Mrs. Erickson, being Mrs. Erickson, was now worried. For Kaylin, of course. Kaylin could see the patina of guilt shift the old woman’s expression. She struggled to remember that Mrs. Erickson, not Kaylin herself, lived here; Mrs. Erickson—not Kaylin—would have to deal with the consequences of this man’s displeasure. Yes, there were Hawks and there were laws, but so far no laws had been made that made being an unpleasant waste of space illegal.

And there were laws on the books that made decking a jerk a crime. A minor crime. Which Hawks weren’t supposed to commit.

“I said, I asked you a question,” the aforementioned jerk said, in a much lower tone. He stepped forward, hand raised, as if he intended to grab Kaylin’s arm or shoulder. Or worse, grab the familiar that rested on one of them.

Kaylin was fine with this. Neither Hope nor Kaylin could be hurt by this man without very bad luck on their part. But Mrs. Erickson could. Kaylin wondered if part of the reason the old woman made the daily trek to the Halls of Law was the temporary safety provided by the presence of so many Hawks.

None of the other Hawks had mentioned the neighbor, not even the ones who had gone to Mrs. Erickson’s to check up on her when she failed to show up for her daily incursion. But those Hawks had probably come during business hours, as it were; they had come in pairs.

And Kaylin was admittedly not the largest or most instantly intimidating of the Hawks. Maybe he felt safe, stepping closer so he could loom over both of them. Maybe he thought his presence enough of a threat that Kaylin would buckle and fold, just as Mrs. Erickson—an older, frailer woman—clearly did.

She had daggers.

She drew her baton instead. “And I said I heard you. Unless you’re in front of the Imperial Court or the Emperor himself, failing to answer questions isn’t a crime.”

The man’s brows—streaked gray—rose; his skin darkened. “Is this how you were taught to show respect?”

“I was taught,” Kaylin replied, “that respect is earned.”

The man raised an arm. Kaylin was ready for him.

What she wasn’t ready for was Mrs. Erickson, who stepped between Kaylin and the large, odious man, although the space between them had closed enough, her back bumped into Kaylin.

“She’s a new Hawk,” she told the neighbor. “She’s young.”

“She knows the law,” Kaylin said, voice lower; she had to look over Mrs. Erickson’s shoulder. “If you hit Mrs. Erickson, the one who’ll be visiting the Halls is you. If you hit me, your visit will be much longer.” She reached out with her free hand and attempted to move Mrs. Erickson safely out of the way.

Mrs. Erickson’s determination was greater than her slight weight implied; she didn’t budge.