by Megan Derr
Jakob shushed her as a clerk approached. "Can I help you?" the clerk asked in a tone that Tolan just bet he practiced at night. His eyes examined Marla and Jakob, and approved…then lingered on Tolan, with Goss clutched in his arms, with obvious disapproval.
Tolan stared back. It was tempting to let the other two handle this sort of thing, but he didn't want to look bad in front of his new friends, and worse, have it get back to Shaw how pathetic he had behaved over something as stupid as shopping for clothes.
He had dealt with some of the world's snottiest people; he knew how they behaved. Calling up everything he'd ever learned from his amorous, cheating clients, he lifted his chin and said, "My name is Tolan Lakeith. I am apprentice to Lord Shaw Seacrist, and he has given me free use of his accounts to purchase new attire for myself and the child. Have you refreshment while we discuss my options?" The clerked blinked, and was still for a moment—then jerked as though rudely awakened, and sketched a belated bow. "Of course, sir," he said, and immediately showed them into a black, green and gold parlor before bustling off to fetch the requested refreshments.
Marla whistled once the clerk was gone. "Oh, I am taking you with me when I go shopping. Man, even Uncle would have applauded you for that tone and manner. Well done, indeed, Master Lakeith."
Tolan shrugged, and hoped his cheeks weren't as red as he feared. "My clients used to speak that way to me," he said. "I didn't know it would work that well." Jakob sighed. "I wanted to work in a shop, but the last time I dared suggest it, my father about gave birth to dragons. 'No son of mine' and all that. Blue blood, you know," he said, and rolled his eyes. "Can't do normal things, oh no. Some moldering relative might turn in his grave."
"Your parents won't be content until you do something grand and heroic," Marla said with a laugh, throwing an arm across his shoulders to hug him loosely. "Also, probably tragic. It's not properly done if there's not a tragic end. People would talk if you lived."
"Gods, isn't that the truth?" Jakob said, rolling his eyes. "Even being a Seacrist sacrifice wouldn't please them. I think they'd be happier if I had been a Seabolt sacrifice." He smiled at Goss, who had happily overtaken Jakob's lap, and ruffled his hair. "Hmm, little Seabolt? Would you like to trade me?"
"Goz High," Goss demanded, tugging at his shirt.
Jakob laughed.
Tolan sighed. "I don't suppose Lord Seacrist explained anything to you about the Seacrist sacrifices?" Marla asked. "Sealore only does symbolic sacrifices anymore, though mama says they simply call it 'marriage' now instead of sacrifice." She wrinkled her nose. "If they actually make me marry Lord Sourface, I may finally concede she is correct."
Jakob nodded in sympathy. Then they both looked at Tolan, curious and hopeful, and he recalled that Marla had asked him a question. "Uh—I only know about Seabolt," Tolan said, and felt awful when their faces fell with disappointment. He scraped for something to offer. "The only thing Shaw ever said about it was that it had something to do with the family motto."
"Huh," Marla said, tapping one cheek thoughtfully. "That's more than I knew. Everyone just says that where the other families performed blood sacrifices, the Seacrist learned how to use sex—" She broke off as the door opened, the clerk returning with a tea cart laden with all manner of things. Tolan wasn't certain he was relieved or disappointed. Sex? What the hell? Surely not. That was a crazy, out-of-control rumor if ever he had heard one.
Still, it forced his mind straight back to the fountain, and the way Shaw had embraced Moonglow or whatever his stupid name was, and Marla's comment that maybe he was going to be the next Seacrist sacrifice after all.
Why was he looking at stupid clothes when he would really rather go drowned himself? Or maybe drowned Shaw. Or Mooncrest. Both of them. That sounded nice.
Cheered by the idea of murdering stupid masters and their stupid ex-lovers, he allowed the clerk and his new friends to inundate him with fabrics and patterns and other bits of necessary frippery. Three excruciating hours later, he resigned himself to being in a great deal of trouble for all the money he had inadvertently spent. Worse, he didn't know the exact amount, simply suspected it was high—and he would have to wait until the bill arrived and Shaw found out.
He glanced again at the fancy green, silver, and gold embroidery on his new tunic. The clothes he had ordered that day would be delivered over the next couple of weeks—but at the insistence of Marla and Jakob, the clerk had come up with the tunic and adjusted it to suit Tolan.
It really was beautiful—a deep, rich blue, embroidered with ivy, and gold and silver flowers. There were new, dark brown breeches as well, and Jakob had cajoled the clerk into seeing Tolan's boots got a proper shine.
