‘‘Why does no one ever use doors to exit rooms?’’ I grumbled, moving over to the window to examine it. It was pushed down, but not latched from the inside. Sure enough, there was a footprint on the windowsill. ‘‘Looks like we’re going out onto the fire escape.’’

‘‘I hate to contradict a lady, but alas, there are times when duty must take precedence over manners,’’ a voice said from behind me.

I spun around to find Savian the thief taker in the doorway. His gaze swept around the room, pausing on the body of Porter for a moment before continuing its perusal. ‘‘I see you’ve had a bit of excitement, Mei Ling. Why don’t you step out of the shadows so we can have a little chat about it.’’

I froze. Although it was daytime, the room was dark enough that unless I moved, Savian wouldn’t see me.

Before I could think of how to respond, he leaped across the room, straight for the window . . . and me.

‘‘What’s this? Leaving? You wound me, Mei Ling, you truly do,’’ he said, grabbing at me. This close, he could no doubt see a shadowy image of me. ‘‘I thought we had something special between us.’’

I deshadowed, snarling something rude under my breath as I jerked my arm away from him.

‘‘Take your hands off my mate!’’ Gabriel bellowed. He rushed at Savian, forgot he was insubstantial, and zipped right through the thief taker.

Savian looked momentarily disconcerted. ‘‘What was that?’’

‘‘I am not a what!’’ Gabriel snapped, stalking over to Savian to stand before him, glaring. ‘‘I am the silver wyvern, and you have just touched my mate.’’

I raised my eyebrows a smidgen at Gabriel’s show of possession. For some reason, it amused rather than annoyed me. ‘‘I didn’t know you were so volatile when it concerned me.’’

‘‘Volatile?’’ Savian repeated the word, his brows scrunching up together. ‘‘Was that intended to be a compliment about my virility?’’

My gaze shifted from Gabriel to his. ‘‘You can’t hear him?’’

‘‘Hear who?’’ Savian asked.

I looked back to Gabriel. ‘‘How can I hear you if he can’t?’’

‘‘You are my mate. He is not,’’ he answered with a growl, his eyes burning as they fixed on Savian. ‘‘Who is this man?’’

‘‘Savian the thief taker, meet Gabriel Tauhou, wyvern of the silver dragon sept,’’ I said, gesturing toward Gabriel. ‘‘Don’t let the fact that you can’t see or hear Gabriel confuse you—he’s in the shadow world, but he’s very much here. Er . . . sort of.’’

Savian’s gaze rested on me with speculation. ‘‘A dragon in the beyond? Didn’t know it could happen.’’

‘‘This seems to be the day for impossible things,’’ I said, crossing my arms tightly. ‘‘What is it you want? Other than to haul me back to the committee, that is?’’