The issue with seers, Gabriel Todd thought crossly, was their penchant for inconveniencing a man precisely when he would wish to be bothered the least.

Malik's character was not prone to arrogance, despite his rare gift and the rank he would one day hold among his kin. The boy spent his days as humbly as any human youth in a household of lacking means. The wolf took to housework as well as a hen to a frying pan. He put in the effort nonetheless, by all appearances content with his lot.

Gabriel found the boy's complacency highly irritating. The demon could appeal neither to Malik's ego nor to his reason, as the latter had yet to mature past the dramatics of youth. Attempts at plucking a useful morsel of information from the boy's mind were met with hostility and suspicion. Worse, the cub appointed himself Gabriel's minder, successfully thwarting any plans the demon would entertain before they were fully in motion.

As was the case at present.

"I am simply going for a walk," Gabriel said, trying not to sound too petulant.

Malik crossed his arms. The boy stood in the doorway, blocking Gabriel's path to Elsendorf. His lips were stretched over his lips in a low growl. The eye tattooed there seemed to sneer at the demon.

"You lie," the boy said.

Gabriel nearly rolled his eyes. "And you are a pain!" he hissed. He was distantly aware of how childish he sounded, but days of anxiety and inaction had shorn his limited patience to the bone.

"That man knows nothing. His absence will be noticed, and investigated," Malik continued.

"You saw this?" Gabriel asked.

The boy nodded curtly.

Gabriel deflated. Privately, he admitted that taking a Message Man hostage and plundering whatever information he could from the unfortunate soul was not his best idea to date. The danger of detection was too high, and the probability of gaining anything useful distressingly low. Still, it was something to do – and Gabriel badly needed to be doing something, anything, other than wondering how much of Dimitri would be left for him to save. The demon did not care to temper the anger rising in his chest, and peeled his own lips back in a snarl that would do a wolf proud.

"How long do I need to wait?" he seethed.

Malik flinched but, to the boy's credit, did not back down. "I do not know," he said. He had repeated the same four words often enough that the sound of them from his lips nearly had Gabriel reaching for the boy's throat.

Seers did not foresee the future as they willed. They perceived flashes of things to come, like reflections in a rippling pond. Most were not powerful enough to decipher these visions, let alone explore specific paths into the great river of time. Malik was a rare exception – which was why Gabriel chose to aid the boy that day in the wolves' den, despite the danger and the many other demands on Gabriel's time.

Malik owed him a debt. Gabriel collected by asking the boy to read the future for him, desperate for any advantage that would take him closer to Dimitri.

It was a steep demand. Malik made a number of attempts, all ending in abject failure and on one memorable occasion, with blood pouring from the boy's eyes and ears. Fair and Gabriel nearly came to blows over the entire debacle. At last, the cub caught something of use – a threadbare but certain promise that something of importance to Gabriel's quest was in Elsendorf.

"You must wait," the wolf had said through lips made bloodless by pain. "Wait, and it will come."

How long Gabriel was to wait, however, no one could tell.

Malik's eyes turned wary, clawed hands closing into fists at his side. Gabriel took a moment to compose himself. Achieving peace of mind was growing more difficult as the days advanced. It was not in a demon's nature to deny their desires, and all Gabriel desired was currently just out of reach. Nevermind the walls and soldiers that stood in his way – Gabriel was confident that he would find his man. He only needed to set a foot in that accursed city.

And therein lay the problem.

The capital city was the Queen's domain. It was less a city, in truth, but rather a fortress, and one inaccessible to those who did not bear the Queen's Mark. The probability of surmounting the city's defenses without inside help was slim. The current constraint of time – growing more desperate by the hour – certainly did not aid matters.

"You do realize that the longer it takes, the longer I remain your guest," Gabriel reminded.

Malik frowned unhappily. "I am aware."

Gabriel harrumphed. The boy's power of foresight had its limits, as did all things. The cub could not provide an exact timeframe for his vision, or see the actual event in any detail. Gabriel was most unimpressed.

Soft footsteps alerted Gabriel to the presence of someone behind him. Malik visibly puffed up; Gabriel did not bother to hide his smirk, and turned to face little Sofia with his most simpering expression in place.

"Good morning, dear host," the demon greeted.

Sofia nodded back, placid eyes moving right over Gabriel to Malik. She smiled at the boy and departed without another look at the sulking demon.

Malik shouldered past Gabriel in his hurry to follow. Gabriel grabbed the boy's arm.

"Have you ever seen her future?" the demon asked.

Malik wrenched away with a growl. He did not answer, but his murderous glare told Gabriel what he wanted to know. The boy stomped away in a huff.

"Interesting," Gabriel mused to himself, hollow eyes narrowed in thought.

The day passed as days in the Korral household did; in awkward domesticity. Fair bustled around the property, preparing for the demands of winter and conveniently putting himself within earshot of wherever Gabriel happened to be at any given point in time. The demon knew better than to keep the children under Fair's supervision company. The solider tended to hover more obviously when Gabriel shared a room with either of the youths. Given the man's already overbearing attitude, that meant he would loom at Gabriel's elbow like a mother goose with its feathers ruffled. It was highly amusing, but the demon's nerves were too taut to bear a soldier breathing down his neck.

Gabriel sipped at a cup of fragrant rose tea. He did not need to consume food or drink, but did enjoy indulging in whatever caught his fancy. Watching others eat while he himself sat empty-handed was furthermore far from proper manners. Of course, he could have simply not joined the strange family of three for dinner. But where was the fun in that?

