“Our job,” said Leander’s father with frosty precision, “was to aid the mayor of Hapthorn, as requested, in removing the unnatural menace from his doorstep. However, as Hapthorn’s new mayor has recklessly invited the unnatural into his own household, I see no further benefits to be reaped by our professional involvement. I shall be informing the Council that this town is a lost cause.”

“But don’t you see?” Nancy frantically shook his arm. “He won’t even be the mayor if you just order those soldiers to—”

“To...?” His eyebrows rose. “Madam, are you seriously suggesting that I order Larimont city guards to attack residents of a separate town without the instruction or agreement of that town’s own mayor? Do you have any idea what the political ramifications of such an illegal act would be across the country?”

“But we can still change mayors back! If you just use those special machines of yours on the ones who shouldn’t have been allowed to vote in the first place, then—”

“Excuse me.” Uriah was suddenly looming behind his sister-in-law, looking intensely weary but with his arms firmly crossed. He was flanked by Dad and a growing group of other residents from both within and without the town walls. “Everyone here had a right to vote, by law. So if anyone tries to use those weapons against unnaturals that you brought here from Larimont, they’ll be smashed by those of us who aren’t affected by them, and everyone in the country will be hearing afterwards about exactly what Larimont tried to get away with!”

“No one with any sense could imagine otherwise,” said Leander’s father.

Nancy’s jaw worked. “But—”

Mr. Forbes shook his head heavily in judgment. “This has been a deeply disappointing visit.”

His wife raised her chin. “Fortunately, we have many more receptive towns waiting right now for our expertise and assistance. So, if you’ll excuse us—”

“Actually, we won’t. Not this time. Never again.” Leander’s chest rose and fell in one deep breath, safely hidden from the others behind my back. Then his arms fell away from me. Instinctively, I reached out to keep him behind me—but then I forced myself to stop.

Allies fought by each other’s sides, but they didn’t steal each other’s battles.

As my fiancé stepped forward, he drew a mantle of power and authority across his velvet-jacketed shoulders that rang through his voice. “I am finished with excusing both of you.”

Earlier, his voice had been cool and defiant. Now it rang with power, and the earth beneath us shuddered with its impact, every remnant of the distant past twisting and turning in the deep soil.

“Do you really think this is the time for one of your childish outbursts?” his father snapped.