“My, my, my, what do we have here?” Hikaru purred. Manifesting behind Alistair, Hikaru’s tails flipped back and forth. They didn’t seek him out as they did me. I’m not sure why, but that made me feel ten feet tall.
Jerking, Alistair nearly fell to the side. His fingers danced through the air, automatically weaving an assault spell.
“Ah, ah, none of that.” Hikaru dissipated before Alistair’s magic could make contact. The spell sailed through Hikaru’s scattered mist as if he were nothing more than air. “Goodness. Reactive warlock, isn’t he.” Manifesting beside me, Hikaru’s tails wrapped around my waist, sliding down my leg and hugging me close. “You have the jumpiestfriends, Niki.”
Alistair’s large, black eyes narrowed upon realization of what Hikaru was. “Kitsune,” he spat. “Trickster. Menace.”
“Niki’s the only one that gets to call me menace.” I rarely heard Hikaru’s voice so frosty. “That’s an interesting envelope you have in your hand. So ugly and gaudy. No taste whatsoever.”
Alistair sneered. “Not just slumming it with necromancers now, but kitsune as well. You are a disgrace, Holland.”
My previous, out of control rage settled into something more useful and infinitely more dangerous. Controlled fury was a different beast all together. “Careful, Alistair. I think Fairy would have a completely different perspective on which of our actions are more disgraceful.” Threatening Fairy intervention wasn’t a tactic I threw around often. In fact, I could most likely count on one hand the times I’d invoked thoughts of their involvement.
The fear was immediate. No matter how hard Alistair attempted to cover the reaction, it was clear to see. He attempted to hide his fear with bravado. “Fairy would have no interest in warlock matters, especially something as mundane as policing our own.”
“Hmm, perhaps. Perhaps not.” My words were far more benign than the intention behind them.
“I grow tired of this back and forth.” Alistair gave Hikaru another scathing look. “Had I known you were keeping a pet kitsune, I would have told Danzig to deliver the letter himself.”
Alistair’s perception was odd considering Hikaru often referred to me ashis. If anything, I was the pet, not Hikaru. If I’d expected the kitsune to get angry, I’d have been wrong. As it was,I’d sort of stopped trying to anticipate Hikaru’s reactions as they constantly surprised me. Tonight was no different.
Head thrown back, Hikaru’s laughter lit up the night. “Oh, that’s precious. He’s really not very bright, or creative, is he, Niki?”
My snorted laughter surprised Alistair almost as much as it did me.
“You find this humorous? If you’re found guilty, your powers will be bound. That is no laughing matter, Nikodemus Holland.”
Alistair’s words should have sobered me, instead they only fueled the crazed laughter bubbling within. “Do you know what is truly humorous? The fact you truly believe I would ever willingly allow that.”
“You are bound by warlock law. If the council?—”
“The council is a depraved, twisted version of what it once was. The Warlock Council is so corrupt that it regularly breaks its own laws to the point it warrants disbandment.” I hadn’t truly considered the idea until the words slipped through my lips.
“You have the best ideas, Niki,” Hikaru murmured into my ear, his warm breath sending shivers down my spine.
“I do, don’t I?” I leaned into Hikaru’s touch.
“Disgusting. You truly have no shame, Holland.” Alistair’s disapproval wasn’t an act. His displeasure dripped through every word and every scathing expression. “Here.” He shoved the envelope in my direction. “I am quite done with this conversation.”
“I’ll take that.” Hikaru snatched the envelope before I could reach for it. Alistair didn’t look happy that Hikaru had grabbed the envelope before me, but beyond a furious glance the kitsune’s direction, he said nothing.
“Good evening, Holland. I will enjoy being present at your sentencing and when Danzig binds your powers.”
Hikaru shifted in front of me, the envelope held loosely between two of his fingers. “And I’ll enjoy the moment Niki strips you of yours. You’ll be so much fun to play with while he’s dismantling the constraints on the magic you’ve forced into subservience.”
I couldn’t have hidden my shock if I’d tried. Eyes wide, I stared at Alistair. What Hikaru said couldn’t be true. It was…such a thing was beyond comprehension. Tampering with another warlock’s charms was bad enough. Constraining magic—forcing it to obey your will…that was beyond unthinkable.
I stood there, waiting for denials that never came. Instead, Alistair’s widened eyes narrowed, and a smug smirk tilted his lips. “That’s an interesting and rather inflammatory accusation, kitsune.”
“That’s the first thing you’ve gotten right tonight,” Hikaru calmly answered. “Interesting how you’re not denying it.” Hikaru’s arms crossed over his chest. Given his position, his tails flicked over my body with obvious agitation.
“Goodnight.” Without another word, Alistair got into his sportscar, revved the engine, and backed out of my drive onto the road.
The rumbling of the car engine faded as I stood there, blankly staring as my brain struggled to contemplate what I’d just heard. “That can’t be true.”
I wasn’t sure I spoke aloud until Hikaru answered, “It’s very true.”
“Dear Gaia, how could he?”
