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I held up my hand. “No. Nope. Don’t even try to defend him, Kage. We’re not going down that road. He was the one behind it all. None of it would have happened if it weren’t for Rodriguez.”

A nagging part of me said that in that case, Marcus and Catherine might have found the Dragon Court empty—which would have made their plan much easier to carry out. But so what? It wasn’t as if we’d actually stopped them just by being there. No, we’d lost more than we’d gained that night.

“I’ll make the vow,” I said.

Was it my imagination, or did the cool, calm, and collected Avari look slightly relieved? I wondered what his grandmother would say if she knew he’d used his powers in front of all of us. “But …”

Kage stepped towards me. He bared his teeth. “But?”

I refused to flinch. But the gesture did remind me of just what kind of a creature I was dealing with. I made myself smile as if I didn’t care. “But you’ll make one to me, too, House Leader. You owe me. Not just my life. The way I see it, I have a favor to call in. And when I call, you’d best come running.”

He gave a tight nod. “Fine.”

A knife appeared in Kage’s hand. He slid it across his palm, and I watched the blood well up. Fucking entitled highbloods: Kage would probably heal within minutes. As a half-fae, I’d heal quickly too—but my palm would be stinging all night as I tried to hold a quill.

I stretched my hand out before he could reach for it and let him lower the knife. Then our palms met. I could feel the blood mingling, Avari blood mixed with Pendragon.

“Is this supposed to be magical or something?” I asked, looking skeptically down at our hands.

Kage pulled away. “Of course. It’s a Blood Vow. It has a weight of power behind it.”

I shrugged. “If you say so.”

“It’s binding, I assure you,” he said shortly. “Just because you don’t feel it, doesn’t mean it’s not there.”

“It?”

He grinned wolfishly. “We’re connected, Medra.”

“You’re protected, you mean,” I snapped. “Just don’t forget the vow works both ways. You owe me. No matter what I ask of you, you have to give it.” Before Kage could reply, I slipped down the hall—using some of that rider speed I so rarely displayed openly. I let out a breath. Had I been bluffing? Honestly, even I wasn’t sure I knew the answer to that. But having Kage owe me a favor couldn’t be a bad thing, could it?

Unless it makes him want to eliminate you altogether, you stupid girl. I could almost hear my mother’s voice in my head.

I sighed. Regan. Rodriguez. Kage. The Bloodguard assholes in the hallway. This had already been an exhausting day. And it wasn’t over yet.

By the time I got to my destination, classes were over. The last person I expected to see waiting outside Jia Shen’s suite of rooms was Rodriguez.

“Not you again,” I growled, narrowing my eyes.

Rodriguez had cleaned himself up a bit since earlier in the day. He’d shaved and no longer smelled like a cheap bottle of liquor. He was even wearing a clean shirt. For a moment we just stood glaring at each other.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I finally said.

“In case you’ve forgotten, Miss Pendragon,” he replied coldly, “I’m a faculty member at this school. I can come and go where I please. And if I choose to visit one of my students because she’s missed a class, just how is that any of your business?”

“Haven’t you done enough?” I said bitterly.

“I saved your friend’s life. Some might say that was a reason for gratitude.”

“Tell me, has she thanked you yet?”

“Librarian Shen has been extremely grateful, in fact, yes.”

“Not her, you idiot. Florence. Has Florence thanked you?”

He pressed his lips together and didn’t answer.

“I didn’t think so.” But I didn’t feel victorious.