Malik slammed his hands on the table, setting the plates and cutlery rattling. Gabriel smirked into his tea.

"Malik," Fair warned.

"He keeps staring at her!" the wolf snarled, thrusting a clawed finger Gabriel's way.

Gabriel blinked in exaggerated confusion. "Miss Korral happens to be sitting across from me. Am I supposed to keep my eyes shut?" he asked.

"Yes!" Malik snapped.

"How unreasonable. Perhaps you should allow your friend to speak for herself, less you make a fool out of you both," Gabriel drawled.

Malik let out a low growl. The boy grew less tolerant of Gabriel's pointed jabs by the day. Sofia, on the other hand, carried on with her dinner as if nothing of notice was happening.

Gabriel's lips tugged into a sharp smile. Fair and the wolf were not difficult to read, but young Sofia was proving a challenge.

The girl was easy to overlook. She was small and soft in the way all human children were, and her refusal to speak only added to the illusion of her fragility. Demons did not perceive the world at face-value however, and were as a rule especially vigilant around those who appeared weak. Those who dwelled in the Kingdoms Below did not show weakness lightly. Any displays of frailty were therefore seen as ploys, and treated with due caution.

"Children tend to disregard propriety when under duress. I hope Lord Todd does not take offence," Fair said. The words were polite, but the soldier's dry tone and hard eyes implied that he was very near to disregarding propriety himself.

Gabriel idly considered engaging the man in a fight. It would pass the time, and burn some of the agitation eating at the demon's guts.

Sofia rose from her seat. She collected her plate and utensils, deposited them in the sink, and waved goodnight to Fair.

"Sweet dreams, little one!" Gabriel called.

Sofia paused her steps, already at the door. She leveled the demon with a flat look, but nodded in acknowledgement nonetheless. Malik scrambled after her with a last glare Gabriel's way.

"They grow up so fast," Gabriel sighed.

"When do you plan to depart?" Fair asked.

Gabriel grinned. The man's blunt nature would be grating if it were not so novel for its honesty. The demon was starting to understand how this particular Amith Capil team may have worked, given the personalities of its members. Ira Hale was a natural leader. Fair was loyal to a fault, and Dimitri –

Gabriel focused on Fair's lined face. Thinking of Dimitri led nowhere pleasant as of late, no matter the initial intent.

"As soon as I can," Gabriel responded, answering the man in kind.

Fair straightened in his seat. "We promised our aid. What will you need, when the time comes?"

This was not the first time Fair had posed this particular question. The matter obviously weighted the man's mind; a deal with a Helwalker was no small thing, especially to a soldier of the Amith Capil.

"I will have your answer in the morning," Gabriel said.

Fair nodded. If the man was surprised to receive a response at last, he did not let on.

"Dimitri is," the man began, words halting, "This is important to me, as well. I will help in any way that I can."

Gabriel did not bother to respond. He placed no faith on the bonds between soldiers, if such things even existed. The man would help, because if he did not Gabriel would rip his lungs out of his chest and watch him choke on his lying breaths. That was all the insurance a demon needed.

"Your companion cannot remain," Fair added.

Gabriel let out a startled chuckle, dark thoughts broken. "You would turn a sick man away?"

"I would, when that man may well awaken and slaughter anyone in sight in blind hunger," Fair responded grimly.

"You are speaking of a Vampire Lord, not some filthy fledgling," Gabriel reminded. "Lord Beaufort has always been in excellent control of his baser instincts. It is not as if this issue will arise besides – you must recognize the blade that has cursed my friend into forced slumber."

"I do," Fair said quietly.

"Then you must know that Lord Beaufort will not awaken, less the Queen herself pops in for a visit," Gabriel drawled.

"Iavor Beaufort's name was not Announced," Fair said after a brief hesitation. "Perhaps the blade is not the Queen's own, but a forgery. In that case, his state is uncertain."

"Lord Beaufort's name was not Announced in Contempt, because he had committed no crime," Gabriel said levelly. "The blade is the Queen's own. As of why it has found its way into an innocent man's chest – that, only your Court can answer."

Fair said nothing. He was troubled, despite his valiant attempts to appear unmoved. Gabriel was pleased. Let the man see the sort of crimes done in his Queen's name.

They parted ways on that low note. Fair remained in the kitchen, likely to brood over Gabriel's words. Gabriel retired to the room he shared with Iavor. The maniacal smile that had twisted his lips slowly faded as he studied his friend's diminished body. Iavor was among the few souls Gabriel Todd held in his heart. He would not leave the vampire in the soldier's vigil, despite threats to do otherwise.

"I ought to stash you under the bed," Gabriel muttered as he made himself as comfortable as he could on the narrow strip of unoccupied mattress. "Sweep up the cobwebs with that mop of hair of yours."

Iavor remained unphased, as the dead generally did. Gabriel chuckled, and closed his eyes.

He opened them again in the dead of morning to see a blurry shadow at Iavor's side of the bed.

"Little girl," he said, recognizing Sofia a moment before he would have done something regrettable, "You should not be here."

Sofia did not respond. She did not appear entirely aware, her face too still and her eyes too empty. The demon rose carefully.

"Sofia," Gabriel tried again, this time invoking the girl by name.

Sofia grasped the hilt of the crystal blade, and pulled it clean out from its sheath in flesh and bone. Gabriel's enraged cry died on his lips.

In the bed next to him, Iavor Beaufort took a gasping breath.