Though if she had to bond to a wizard… He shook off the immediate rage at that prospect, making himself listen to Asa’s instructions.

“We’ve all had our magic tapped since we were children,” Asa was explaining, “so, when we manifest as wizards, we know what that feels like in general. It’s not much of a leap to reverse the process. But I imagine no one ever tapped your magic, so you don’t know how it feels. Therefore—”

“Wait,” Gabriel interrupted. “Wizards can be tapped for magic, too? Just like familiars?”

Asa’s brows drew together. “Well, a wizard doesn’t have to be tapped. We can use our own magic.”

“But they can be tapped,” Gabriel persisted.

“Before we manifest as wizard or familiar, we are all uncategorized,” Asa said. “Uncats, we call them at Convocation Academy, and it’s considered healthy to tap that magic regularly.”

“Also, why leave all that magic unused?” Nic put in sardonically, surprising him. Usually she said nothing unless spoken to when she was playing obedient familiar in company. She met his gaze with an opaque glitter to her eyes. She was worried about him, so he gave her a reassuring smile—which she met with rolled eyes.

“But there’s no reason a wizard couldn’t tap another wizard’s magic,” Gabriel said to Asa. “I could, for example, tap your magic and use it.”

Asa stiffened, clearly outraged. “It would be a kind of rape,” he retorted. “An extreme violence against another wizard.”

“Then why isn’t it a kind of rape and extreme violence to tap a familiar’s magic?” Gabriel demanded.

“Because familiars are willing!” Asa retorted.

“Are they?”

“Yes, because they need us.” Asa gestured angrily at Selly. “You may be a stubborn iconoclast, Lord Phel, but even you cannot deny this extremely distressing example of the ravages of untapped magic.”

“I cannot.” Gabriel smoothed Selly’s forehead again. “But I’m putting to you that a person needing something so desperately that it puts them in your power is not exactly the definition of willingness.”

Asa glared at Nic, making Gabriel wonder what had transpired between them. “The pair of you…” He didn’t finish, shaking his head.

“Indeed,” Jadren drawled. “Quite the baby rebellion brewing in House Phel.”

Gabriel should’ve been aware of the El-Adrel wizard’s arrival. Would’ve been, if he hadn’t been so caught up in fretting over Selly. He should’ve put up the wards already. “Did I summon you?” he asked Jadren drily, not bothering to temper his tone. Sometimes Nic’s advice to play arrogant and brooding wizard-lord came in handy.

Jadren, however, remained undaunted, grinning cheekily at him. “A little birdie told me there was interesting wizarding afoot.” He stepped up on Selly’s other side, studying her with interest. “I’m here to learn, aren’t I? So here I am.”

“Fine,” Gabriel said, surprising everyone, including himself. He’d agreed before he knew he was going to say the words. That wizard’s intuition, perhaps. He pointed a stern finger at Jadren to make up for it, allowing a bit of sharp silver magic to leak through. “Be seen, not heard or felt.”