Page 44 of King’s Kismet

I stopped at the front door to stare at him. “You were stalking my great granddaughter.”

“Right,” he replied sheepishly. “So, dark magic... And then?”

“Are we really having this conversation?” I inquired.

Cian shrugged. “You seem like you know more about it than she does, so yeah. We are.”

I massaged my forehead. “Academics or athletics?”

“Books. Totally books. I tried my hand at baseba—”

“That’s how I would narrow the decision down.”

He frowned, thoughts rolling through his mind in chaotic disarray. “How do I know which ones are better at what?”

“You know what?” I snapped, then frowned at myself for losing patience with him. “Look. I’ll send someone to talk to you. A scout, so to speak. He’ll tell you where you need to go.”

“Who is he?”

“The High Priest has younger brother—”

“Who is that?” he interrupted.

I glared at his mother. “Really?”

“He’s messing with you,” she responded, rolling her eyes at her son. “Leave him be, Cian.”

“Save your wits for Murphy Lynch,” I advised. “He’ll play right into your hand.”

He grinned. “Is that permission to fuck with him?”

“Cian!” his mother shouted.

“Yes,” I answered. “It is... And you can fuck with him even more if one of his siblings tags along. If it’s the Lynch sister, then call him Palmer. That will make her laugh and really piss him off.”

The young hybrid held his hand out, and I suppressed another sigh as I shook it. He was fraying the last strand of my patience, but he knew that.

“Deal.”

“What deal?” I asked.

“I’ll catch you later, Frank,” he called evasively, joining his mother.

“Franklin,” I corrected. “And no you won’t.”

He snorted. “Sure, old man. I know how to find you now.”

“I should have killed you when I had the chance,” I muttered.

His mother glared at me.

“Kidding,” I amended, holding my hands up.

“He likes me, Ma,” Cian teased, bumping against her. “It’s the lady’s hellhounds that will eat me alive.”

I stepped into the void, shaking my head at the young lad’s laughter. He had jokes, though they were better suited for anyone who wasn’t me.

A mage academy would do him good, but being part human might make it more difficult for him. I would ask Palmer and Murphy to interview him, even though it wasn’t the Lynch brothers’ jobs.