“That was before you discovered true love,” she informed him archly.

“Is that so?” He paused outside the open doors to the dining hall, just out of sight of the occupants, and feathered gentle fingers over her cheek.

“Yes.” She kissed those fingers, the callused hands of a working man and sword-wielder. “Just as Lyndella softened Sylus, turning him from raging wizard to gentle lover, I am transforming you.”

“Sylus needed transforming,” Gabriel noted with a grimace. “The guy was a serious ass.”

That Gabriel had taken to reading her favorite wizard–familiar romantic epic meant everything to Nic. She patted his cheek. “He was only a bit broody and misunderstood. Our love story shall be equally epic.”

“Without the tragic ending,” he cautioned her.

“Only happiness for us,” she agreed. “After a suitable set of hardships.” A raucous laugh rang out of the dining hall, followed by the clatter of something breaking.

Gabriel winced. “Speaking of which…”

“Let us brave the enemy,” she declared, pumping her fist into the air.

This time, when he laughed at her, it came from the heart.

~ 4 ~

Gabriel observed the crowd of wizards and familiars lining the long dining table, grimly wondering exactly how his life had come to this. Though Nic had done a considerable amount to lighten his heart, he couldn’t get his mother’s words out of his mind. I don’t even recognize him. All I see is a monster. I lost my son to your magic.

It didn’t help that the cursed proctor had been invited to join them at dinner. Nic no doubt had some reason for including the woman that had to do with convoluted Convocation social etiquette, but he didn’t much care to dine with the enemy. Nic, seated to his left, set her hand on his thigh under the table. “Your magic is getting all spiky,” she murmured under her breath. “You might reel it back a bit.”

He’d like to send a silver spike through that proctor’s forehead, but he took his wife’s point, along with a deep breath, and turned his attention away. Unfortunately, that meant it lit on Jadren El-Adrel, seated on his other side. Apparently Nic had given up leaving the seat open for Selly, no doubt since everyone had witnessed Selly’s insanity—or had heard about it by now, if they weren’t there—and had also decided that Jadren’s rank put him at Gabriel’s right hand.

He had no idea when Nic had found the opportunity to alter the seating arrangements, but he also had no doubt she was behind it. When his step had faltered at seeing the irascible El-Adrel scion at the chair next to his own, Nic had simply given him a serene smile, her green eyes full of warning.

Fine, then. Fortunately, the man seemed equally uninterested in idle chatter, focusing on eating with single-minded intensity. Unfortunately, that didn’t last.

“You don’t lay much of a table, Lord Phel,” Jadren commented, pushing his empty plate away. It was as clean as if a dog had licked it.