"Yes, well, everyone gets to be in a hurry when Adanya's tigers get out," Vlad said with a calm smile, studying her eyes. Oh dear... well, he might as well test his theory. "How is Claudius today?"
~~
The twins, meanwhile, dove into Claudius' cage, startling him, but before he had a chance to really react, they blurted, "This is really important to hide!" and shoved it into his hands.
"What?" Claudius asked, bewildered. Then he frowned and sniffed the case. It smelled faintly familiar and of blood. "What are you two up to now?" he growled, eyes narrow.
"This is for Miss Spectra."
"It is really important!"
"Life or death."
"But it's locked!"
"Locked with magic."
Then they stopped and stared at Claudius intently.
Claudius leaned back, suddenly feeling the tingle of nervousness. "What?"
"You can break it!" they breathed.
Claudius looked down at the lock. "I do not think strength can break magic. Is that not the point of having a magic lock?"
But the twins were already shaking their heads. "No! You are not magic, and that is what will work!"
"Not just not magic, you are like..."
"Anti-magic!"
"Yes! All Mundanes have even the slightest glitter of magic-"
"Like how everything has radiation-"
"But you are like a black hole of magic!"
"If you try, you could short out the magic!"
"Maybe bleed on it?"
"Or scratch it?"
"Stop!" Claudius snapped, feeling dizzy with the twins' rapid-fire back and forth. He took a breath and let it out, a fire of irritation kindled in his belly. "Alright, I will try if it will get you to stop pestering me, but I do not think this will work." Even so, he reached out with one sharp nail and tried to pierce the lock. Nothing happened.
"No, no, reach inside and tap the bit that is not magic!" one of the twins said.
Claudius gave them a look that said they were both annoying and mad as hatters, but he closed his eyes and tried. He thought about that second presence deep inside. He thought about fire, of primal urges, of the fierce power that had flowed through him when he'd tried to help Camilla. He thought about... Dragons.