The ways of this world were still strange to Damen, but Laurent had taken to them easily, adapting and growing into this strange culture and stranger laws in a manner that hardly seemed fathomable. The fact that, in only a matter of days, Laurent had positioned himself as this boy's guardian was hardly surprising.

And yet still Damen felt his mouth fall open.

'So, he's to stay here indefinitely,' he said, the banking fire under his skin sparking anew. 'Where? In your room? Might I remind you how livid you were over Erasmus's presence within my rooms? And that was a matter of weeks.'