“A matter of necessity. The woman knows this world like very few others do— natives included.”

A happy confession that is not, but the wine, warm in his throat and sweet with the bitter richness of magic-laced iron, takes the edge off his present train of thought.

He slips closer to Hades, resting his hip against the desk instead of maintaining that nominal distance.

“….have you done much work with her before? Being part of the same department, that is.”