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I stared at him. “Hell no. But then, I’m also not surprised. Viktor has a lot of secrets up his sleeve. None of them fucking good ones.” I thought of something. “So Nyxaris knew where she was? Florence, I mean.”

Kage nodded. “Apparently. He seems … rather possessive.”

“Something you and I wouldn’t know a thing about,” I deadpanned.

Kage ignored me. “You’ve heard about the new school rules?”

“I know House Leaders weren’t consulted. Are you as pissed about that as I am?” I chuckled. “Not that I expected Regan to be a great headmistress.”

“I assume these rules came straight from your uncle’s lips,” Kage pointed out. “I doubt they were her idea.”

I scowled. “Curfews for blightborn. A blood donation program with perks? That sounds a lot like the Regan I know.”

“The point is they’re being implemented. I’ve already had to shut down altercations in my own common room.” His lips thinned. “Blightborn students are scared.”

“Understandably so.” I leaned forward. “We’ll each protect our own.”

Kage nodded. “That goes without saying.”

“We should speak to Lysander about this. But I have no doubt he’ll be with us.”

Look at the two of us, I thought. Consulting like real leaders. Then I felt a chill. Not consulting. Conspiring. Talking about protecting blightborn instead of going along with Regan’s new bigotry? It went against what most highbloods believed. But if anything seemed amiss to Kage, he didn’t show it. Maybe things were different in his house. Or maybe the Avari just wanted blightborn protected because they were more complacent the safer they felt. Easier to control.

“Lysander will protect Orphos,” he agreed. “He’s always been a forward thinker. But Mortis still has no House Leader. Not since Catherine … disappeared.”

I frowned. “I’ve noticed Mortis is where Regan’s been finding some of her best enforcers.”

“I’ve noticed the same. Catherine wasn’t quite who we thought she was.”

“No, she wasn’t,” I agreed. I’d always thought Drakharrow was the strongest house—and perhaps the cruelest. But Mortis was coming up as a strong contender. “I’ve heard some things.”

“We’ve probably heard the same things. But we’re not here to discuss Mortis today. That house isn’t our responsibility.”

I sighed. So that’s how Kage wanted to play it? I supposed that was fair. We did have enough to worry about. “Speaking of protecting those in our own houses,” I said, “you do realize Florence Shen is vulnerable now, more than Pendragon ever was? If Viktor wants a soul-bound rider, she’s his new target.”

Kage nodded. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Shockingly, I might be. I’ll talk to Pendragon. Explain the danger. Get her to talk to Florence. If that doesn’t work …”

“Then I’ll talk to the girl myself,” Kage finished. He shook his head. “You know, it was strange, Drakharrow, watching Nyxaris with his new rider today. Like watching a courtship unfold between a girl and a volcano.”

“Courtship?” I wrinkled my nose. “I wouldn’t have called it that when Pendragon was involved.”

“Well, Nyxaris never actually bonded to Medra,” Kage pointed out.

I ignored the fact he’d used her first name—as if he were her friend. “Good point,” I forced myself to say.

Kage smiled slightly. “Now, why are you really here? Is it to ask my permission this time?”

My hackles rose. “Permission?”

“Oh, you thought I didn’t notice?” Kage’s eyes narrowed. “How cute. You’re fast for a highblood. But you’re not exactly subtle.”

So he knew I’d been sneaking into Pendragon’s room. I hid a smirk; I guess we had made a fair bit of noise. At least Kage hadn’t made a big deal about it. Not yet. I sighed, sinking back into the chair. “Look, I didn’t come here to fight.”

“A pity,” Kage murmured. “But I suppose I am a bit tired.”

I ignored him. “You once said that if I survived my … transformation, I should come see you. That you could help me.”