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“Anyway,” Ira said pointedly. “We’re getting off-topic. We just wanted to warn you all that the paladins are going to be more aggressive. You’ll need to be extra careful until further notice.”

“Should we warn Lilith?” Storm asked reluctantly, his chin propped up on his fist.

Beside Ira, Wolf rumbled out a groan.

“No,” Talon decided. “If we’re the ones who warn her, she’ll blame us for the uptick in attacks. I’d like to avoid that.”

Ira glanced around the dark club’s ceiling. “There aren’t any cameras in here, are there?”

Storm smirked. “Nah. Too many illegal activities go on here for Lilith to want cameras inside. She’d implicate herself more than anyone else. That’s one of the reasons we met here.”

“Is itour fault the paladins are getting more aggressive?” Alex asked. “I mean, I get why you don’t want to tell Lilith, because that kind of news coming from us would make us seem responsible. But… are we?” He looked at Ira, his blue eyes big.

Ira winced. “I don’t know. That would be my guess, though. You and Luke leaving the guild is the only thing that could’ve changed their opinions of the halflings recently.”

Alex’s shoulders hunched. “I… I didn’t mean for this to happen. I didn’t want anyone to get hurt—anyone but the mozgoran, I mean.”

“This isn’t your fault, little bird,” Talon said softly, carding his fingers into the back of Alex’s hair.

“He’s right, Alex,” Ira agreed. “You did what was right for you. How Sloan is reacting now is on him, no one else.”

Talon’s eyes met his, warmer now than they’d been when he arrived, and Ira thought he might’ve managed to win some points with the leviathan.

“And for what it’s worth, there are a few who don’t agree with the new orders. Your old captain, for one,” he said to Alex, whose expression twisted. “Actually.” He pulled the paper from his pocket and laid it on the bar between them. “You two should program those names into your phones. Just in case.”

He appreciated that being a prophet gave him a certain amount of authority with Alex and Luke. Neither of them questioned him, just pulled their phones out and started copying the names.

“I’m going to call Nathan tomorrow,” Ira said, glancing at Wolf. “Somebody from the guild needs to know why I disappeared, and I trust him.”

Wolf rumbled. “Fine, if you’re sure he can be trusted. You can use my phone until we can get you a new one.”

Ira smiled softly. “Thanks. And yeah, I’m sure. He’s one of the good ones.”

Luke tapped the paper, pocketing his phone once more. “A couple of these names are surprising.”

Isaac and Cyrus, most likely. Ira nodded. “I was surprised, as well, but they seemed genuinely bothered by what’s happening. I was with all of them right after Sloan’sannouncement. They all expressed disappointment in the new orders.”

“I wouldn’t call many paladins bloodthirsty, but if anyone is, Isaac would fit the bill,” Alex said.

“Of course paladins are bloodthirsty,” Talon said with a grin, “just not like we are.”

“I didn’t interact with him much, beyond some vigorous sparring matches, but I’d heard he wasn’t well-liked among a lot of the paladins. I always found him intimidating,” Alex admitted. It was a sentiment Ira agreed with. Watching Isaac spar had always made him grateful he never had drills like the paladins. He valued keeping all his teeth in his head.

“Oh, Isaac isn’t so bad,” Luke said. “He’s blunt about how much he enjoys killing things, but he’s a good man. I’ve sparred with him many times.”

“Yeah, that’s because you’re as scary as he is,” Ira said before he could think better of it.

Luke sputtered, and Malachi barked out a laugh, kissing his muscled shoulder.

“Yes, very scary,” Malachi murmured.

“I am not!” Luke protested.

Alex chuckled. “You don’t wax poetic about how much you like stabbing things, so I’d say you’re not quite as bad.”

“Right, that’s true,” Ira agreed. “I meant in the training yard, you’re just as intimidating. Watching you guys out there always made me glad I didn’t have to run drills with you.”

The three of them laughed, and Ira was bolstered by the camaraderie. It was nice to know he wasn’t alone. There were others who’d given up everything for their demon companions, just like him.

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