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“She’s obviously trying to get to me through you.” Gabriel unzipped his coat with one long motion and shoved it onto the antique rack next to the door with such force that it wobbled on its uneven feet. “I don’t know how she knows of the connection. But we believe she’s been tracking your movements with this.” Gabriel slid something out of his pocket and held it up. Iris gasped and Blair’s eyes widened as Gabriel dropped Lucy’s ring into his palm. “She must have stolen it from you during one of your meetings.”

Iris felt Blair’s hand tremble in hers. She gripped it tighter, scooting closer to him.

“She seemed so normal,” he said, closing his fist around the ring. “I should have been able to tell. I should never have—” his voice broke, and he stared into the distance, his expression bitter.

Iris rubbed Blair’s back, feeling the tension in his muscles. After everything he had been through… His trust issues were bad enough without adding this to the mix.

“Why didn’t you know she was in the area?” Gabriel spat at Clement. He dropped into the chair next to him, his hands so tightly clasped Iris worried his bones might snap.

An uncharacteristic frown darkened Clement’s face. “She slipped past my defenses. I’m sorry, Gabriel. I don’t understand it myself.”

“Clement’s job is to track Similars in the area and make sure they don’t cause disturbances,” Iris whispered to Blair. He drew in a sharp breath, and Iris didn’t have to guess why; he must have realized the close tabs that Clement had been keeping on him since he’d arrived in Vitford.

“And you speak to me of incompetence,” Gabriel said darkly.

“Need I remind you, Gabriel, that the only reason I took this position was to protect you from your past? Do not forget the sacrifices I’ve made on your behalf.”

“You took the position to redeem yourself in the eyes of the council, don’t kid yourself⁠—”

“I took the position to save you from your own sins! And now you treat me like an ant to be trodden on. Everything that has happened—the witch’s appearance—is on you, my friend. On your cowardice. Any blood spilt is on your hands, and yours alone.”

“Why would you want to help a wretch like me, then?”

“Because you are the family I’ve chosen, and blood is thicker than water. I will always fight for you, even when you don’t deserve it. Which, let’s face it, you rarely do.”

Iris’ mind reeled as she attempted to commit their words to memory with the desperation of one collecting rainwater in a drought. Gabriel scowled as he stood up and strode into the kitchen.

“Where are you going?” Clement demanded, trailing after him as Iris and Blair leaned over the back of the couch to watch.

Gabriel swore as he knocked into one of Blair’s remaining glass beakers cluttering the counter. He reached for the kettle, slamming it onto the stovetop as he twisted the dial. “I’m making some tea.”

“Is now really the moment?”

“You know, if I’m such a bother to you, perhaps you should just leave me to my fate.”

“I’d like to. Unfortunately, it’s not your fate I’m concerned about.”

This was an odd comment. Iris tucked it away, wishing she had her journal so she could jot everything down like a natural disaster reporter.

“Do you realize how often I’ve had to defend you to the council to keep them from pursuing you, Gabriel?” Clement’s voice lowered. “Do you know what they call me when they think I’m not around to hear their slander? They say I’m a traitor for remaining loyal to a warlock, a man who wreaked havoc and then fled for a quiet life, leaving everyone else to clean up his mess.”

“Well, they haven’t managed to do that, have they?” Gabriel retorted.

Clement ignored him, plucking a piece of lint off his jacket before continuing with his back to Iris and Blair. “I believed, foolishly, that a quiet life meant you would no longer be making the kinds of mistakes that led you here, but”—he lifted his arms into the air and let them fall to his sides—“here we are.”

“What recent mistakes have I made, exactly?” Gabriel asked, his voice a low hiss.

Clement’s reply was so quiet that Iris couldn’t make out the words. She strained her ears, determined to understand⁠—

The front door closed with a heavy thud, making Iris jump. She’s been so focused on listening to Gabriel and Clement’s altercation, she hadn’t realized that Blair had moved from his spot next to her. She shoved on her boots and trailed him outside.

The outdoor lantern glowed softly against the darkening sky. Blair stood with his hands curled around the chipped violet-painted fence and faced the rose bushes, their dead petals scattered across the snow like shrapnel. Iris stumbled down the porch steps, wrapping her arms around herself as she went to stand beside him. She reached up to put her hand on his shoulder, but he sidestepped her, his face in partial darkness.

“I should go.”

Iris’ heart skipped. “What?”

Blair swallowed, looking away from her. “You know what Clement’s telling Gabriel in there, don’t you? The mistake Gabriel made was in letting me stay. Ever since I came here, I’ve done nothing but cause trouble for you both. I’m not worth it.”