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Lachlan rubs his temples. "It's not the knife I would have picked, but it'll have to do," he mutters, sounding annoyed.

"You would have picked something even more ridiculous. I know your style and taste," the man counters.

A laugh barks out of me before I can stop it, slightly delighted to have an ally in teasing Lachlan.

"What does 'the call of the forest' mean?" I ask before I can think better of it, the opals winking up at me in the light as if approving of the question.

"I'm a werewolf. Name’s Theo buy the way," Theo answers bluntly. "It means I feel myself losing control—like something primal is calling to me. Do you ever feel like that?"

"Do I ever feel like an animal is trying to get loose inside my body?" I frown at them both. "Only the day before my period, and it's less an animal and more completely murderous rage."

To my surprise, Theo lets out a sudden laugh, tipping his head back. The sound and the easy smile that follows transform his face completely, softening his harsh features and making him look years younger.

"Something's changing," Lachlan mutters, finally scratching at his beard. "How much for the opal dagger? She'll be needing some spell-resistant leathers as well. And a proper weapon, though I don't know what kind she'll do best with considering House Midnight's nullification power."

"She's going to want something long-ranged, right? Has she tried out her magic yet?" Theo asks him.

"Not on purpose," I interject. "I made a cat and an owl come to life out of the wooden walls last night. And I had to find out about the nullification or unmaking magic or whatever on my own last night, because Lachlan has barely told me shit,” I add, making zero attempt to hide the annoyance in my voice.

"I was going to fucking tell you when the time was right," Lachlan snaps back. "And now I don't have to worry about the time being right because you already know—because you did dangerous shit last night and hurt yourself."

Theo’s gaze bounces between us like he’s watching a tennis match.

"I'm not the one who stormed out and left the person you were supposed to be bodyguarding alone, so you don't get to act all fucking uppity about it," I shoot back.

Theo breaks into another wide grin. "I'm thinking something close-range," he says, returning to business. "If an enemy gets close enough, she can sap their magic before they strike. The real problem is anyone with ranged magic."

"And, of course, anyone who gets close enough to kill her without using magic at all," Lachlan interrupts grimly.

"Yeah, a ranged weapon won't really help there, will it?" I say, feeling that familiar knot of nausea return to my stomach.

"Poison?" Theo asks, raising an eyebrow at Lachlan.

"Something fast-acting," Lachlan agrees.

"Or we could have her warded. Some kind of shielding spell?" Theo suggests.

"Does this have a sheath?" I ask Theo directly, stepping over their casual debate on how best to keep me alive. Since they've decided to completely ignore my input—and considering the nastiest weapon I've ever carried in my real life is a can of pepper spray—I don't exactly have much to contribute to their discussion anyway.

Huh. Pepper spray.

An idea occurs to me, and I slowly turn back around to where the men are busy arguing about crossbows versus firearms.

"What about some kind of pepper spray?" I interrupt. "I don't know, like... do you have some kind of anti-vampire potion? Stick it in an aerosolized can and—boom. I'm pepper-spraying vampires."

Lachlan's eyebrows shoot up into his salt-and-pepper hair. Theo blinks at me as if I've suddenly started speaking fluent Ancient Greek.

"Or even better," I offer, tapping a finger to my chin, my hand still wrapped around the hilt of the opal dagger. "What if we did an aerosolized smoke bomb that's anti-vampire? Is the whole silver thing true?" I ask, looking between the two of them. "Because if so, maybe a really thick garlic-and-silver sauce bomb?"

"Is she always like this?" Theo asks Lachlan.

"I only met her yesterday," Lachlan answers morosely. "But I'm starting to think that's a yes."

"Always like what?" I say, brandishing the dagger at them both to emphasize my point.

Both men immediately flinch and take a swift step back.

"Aha!" I say triumphantly. "So the stories about silver and shifters are true!"