Page 98 of Reckless Witch

“You have you familiar in your pocket.” It’s not a question.

Good. I’m asking the questions. “What evidence damned Grams?”

“You’ve seen the Shadow husks. You’ve seen the hole in her basement.”

“If that’s all you’ve got—”

“Remnants of Shadow magic are unmistakable,” he cuts in. “We detected Shadow magic long before she killed herself.”

“She didn’t kill herself,” I snap.

He angles his head. “Before she accidentally blew herself up.”

“I’m supposed to take your word?”

“Ethan and I have no more personal stake in Miriam’s guilt or innocence than does Blade.”

“The Illumina does.”

“We are not the Illumina.”

I snort. “The fuck you aren’t.”

Stony squeaks.

“Your familiar is to remain in your pocket and not interfere,” he says.

I flash a smile. “You have nothing to worry about—as long as you don’t threaten me.”

“I don’t make threats, Ms. Crowe.”

“You make promises.”

“You wouldn’t see me coming,” he says with such nonchalance that I know he’s not talking out his ass. But then, I never doubted his badassery.

He leans back in his chair. “You have never experienced the effects of using magic for personal gain?”

“Like casting a truth spell on someone to find out if they’re framing an old woman for treason?” I flash another smile.

His eyes flash. Yep. I got him.

“You muzzled a student your first day in class,” he says.

I shrug. “She—”

“—doesn’t like you,” he cuts in.

I wave a hand dismissively. “She didn’t like me before I muzzled her. Are you really telling me this is the lesson?”

“Are you really telling me you have never experienced ill effects from using magic for personal gain?” he counters.

“Everyone has,” I say. “For the record, I’m not an idiot. I don’t go around arbitrarily casting spells on people.”

He angles his head. “What do you use magic for?”

“Not that much.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”