“Not a clue. I remember taking the drink, and I remember waking up two days later. In Ontario. Wearing a nineteenth century Mountie uniform. Everything else is a bit of a blur.”

“None of this makes me want to let you anywhere near my daughter.” His chuckle was short-lived. “There’s more you’re not telling me.”

I sat down with my back against the wall. He followed suit a moment later. “It’s something Alexander Keeler said during the hearing in D.C.”

“Keeler’s the guy who wants to license and regulate magic, right? The one with the face of a hairless cat with epic constipation?”

“Oh, great. Now I’ll never be able to look at him without seeing that image.” I nodded to a passing nurse. “They’re not wrong to be cautious. New Millennium could change things. Really change things, I mean. Magic can’t fix everything, but it could make the world so much better. It could also do unimaginable damage. That’s one of the reasons we’ve had to move so slowly.”

“What kind of damage?” Toby glanced over his shoulder at Lex’s door.

“Nothing that could hurt Lex.” I hesitated. “But her being here doesn’t make sense. You know the Porters and New Millennium are fighting hard for public support, right? We can’t afford any kind of taint or scandal. So why sign off on bringing the Director of Research’s niece into the medical study?” Whatever I might think of Senator Keeler and his committee, the man had a point about favoritism and the potential bias to our research.

“I figured it was because most people didn’t feel safe enough to volunteer.”

I shook my head. “We can cure cancer, Toby. Plenty of people are desperate enough to try anything, even magic.”

Toby wasn’t stupid. I could see him sifting through the implications. “Could be someone did it so you’d owe them. They want to call in a favor down the line.”

“Maybe.”

“Or they want to use her against you somehow. Isaac, I swear to God, if you’ve put Lex in danger—”

“Let me look her over. I’ll be able to tell whether anyone has used additional magic on her. Or you and Angie.” I peered at him over my glasses. “You’re clean.”

“What kind of additional magic?”

I looked away. “When I was working as a field agent, I once installed a magical bomb in a vampire’s skull to keep him from preying on humans.”

“Jesus H. Christ.” His hands started to shake. “If they did something like that to Lex, can you fix it?”

“Yes. It’s probably nothing, Toby. I just need to be sure.”

“What if it’s not nothing? What if someone tries to use us for leverage?”

“Then I’ll make them wish they hadn’t.”

“Look at you, getting all badass.” His words trailed off. “Damn. You’re serious, aren’t you?”