“Endless,” he repeated. “But better now that you’re here. I’m hopeful time will resume it’s normal pace and cease crawling like honey in a cold snap.”

“You and your farmer’s metaphors.” She laughed softly and kissed him, then disentangled herself. “So, I did a thing. Without consulting you.”

Intrigued, he leaned back against his desk and crossed his ankles, watching her move gracefully to retrieve her box of papers and set them on her desk, efficiently ordering them into piles. “Is that why you knocked?”

She sniffed. “I was being polite.”

“You don’t have to knock.”

She rolled her eyes. “Fine.”

“You also don’t need to consult me about whatever thing you did.”

“I know that’s what you intend, which is why I did it.” She took a deep breath and met his gaze. “It still feels… wrong.”

“That’s Convocation conditioning speaking.”

“I know, I know.” She waved a hand in irritation. “But sometimes it speaks really loudly. Anyway, I agreed to let Alise stay on, as a wizard of Elal magic, pending her signing the contract with you.”

Gabriel felt his eyebrows climbing in surprise. “I didn’t expect that.”

She studied him. “Are you annoyed? I left room for you to back out of the agreement. Alise signed the NDA.” Nic held up the document in demonstration, bringing it to him. “And she knows she has to pass muster with you first.”

“I’m not annoyed.” Gabriel took the NDA without reading and tossed it onto one of his own piles, then caught Nic’s hand, cupping it in his as he searched her face. “It’s a fair change, however, since a few hours ago when you wanted to send her straight back to the academy.”

“Yes, well, we talked. And I’m frankly as surprised as you are, but she asked to stay and made a good argument for it. I didn’t want to refuse her, especially as we could absolutely use Elal wizardry, and the odds of obtaining that assistance from any other avenue looks decidedly grim. It was really the most practical decision.”

Gabriel nodded, managing to squelch a smile at her raft of excuses. Nic would probably forever cast her decisions as practical, even when—or perhaps especially when—they came from the depths of the very soft heart she liked to pretend she didn’t have. “I’m sure the decision is eminently practical,” he replied, adding quickly when she narrowed her eyes at him. “And your sister is, of course, welcome here as long as she likes, even without an interview. She’s family.”

She sighed, heartfelt, shaking her head. “I knew that’s what you’d say. She wants to help with the wedding.”

“Even better. It’s good for you to have your family with you, Nic. I would never go against that.”

“My soft-hearted wizard.” She laid her free hand against his cheek, then she patted it, just shy of stinging enough to be a slap. “But you will interview her. Ask her the hard questions.”

He considered that. “Clearly you know Convocation etiquette far better than I, but I’m wondering—is it not a problem that Alise is your father’s heir?”