The flat refusal clearly surprised them.
"Excuse me?" Veyra's voice was sharp.
"I said no. My methods are my own business. I don't submit to invasive magical examination just to satisfy paranoid concerns." Damien's voice carried quiet steel. "The Emperor trusts me. That should be sufficient."
"The Emperor isn't infallible," Lieutenant Kross said. "And your refusal to submit to examination is suspicious in itself."
"My refusal to submit to examination is about maintaining autonomy," Damien corrected. "I don't answer to you, Lieutenant. I answer to the Emperor directly. If he requests magical examination, I'll consider it. Until then, this conversation is pointless."
"You arrogant – " Sergeant Tyrus started to rise from his seat.
"Sergeant," General Blackthorne's voice cracked like a whip. "Stand down."
Tyrus subsided, but the hostility remained palpable.
