Page 48 of Rogue Familiar

“You captained,” Asa conceded with a nod. “Quinn, you won the mock trial championship?”

“In trademark law,” she replied, blushing faintly at the attention. “A lot of this stuff is beyond me.”

“I bet that’s not true,” Wolfgang told her warmly.

“I’m regretting I didn’t join the debate or mock trial teams,” Alise said ruefully, then cocked her head at Nic. “You didn’t either, did you?”

Nic snorted. “Extracurriculars? Of course not, for the same reason you didn’t. Lord Elal wouldn’t stomach his heirs wasting their time on clubs. Those are for people with nothing better to think about!” She deepened her voice and waved her arms in red-faced bluster in what she knew was a devastatingly accurate mimicry of her father, even before she’d reduced Alise to tears of laughter. “Apologies,” Nic said to the rest of the group, abruptly aware that she wasn’t behaving as befit a lady of a High House. “Kind of an inside, family joke, I guess.”

“There are few in the Convocation who haven’t encountered Lord Elal in some capacity or other,” Asa remarked drily. “The imitation was uncannily accurate.”

“My championship ability, apparently. Who needs extracurriculars?” Nic quipped, making everyone laugh. Again this feeling of camaraderie, of family—in a way she’d never felt with her actual family. Alise caught her eye with a half smile. Not the only one to observe this feeling then.

“Well, that and being the most powerful familiar in the Convocation,” Quinn put in, rolling her eyes, “plus being bonded to possibly the most powerful wizard in the Convocation. You are an undefeatable pairing.”

“Unless we’re defeated before we barely begin,” Nic said, gesturing to the documents. “Is it as bad as I think?”

“Probably,” Wolfgang acknowledged. “You are no fool Lady Phel and, lack of extracurriculars notwithstanding, Elals have a reputation for canniness in these arenas. What we have here is—” He broke off at the same moment that Nic sensed Gabriel enter the study hall in a swirl of silver moonlight and deep, still waters.

Good. He’d calmed down somewhat. Nic had hoped that making him concentrate on training the water-wizards would focus his attention on what he could control. She studied him as he crossed the room, devastatingly handsome with his white hair blazing, elegant black coat flaring back to frame his broad shoulders and lean waist, delineated by the fitted Ophiel suit, also in black, and worked with silver embroidery. His dark eyes fixed on hers with an intent smolder, even as he courteously acknowledged the greetings of the people he passed, accepting their bows and curtseys with all the inherent grace and arrogance of any of the natural-born nobility.

Gabriel might still see himself as a humble farmer, but the magic had changed him. So had taking his rightful place as Lord Phel. Just as the house seemed to be restoring itself according to a pattern set by the Phel ancestors, Gabriel himself seemed to be maturing, fleshing out into the fully powerful wizard and leader where before there had been only the promise of it. Nic shivered inside, feeling the leap of answering passion elicited by her wizard’s clearly prurient thoughts. Perhaps tonight would be an arcanium night.

As if he’d divined her thoughts, Gabriel gave her a slow, wicked smile, the sounds of conversation and birdsong resuming as Wolfgang dropped the wards. They all stood to acknowledge the lord’s arrival, Nic smiling to herself at Gabriel’s discomfort. Not all the way to noblesse oblige then.

“Let me get you a chair, Lord Phel,” Quinn said, but Gabriel stopped her with a hand, which he then extended to Nic, drawing her to her feet as he took her chair, then settled her comfortably in his lap.

“No need,” Gabriel replied smoothly as his hand followed the narrow of her waist and round of her hip, snugging her a bit closer against his groin and chest. His magic sipped at hers, a refined touch that spoke of his practicing. It was more of a chaste kiss of affection, a taste of her magic, than any replenishing. “I can listen and avail myself of my familiar at the same time.”

Nic’s ardent reaction to that remark, particularly him referring to her as his familiar—something normally confined to sexual intimacy—was probably less discreet. Certainly Gabriel sensed it through their bond, and the press of their bodies, a ripple of heated amusement coming from him. “I thought you were working with the water wizards,” she murmured in his ear, taking the opportunity to press a kiss to the hollow beneath the lobe, which always affected him.

He squeezed her hip lightly, thumb brushing very high on her thigh. “I gave them exercises that will take a considerable amount of time to solve. And I wanted to hear this. Continue, Wizard Ratisbon.”

With a flick of his fingers, mostly for their benefit as the physical gesture was unnecessary, Wolfgang restored the ward, outside noise abruptly ceasing. “As I began to say before Lord Phel joined us, what we have here is a multi-pronged attack. There are three main thrusts—complaints from other houses, censure from Convocation Center, and summons from Convocation Academy. All coordinated to arrive at once.”

“Nic said this is standard Convocation tactics, to create an avalanche of legal problems to overwhelm us.”

“Indeed,” Asa said, tapping lean fingers on the table. “That’s why I suggest we employ the strategy of refusing to allow the avalanche and instead deal with this stone by stone.”

“Exactly.” Wolfgang nodded. “They’re trying to handle everything in the single hearing, attempting to use this pattern of behavior they’re trying to establish as the foundation for everything else.”

“Because any one of these offenses taken singly wouldn’t be enough to indict,” Quinn said. “That’s how they go after trademark infringements, too. It’s rarely worth the expense for the Convocation judicial council to chase every infringement complaint. They bide their time and compile evidence of infractions, until the problem becomes significant enough to create an impact beyond the houses involved, or if it will create precedent. Otherwise, they leave it to the individual houses to handle it through business negotiations. Fortunately, House Phel has no trademark infringement issues, so that’s not a consideration.”

Gabriel’s strong thighs tensed beneath her bottom and Nic wriggled a little to distract him. No one but the two of them knew about Gabriel’s infringement on House El-Adrel’s trademark—well, besides Lady El-Adrel, Jadren, and probably Seliah, at this point—and that was because Lady El-Adrel chose extortion as a resolution. Still, given Quinn’s summation, the single enchanted dagger shouldn’t be enough to draw the Convocation’s attention. Beyond whatever scheming led her to ensure Jadren’s placement at House Phel as her spy and agent, it could be that Katica El-Adrel had elected that path because she knew one violation—particularly from a brand-new house—wouldn’t get her much leverage.

“So, we file countersuits and legal arguments in a staggered pattern,” Asa mused, tipping his head back to gaze at the ceiling as he thought, “forcing Convocation Center to splinter their responses and deal with each separately.”

Wolfgang grinned broadly. “Yes. They tried to avalanche. We will nibble them to death.”

“With any luck we can get the hearing delayed multiple times.” Asa returned the smile, not as broad, but quietly anticipatory.

“And Convocation Academy?” Alise asked.

Asa leveled a look on Alise, stern, but not without sympathy. “I’m going to say what Lord and Lady Phel will not. The best solution is for you to return to Convocation Academy and complete your education as quickly as you can. Once you graduate, you will no doubt be welcomed back at House Phel.”

“Without doubt,” Gabriel agreed solemnly. “You have my word on that.”

Surprised that he hadn’t argued about Alise going back to school, Nic waited, not quite avoiding Alise’s stricken and pleading eyes.

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