toward the waiting chairs to get her moving.
I can do this. With Kal beside her, she could do anything.
Lanel leaned forward, soft hands clasped before him on the polished wood. “Ily, it is a pleasure to see you again. Dare I hope this visit means you’ve decided to return to the guild?”
The question hit her like a fist to the gut. How could he possibly imagine that she’d want to return to him?
She cleared her throat. “I’m afraid not. Kal told me that you’d asked after me. When I left here, it was with the understanding that we’d severed our bond permanently.”
His expression cooled. “Can you blame me for being concerned for your welfare? I haven’t interfered with you.”
“Ha.” When she’d first left the University, she’d attempted to sell her services to the aristos she was familiar with. Of course, those she knew well enough to approach were Lanel’s friends and she’d found every door barred. “You never asked anyone to deny me a project?”
“When asked for a recommendation, I would say only that you were no longer sanctioned by the guild. If they chose to engage another master...” He shrugged.
Her hands had drawn to fists but she forced them to open. The anger steadied her. She hadn’t come to address past slights. She’d come to ensure Nira’s safety. And that meant following the plan she and Kal had decided upon over a fortnight ago. Everything was in place. This was the final step.
“I’ve seen your spies outside of Kal’s home. They followed us today. Surely that violates our agreement.”
“I watch Kalar. Of course, I do. He is the head of House Azi. If you happen to accompany him, I can hardly tell my men not to take note of it. Speaking of violations, why is he here? You’ve clearly spoken to him of our agreement and I—”
“He is my husband now and I share everything with him.”
“He married you?” Lanel looked momentarily stunned and then began to laugh. When Kal stiffened beside her, she laid her hand on his arm. This mild insult would be the least of Lanel’s weapons.
“The head of House Azi married you.” Lanel shook his head. “You know he only did that because he wishes to use you against me.”
“How could he have possibly planned for this? He suspected nothing until I told him the truth.”
His lips thinned. “That he is here with you now is enough. That you told him of our agreement—”
“The agreement you violated first,” she reminded him.
Lanel took a deep breath and straightened. “I only needed to know that you were well. I never stopped caring for you.”
“You will stop now,” Kal said, voice hard as she’d ever heard it. He reached over and gave her hand a comforting squeeze. Knowing her husband, she suspected that his hand lingered because he enjoyed the way the guildmaster’s face contorted at the contact. She could feel Kal glance her way, feel his smile, but she kept her attention fixed on Lanel. It was never a good idea to take your eyes off a venomous snake.
She waited until Lanel looked at her again. “So that there’s no misunderstanding. I don’t return your sentiment. I never did.”
“You were never unwilling.”
“I was a child!”
“You’d reached your majority when you came to my bed.”
“You made certain of that, didn’t you?” Claiming her as his own special apprentice shortly after she entered the University, limiting her contact with her age mates, taking on the whole of her training. He’d become her entire world, and he’d known exactly what he was doing. But that was the guildmaster—he’d twist the law like spun thread but never actually break it.
“I made you,” he hissed. “And you threw it all away. Leaving the guild, living on the streets just to spite me.”
“I rejected you, not the guild. You made it clear I couldn’t have guild support without accepting you as well.”
Lanel shook his head and glanced at Kal. “These outbursts... You see why I said that Nira’s death was a mercy.”
Kal rose to his feet and she moved with him, holding his arm lest he lunge across the guildmaster’s desk. As much as she’d like to see Lanel dead, she wasn’t going to lose Kal. Lanel had come to his feet as well, a sly, satisfied smile on his face.
She glared at him. “If you wish to exchange threats then let us speak of Jilar.”
It was the information she’d originally used as blackmail. Kal had assured her that the information was still