for a moment that I wasn’t going to be able to pass it, but I broke through just as the purple ward turned silver, then evaporated. “Whew. That was a toughie. You OK, Jim?”

“I feel like I’ve been brushed backwards, but yeah, OK otherwise.” The demon licked a few rumpled patches of fur.

I turned to see where Nora had gone and found myself facing a room full of people all staring at me with disbelief, Nora included.

Rene smiled.

A tall, balding man built like one of the dragon bodyguards stepped forward, obviously a security person. “Guardian. Mortal. Identification?”

Nora brought out her wallet and showed him a card.

“Member number 1112,” he read to another guard behind a computer, who promptly tapped the information onto the keyboard. The second man nodded at the first.

“You may pass,” the guard told her. She walked forward a few feet, stopping to chat with one of the men sitting behind a desk.

The guard turned to Rene. “Daimon. Immortal. Identification?”

“I have my passport,” Rene said pleasantly. “But beyond that...” He gave another shrug.

“You may pass.”

I sent a little triumphant smile to Rene, who winked at me. At last, confirmation of what I’d suspected—he wasn’t mortal! Now, if I just knew what a daimon was.

“Guardian. Wyvern’s mate.” The guard frowned at me, speaking loudly so everyone in the room—people waiting in a waiting area, others bustling around doing office work—could hear. “Demon lord. Immortal. Identification?”

I smiled pleasantly. “All I have is my passport, too. I’m not a member of the Guardian Guild yet.”

“Name?”

“Aisling Grey.”

At least two people in the room sucked in their breath. One woman at a desk dropped a stack of papers and went running out of the room.

“I’m beginning to feel like either a rock star or Typhoid Mary,” I whispered to Jim.

“Go with rock star. You get groupies that way.”

“You may pass,” the guard said after a brief consultation with his partner.

“Thank you. Er ... have a nice day.” I spread my smile out to everyone who was still staring at me and followed Nora and Rene as they left the reception area.

“Some are born to greatness, others aspire to it; some have it thrust upon them,” Rene misquoted as Nora took us to a conference room.

“Shakespeare didn’t know the half of it,” I grumbled softly as we entered the room.

17

Three people stood at one end of the room, chatting as they poured themselves coffee. All three stopped talking to turn around at our entrance. I recognized one of the men as Mark Sullivan, the guy who had left the injunction with me, but the woman and other man were strangers.

“Nora Charles?” Mark asked, setting his coffee down at the head of the table.

Nora nodded.

“I see you have brought... what? Witnesses?”

“Friends,” I said quickly, immediately going into defensive mode at the snarky tone in his voice. “Naturally, if you do not wish to allow Nora any form of moral support, we will leave. I assume, however, that you have no problem with her facing this inquisition with a few friends at her side.”

“Well done,” Rene said under his breath. I shot him an appreciative glance.

“I can assure you this interview is far from the inquisition you seem to imagine, Aisling Grey.” Mark waved a hand toward the end of the table closest to us. “By all means, stay if that is what you desire.”