“Yes, sir,” Rylan said, saluting, and I forced myself not to grit my teeth. Bitching about this wasn’t going to handle the situation—finding the traitor was.

“So what can we do to smoke this bastard out?” I asked as we stopped in front of my bedroom door. Rylan’s room was right across the hall—as my bodyguard, he would remain close at all times. Luckily, my room was warded, so it wasn’t necessary that he sleep inside.

“I suggest you assist Fenris with questioning the list of suspects he’s gathered,” Iannis said.

“You mean the people who went missing?” I asked, frowning.

“No,” Iannis said dryly. “He made a list of all the Palace staff who were not on duty the night you were attacked, but who were on duty the day before. Most likely, the attacker simply stayed behind after the end of his shift.”

“Gotcha.” That was smart. Somewhere in there, we might find a connection to the spy, or even the real spy himself. “What do you think?” I asked, turning to my cousin with a grin. “You up for a little sleuthing tomorrow?”

“I’ll do anything to avoid having to put myself between your body and another incendiary device,” Rylan said. He gave me a quick, firm hug, and I smiled, happy we’d moved past our differences. “If I get up tomorrow morning and find out that you’re dead, I’ll bring you back to life, just so I can kill you myself.”

“Love you too,” I said with a laugh as I disentangled myself from his arms. And with no one else around to see us, I took Iannis’s hand and allowed him to lead me into the safety of his bedroom, and ultimately, his arms.

25

I was up bright and early the next morning, full of energy and ready to track down the traitor. Rylan was a little grumpy about being dragged out of bed before nine, but the idea of getting breakfast while it was still hot was appealing to him, so he dressed and showered quickly before heading down to the dining hall with me.

I had hoped to find Fenris sitting in his usual spot near the buffet tables, but he wasn’t there. I scanned the rows of wooden tables, filled with mages who chose to get their breakfast here rather than at home before starting work at the Guild. No sign of him at all.

“Maybe he’s sleeping in,” Rylan suggested as he wolfed down his third plate of bacon and eggs. “You know, like any self-respecting shifter would be.”