The other two people were introduced. “This is Eirene Mathers, the head of the mentor program, and Greg Gillion, of the internal investigative committee.”

We took our seats at the opposite end of the table. I bent down to whisper a warning to Jim to be quiet unless I indicated it could speak.

“All this power is going to your head,” Jim grumbled. “I had more fun with Amaymon. He wasn’t always forbidding me to talk just when things got juicy.”

“I would be happy to send you back to him,” I said in an undertone, then sat up and tried to look supportive and forthright.

“As you know from the injunction I left with Aisling Grey earlier, a complaint has been lodged regarding certain inconsistencies with your training program,” Mark said, shuffling through a couple of papers until he found what he was looking for. He gave it a quick once-over, then slid it to the side to the internal investigations guy. ‘Although we are not at liberty to reveal the name of the individual making the complaint, I can assure you that the complaint itself was investigated thoroughly to determine if it was valid. Once that was deemed so, the injunction was issued and an investigation commenced to examine the subject of the complaint—that is you, Miss Charles.”

Nora inclined her head, her hands clasped in front of her on the table. She looked interested but relaxed. I gave her full points for style—although she presented a brave front, I knew she was worried about this slap in the face from an organization she had long served.

“The investigation was carried out by a three-person committee headed by myself,” Greg Gillion said, evidently taking the floor. He didn’t look like the sort of person who should be investigating anything—he looked like a Santa Claus who had been on the South Beach diet for the past ten months. Balding, with white hair and a beard, and clothing that hung off him as if it had been meant for a much larger person, this man looked like anything but a take-charge sort of person.

Which just shows why you should never trust first impressions.

“This interview is the final part of that investigation. It is your opportunity to answer the investigating team’s questions and to make a statement in your defense. Do you understand what has been said thus far?”

Nora didn’t so much as bat an eyelash. “Yes, I do.”

“Excellent. The nature of the complaint itself is as follows,” Greg said, consulting a leather portfolio. “First, that you offered apprentice testing to an individual despite the fact that the period of testing had passed, and subsequently gave approval for the individual mentioned to receive official recognition as an apprentice. Second, that you maligned and otherwise ridiculed a member of the guild in public at the recent GOTDAM convention. Third, that you aided and abetted a murderer in his attempt to escape.”

My jaw just about hit the table at the ridiculous allegations. I sneaked a peek at Nora out of the corner of my eye. She was sitting just as still and attentive as she had been when the interview started. My admiration for her restraint and self-control was boundless—if someone had lobbed those absolutely ridiculous accusations at me, I would have been ranting by now. As it was, I had to remind myself that I was there on forbearance, and my silence was more helpful to Nora than any protestations of her innocence.

“Those three allegations, I am pleased to say, were dismissed as groundless and based on the accuser’s somewhat biased interpretation of recent events,” Santa Greg said, peering over the top of his gold-rimmed glasses to see how Nora would take that news.

She smiled slightly and inclined her head in acknowledgment.

“However...”

“Somehow, I just knew there was a however coming,” I whispered to Jim. It nodded.

“... the fourth and final accusation was not so easily dismissed. That is simply that you have taken into your home a servant of dark powers.”

I frowned, not sure whether he was referring to Jim or me. “Er... pardon me for interrupting, but are you talking about me? Because if you are, I need to set the record straight on a few things.”

“No, Miss Grey, I am not referring to you,” Santa Greg told me with a slight look of admonishment. “The investigation team thoroughly checked the bylaws of the Guardians’ Guild and could find no mention of a rule regarding the possible apprenticeship of a demon lord or wyvern’s mate. Neither situation has come up before.”

“However, amendments will be added at the earliest possible date,” Eirene Mathers piped up. I’d almost forgotten she was there, so quiet had she been. “You may be interested to know that any existing members of the guild who are demon lords or wyvern’s mates will be allowed to retain their membership once the new laws go into effect.”

“That’s very nice of you.” I worked hard to keep my voice level and sarcasm free, even though it was making my mouth sour.

She gave me a weak little smile. “The guild is interested in the welfare of all its members, even those of an .. . untraditional mien.”

“The being in question is the demon known as Effrijim,” Santa Greg said, taking control of the conversation again.

Jim’s head shot up.

“It is true that Jim lives in the same house as I do,” Nora agreed. “But it is not my servant, nor do I have control over it any more than it has control over me. It does not have the least amount of influence over me, and I do not receive power or abilities from it.”

Everyone looked at Jim.

“You can speak if it’s something helpful,” I whispered.

“Yeah, what she said. Nora takes me on walkies with Paco and feeds me sometimes, and if she’s really in a good mood, she’ll scratch my belly, but other than that, we’re just roomies. There’s no favoritism or anything. She even yells at me when I get busy with the furniture or take a dump too close to Paco.”

Santa Greg looked confused. I wanted to throttle my demon. “Paco is ... ?”

Nora lifted the carrier off the floor and set it on the table. Visible in the wire door was the figure of a small Chihuahua curled up asleep. “Paco is my dog.”

“Just so. Regardless of the lack of contact with the demon Effrijim, it is the opinion of the investigating team that having such a being in constant close contact provides too much of a temptation. A recommendation has been made to restore your mentorship should the demon be removed from your residence.” .