"Sorry for startling you," I say with an apologetic smile.

"You could have just come to the Gardens, you know," I add kindly. "We have a lot of magickal protections set up. Lately, Simon's magic has been...intense." Even more than usual, which is saying something, and quite unlike my own failing spells. It's made it a risk coming out here, but even without my magic I'm still a vampire.