“You and Mychael were his intended targets,” I told him.

“I know.”

“He intends to try again.”

“Of course he will. He didn’t do his job. Whoever hired the bastard isn’t happy with him right now.”

“Any idea who that might be?”

The old man chuckled dryly and took another sip. “That list started when I took office and gets longer every day. The same is true for Mychael here.”

I looked from one of them to the other. “So who’s at the top of the list this week?”

The archmagus leaned forward. “There’s a couple of front-runners,” he said quietly. “Mychael and I will deal with it. You’re a nosy little thing, aren’t you?”

I shrugged. “I’ve been called worse. If that bolt had hit you, you’d be dead, and I’d be screwed. I understand you’ve been voted the mage most likely to get me out of this mess. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

He grinned broadly. “That makes two of us. But this isn’t your fight. If you see another bolt coming at me, just duck. I’ll take care of it—and Banan Ryce.”

“I couldn’t keep him from kidnapping one of your students.” I couldn’t keep the anger out of my voice, either.

“So I heard. I also heard you did what you could.”

“Tell that to the girl Banan Ryce took. He wanted a human shield against me, so he took one. And he probably picked this particular one because she was beautiful and blond.” I paused. There wasn’t any easy way to say this. “Banan Ryce likes blondes—a lot.”

“I know.” Mychael’s voice was carefully emotionless. “We’re doing everything we can to find her as quickly as possible.”

“Who’s we?” I asked bluntly.

“The Guardians and the city watch.”

“He took her through a mirror. Good luck.”

“There are several likely locations for an exit mirror of that size. They’re all being checked.”