“No!” I could smell the lie. “That is, I have nothing to say on the subject.” He cleared his throat, attempting to regain his composure.

I smirked, getting in his face by leaning forward and invading his personal space. My sensitive nose picked up the cold sweat erupting on his neck. “I suspect it came from the Northwest.”

Panic flashed in his eyes, confirmation enough for the moment.

“Perhaps from the town of Wacoma?” Iannis asked softly.

Dr. Mitas jerked. “Why are you asking me, if you already know?”

“Have you ever been there personally?” I followed up.

“No.” He sullenly glared at me.

“Truth,” I told Iannis. Aloud, I said, “But you know what is being produced there, and for what purpose?”

Though he did not reply out loud, it was easy for me to read him. “He knows,” I told Iannis, out loud. “Does it not trouble your conscience as a medical man, Dr. Mitas, to be involved in wholesale killing? I would not want to be one of your patients, if you are so careless of human life.”

He bridled at the accusation. “My patients are human. I do not consider mages or shifters to fall under my medical oath. My loyalty is to humanity, and I’m proud of my allegiance to the Resistance.”

Ha! It looked like the dam was finally breaking.

“The Resistance?” I jeered, curling my lip at him. “I hate to break it to you, but you’ve chosen the losing side, buddy. Now that the Benefactor is in our custody, your cause is doomed. I’m sure she would have no qualms about selling out her comrades in order to lessen her sentence.”

“Pah!” The doctor looked down his nose at me, which was an impressive feat considering he was an inch shorter. “The Benefactor is far more clever than either of you could hope to be. Our cause will triumph with or without her.” The firm conviction in his tone sent a shiver down my spine, but I kept my posture relaxed, determined not to let him see the effect his dire prediction had on me.

“And without you as well, it looks like,” I said, arching my eyebrows. His shoulders slumped slightly at the reminder. I was pretty sure he would receive the death penalty for his role in nearly assassinating the highest official of the mage government.

“Yes, it is too bad I probably won’t see it,” the doctor admitted. “But I am not the only specialist working for the human race.” He bared his teeth in a savage smile. “I was looking forward to the pleasure of administering diseases to all the mages in Dara.”

“All of them?” I asked, hiding my horror. “You mean at once?”