Mage Braith?”
He frowned and sank back into his chair again. “No. Our arrangement is...amicable.”
“Amicable?” That was a bloody odd word to call the way they’d been groping each other the night before.
A smile touched his mouth. “As with you, it’s not something I’m comfortable sharing.”
Ava shrugged, letting the action cover her unease. Her life—beyond her work—was a mess. “So I’m to report to the captain this morning. I head out into the town after? Pick up what I can find about these murders?”
“Yes.”
“Do you want me to report back tonight?” She stood and swung on her cloak, lifting her hood to shadow her face.
He nodded. “This has become your priority. We can’t allow thieves to penetrate the palace or the Institute.” A smile cut his mouth, familiar, conspiratorial, and it stabbed at Ava with the reminder of what she couldn’t have. “Excluding you, naturally.”
“Thank you for the exception.” She turned to the door and stopped. “Heyerdar is expecting me?”
“A runner caught him before dawn.”
“He’s still alive?”
Reist snorted. “Just. Though the boy is probably still shaking.”
His chair scraped back and Ava’s heart missed a beat. The taste of her fantasy burned in her mouth, in her thoughts, and she had to will herself to stillness. Reist’s hands fell on her shoulders. Ava bit at the inside of her cheek to stop the escaping gasp. Had it worked already? Too many of her own emotions, her own interest, stopped her from viewing the situation clearly.
“Ava.”
Reist’s voice was soft and had that familiar trace to it, the touch of ease and humor. It always made her want to turn into his arms, bury her face against his neck and inhale his scent. Bastard.
“You know I’m curious. Is it someone in the Institute?”
She closed her eyes. She couldn’t admit who had touched her or how far—or not—it had gone. Making up a lie would just drop her into more trouble. “It’s private.”
His hands stilled and her chest tightened at the slow slide of them away from her body. “He’s serious?”
Was that relief in his voice? Was he glad she was palmed off to some unknown man so that she wasn’t mooning over him? Ava wanted to groan. Everything about them, him, her, was fucked up.
“A serious secret man?” She heard the smile in his voice and hated the way it eased the tight pain in her chest. “And if anyone could keep him secret it would be you.”
“True.” She turned to face him. Her gaze flicked over the perfection of his face touched by sunlight. She itched to tease back the strand of dark hair that fell across his forehead. He’d been her friend, her only friend, for too many years. She couldn’t let that go. “Grab food with me tomorrow? I’ll be on time.”
“Breakfast on the balcony.”
“You bring the food.”
“I always do.”
Her mouth twitched upwards. “Now I must face the lion.”
“The lion?”
“Heyerdar. Tall, muscled, that mane of blond hair, golden eyes. Looks permanently...hungry.” Her smile felt suddenly forced as his touch and taste flooded her again. Taking magic the old way had never brought indigestion. She stepped back at Reist’s narrowed look. “Nothing I can’t handle.”
“You have to tell me if anything happens.”
“Concerned for me?”
“As your friend and as your master, I have to be made aware. There are some experiences Heyerdar cannot seek out. Thankfully—” a wry smile twisted his mouth, “—it doesn’t apply to you. Still...”
Friend and master...but not for much longer. “I will let you know.” She nodded. “I’ll come back for the eighth hour.”
“Ava.” His hands flexed but didn’t lift from his sides. He moved forward one step, and his body blocked the shaft of sunlight breaking through the thin window, dropping them both into shadow. His scent—warm, familiar with the hint of soap and herbs—wrapped around her. “Be careful of him.”
“I think
He frowned and sank back into his chair again. “No. Our arrangement is...amicable.”
“Amicable?” That was a bloody odd word to call the way they’d been groping each other the night before.
A smile touched his mouth. “As with you, it’s not something I’m comfortable sharing.”
Ava shrugged, letting the action cover her unease. Her life—beyond her work—was a mess. “So I’m to report to the captain this morning. I head out into the town after? Pick up what I can find about these murders?”
“Yes.”
“Do you want me to report back tonight?” She stood and swung on her cloak, lifting her hood to shadow her face.
He nodded. “This has become your priority. We can’t allow thieves to penetrate the palace or the Institute.” A smile cut his mouth, familiar, conspiratorial, and it stabbed at Ava with the reminder of what she couldn’t have. “Excluding you, naturally.”
“Thank you for the exception.” She turned to the door and stopped. “Heyerdar is expecting me?”
“A runner caught him before dawn.”
“He’s still alive?”
Reist snorted. “Just. Though the boy is probably still shaking.”
His chair scraped back and Ava’s heart missed a beat. The taste of her fantasy burned in her mouth, in her thoughts, and she had to will herself to stillness. Reist’s hands fell on her shoulders. Ava bit at the inside of her cheek to stop the escaping gasp. Had it worked already? Too many of her own emotions, her own interest, stopped her from viewing the situation clearly.
“Ava.”
Reist’s voice was soft and had that familiar trace to it, the touch of ease and humor. It always made her want to turn into his arms, bury her face against his neck and inhale his scent. Bastard.
“You know I’m curious. Is it someone in the Institute?”
She closed her eyes. She couldn’t admit who had touched her or how far—or not—it had gone. Making up a lie would just drop her into more trouble. “It’s private.”
His hands stilled and her chest tightened at the slow slide of them away from her body. “He’s serious?”
Was that relief in his voice? Was he glad she was palmed off to some unknown man so that she wasn’t mooning over him? Ava wanted to groan. Everything about them, him, her, was fucked up.
“A serious secret man?” She heard the smile in his voice and hated the way it eased the tight pain in her chest. “And if anyone could keep him secret it would be you.”
“True.” She turned to face him. Her gaze flicked over the perfection of his face touched by sunlight. She itched to tease back the strand of dark hair that fell across his forehead. He’d been her friend, her only friend, for too many years. She couldn’t let that go. “Grab food with me tomorrow? I’ll be on time.”
“Breakfast on the balcony.”
“You bring the food.”
“I always do.”
Her mouth twitched upwards. “Now I must face the lion.”
“The lion?”
“Heyerdar. Tall, muscled, that mane of blond hair, golden eyes. Looks permanently...hungry.” Her smile felt suddenly forced as his touch and taste flooded her again. Taking magic the old way had never brought indigestion. She stepped back at Reist’s narrowed look. “Nothing I can’t handle.”
“You have to tell me if anything happens.”
“Concerned for me?”
“As your friend and as your master, I have to be made aware. There are some experiences Heyerdar cannot seek out. Thankfully—” a wry smile twisted his mouth, “—it doesn’t apply to you. Still...”
Friend and master...but not for much longer. “I will let you know.” She nodded. “I’ll come back for the eighth hour.”
“Ava.” His hands flexed but didn’t lift from his sides. He moved forward one step, and his body blocked the shaft of sunlight breaking through the thin window, dropping them both into shadow. His scent—warm, familiar with the hint of soap and herbs—wrapped around her. “Be careful of him.”
“I think
Similar Books
