“Michael?” I said, confused. Next to me, I could feel David tense, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw that he was sitting up straighter in his chair now.

“I believe you knew him as ‘Dr. DuPont’?” Alexander’s manner was still casual as he tugged at his cuffs, but there was a hard glint in his eyes.

Oh, right. The history teacher turned assassin who I’d killed. I glanced at Ryan. He’d heard the story—I’d told him everything once he became the Mage—but I knew this was the part he still had a hard time with. It had to be weird, knowing your ex-girlfriend killed somebody, even if it was in self-defense. But he was still watching Alexander, a wrinkle between his auburn brows, his leg jiggling up and down.

Alexander continued, “We don’t doubt your Paladin... prowess, Miss Price. But you have not yet earned the right to call yourself by that name.”

I didn’t like the sound of that one bit, and I crossed one knee over the other as I leaned in toward Alexander. “I gave up a lot to protect David. I lost my best friend, I lied to my family, and I watched a woman I loved and admired die right in front of me. So don’t tell me I haven’t earned being a Paladin. I’ve more than earned it, buddy.”

“Hear, hear,” David muttered next to me, and I felt his hand land on mine on the arm of my chair. I glanced over long enough to smile at him, and across the desk, Alexander sat back in his chair.

“So,” he said, nodding at our joined hands, “is that how things are?”

I jerked my hand out from underneath David’s, although I couldn’t have said why. It was like... I didn’t want this guy knowing about us. But obviously, it was too late for that.

David shot me a glance that was either pissed or wounded or both before facing Alexander. “What¸ is that not allowed?”

Alexander gave an elegant shrug, still kicked back in his chair. “It’s not officially against any rule I’ve heard of. But it’s never been an issue in the past.”

Curiosity got the best of me, and I shifted in my seat. “Why?”

Drumming his fingers on the arm of his chair, Alexander looked up, like he was trying to think of the right words. “Oracles are usually very... dedicated to their duties. Having constant visions leaves little time for personal relationships.”

I thought of how David was when he was in the grips of a vision. I couldn’t imagine him being like that all the time. I didn’t want to.

When I looked over at David, his face was almost blank, his eyes fixed straight ahead. His foot was bouncing, which meant that he was thinking hard, but about what?