l Blac

wds of Star-lantern Alley. I was supposed to be reviewing security protocols at the Magica

out of my head. My intelligence network was still digging into her background, but I didn't want to wait. I needed to see her again. I needed to understa

r inside. The air inside smelled strongly of sulfur, dried herbs, and bubbling potions. The s

rd potion ingredients from the shelves. I leaned in slightly, letting her catc

acewing flies into her basket and glanced at me from the corner of her eye. "Are yo

afety of the alley," I replied, a faint smile touching my lips. "You

utting reply, a commotion er

g on his tiptoes, staring in awe at a shimmering blue dragon scale. The shop owner, a m

arning, he reached across the counter and smacked his heavy wooden ladle violently ag

spat, his voice echoing across the shop. "That scale costs a hundred

g his lip to keep from crying out. Cristina dropped her basket instantly,

moved

o one disrespected someone I was currently interested in. I stepped directly in front of

bed the old man's right wrist. I didn't just squeeze. I twisted

quiet shop. The bones in the old man's wrist shatter

e. His fingers went completely limp, permanently mangled. The wooden

voice carrying the freezing, absolute authority of the supreme commander. I released h

y into his boiling cauldron. The thick purple liquid reacted instantly. It turned pitch black and hissed violently. Thick, t

d my hand, preparing to cast a heavy contain

olute calm. She reached out, grabbed a cheap vial of peppermint extract from a nearby display rack

quid rapidly cooled, shifting from black to a pristine, glowing silver fluid. I

eutralized a lethal potion explosion with three drops of pe

er and picked up the blue dragon scale from the d

the floor near the old man's boots. "This scale belongs to an adolescent dragon that was poisoned to death. It did not shed naturally. Y

ing his shattered wrist tightly against his chest. He looked at me, recog

od hand, he shoved top-tier ingredients into the bag-powdered unicorn horn, salamand

nearly touching the wood. "Please, Miss! Please, Commander Black! Do not

hesitate for a second. She picked up the heavy le

ologetic smirk playing on her lips. "Thank you

e and tapped a rune to summon my squad. "Levin, get a team down to Dragon's Bre

heard my orders. I turned back around, ready

spot beside me was

l swaying gently. She had taken her free ingredients and vanished

ered under my breath, shakin