"You will pay for this," Dean hissed through his teeth.
Arion's expression did not change.
That, more than if he had looked guilty, made Dean want to commit something small and administratively annoying.
"Later," Arion said.
Minerva closed her eyes briefly, as if filing that exchange under reasons her life had become more difficult than necessary.
Otto, apparently deciding the room had reached sufficient density for one morning, said, "Good. Then we are all aligned on the fact that this will be unpleasant."
Dean looked at him. "I object to how often that sentence is being framed as wisdom instead of prophecy."
"It can be both," Minerva said.
That was deeply unhelpful.
The meeting ended soon after, not because Dean had exhausted his ability to make it worse, but because there were limits even to imperial patience, and all of them had apparently decided he should face the next part without an audience.
