Teia had invoked the name of Caterina to get her way - one of the few people who could and not have the opposite effect, and even then she needed to tread carefully on how much it was used. For now it got the results she wanted. Lucanis privately suspected she might have the wrong idea about his and Davrin's relationship, but he'd let Davrin deal with that one if he was going to insist on following Lucanis when he needed to help Treviso.

As annoyed as he was with Davrin, he felt more displeased when he dropped his hand and broke the contact. No good, he needed to clear his head, and of course Spite was not giving him a moment's peace.

"She jokes with a straight face, it's better to assume she means what she says."