"I'd take a couple three turns around the dance floor with you," Marla said with a wink. "Though, I would have before." Tolan smiled and murmured another thank you, still disconcerted that she and Jakob had insisted upon making a gift of the outfit. "So what shall we—" He stopped as a small envelope appeared in front of him, and fell into his hands. He did not even need to look at his name written across the front to know who had sent it.
"Oh, Sending," Jakob said enviously. Nodding absently, Tolan tore the note open and read Rumor is already buzzing that my apprentice has managed to make friends of the two most notorious troublemakers in the city. Well done. If they are still with you, would they like to join us for dinner? Tell them to show you to the Lazy Cat ~S
"What's it say?" Marla asked.
Tolan shook his head and handed it over. "Apparently I am with the two most notorious troublemakers in the city."
Jakob scoffed. "We're the worst in the entire county."
Laughing, Marla took the note and read it. "Oh, dinner with Lord Seacrist at the Lazy Cat. Fabulous. Though, I'll have to avoid mama lest she plague me for every detail."
"She'll just hide in your bedroom again," Jakob said. "Honestly, your family is mad. I'm glad I'm just good family friends and not blood related." "So where is the Lazy Cat?" Tolan asked, before they could start off discussing family again. Marla handed back his note, then scooped up Goss, who immediately grew fascinated by her bejeweled Elementor broach. "Other side of the city, but we know all the shortcuts. Come on, then."
Once they stepped outside, Goss immediately twisted to face Jakob and ordered, "Goz High."
Laughing, Jakob obeyed. The walk across the city went quickly, and pleasantly, though Tolan was disconcerted when they were stopped more than once by friends of Marla and Jakob, all of them pleased and excited when they realized just who Tolan was—though he could not fathom why, save for the connection to Shaw.
He was laughing at something Jakob had said when they reached the Lazy Cat, a large tavern that was lit by warm orange-yellow mage light, and even had a number of tables outside. It took him only a moment to spot Shaw at one of them, and he started to call a greeting—then he saw Shaw was not alone. Next to him, smiling and shaking his head, was Lord Moonbeam.
On either side of him, Marla and Jakob whispered their own surprise and theories, but as they reached the table all three assumed quiet politeness.
"Oh," Shaw said with a smile as he rose. "I see you had a fine time shopping. Very nice, Tolan—and you did it without losing Goss."
Unwilling to snap at him in front of others, Tolan settled for a glare.
Shaw laughed and rested a hand on his companion's shoulder. "Tolan, I'd like to make you known to an old, dear friend of mine. This is Lord Jeter Moonrise. Jet, this is Tolan." Moonrise, astonishingly, bowed. Tolan bowed hastily back. Moonrise smiled. "I've heard much about you, Tolan. It is an honor to finally meet you." He turned to the other two and bowed again. "Lady Marla, Lord Jakob."
Tolan obediently went when Shaw motioned him to sit next to him—with Moonrise on Shaw's opposite side, and why couldn't Moonrise be insufferable or something? It was damned hard to hate a man who so far was polite and pleasant.
"Did you have fun shopping?" Shaw asked, and reached out to take Goss, who went happily
and immediately began to explain in his own fashion about being high and playing with Jay and Mal, and how he'd gotten cookies.
"Yes," Tolan said, and wondered how to bring up the matter of the money.
Marla spared him. "You'll be living on the streets, of course, but your apprentice will be well dressed for it." Shaw laughed. "I've seen how much your mother can spend on clothing, my dear. I doubt Tolan could even compare, and it's not like I use the money anyway. Now, then, I suppose if you went shopping for clothes then you did not get much chance to see anything else. Would you like to remain another day or so, since you appear to have made friends and we have no urgent need to return to the Tower. I was also thinking, Tolan, that if you do decide to take the second exam—Moonrise could teach you some of the finer points that are his specialty and not mine."
Tolan wanted to be sick. First Shaw was only doing his duty, then he got back together with a former lover, and now Tolan had to study under him? "Finer points?" he asked, because he didn't trust himself to ask anything else. He finally noticed the delicate gold and silver badge pinned to Moonrise's chest. "Oh, you're a Healer."
Moonrise smiled. "Yes, though I dabble in the same things as Shaw." Meaning, he was an unregistered sorcerer or something as well. "I see." Begrudgingly, he could see why Shaw was torturing him with the lessons with Moonrise—Healers, more than any other class, had to know when a little would do far more than a lot. Repairing the body was no easy task, not least of all because one must learn to pinpoint the source of the problem. Sometimes, it was an obvious broken bone or cut. Just as often, though, it required finding the reason for a strange fever or mysterious rash.
"Let's eat, shall we?" Shaw asked, and lifted a hand to motion, immediately setting a handful of waiters into a flurry. In short order, the table was laden with food and wine. Tolan's stomach growled, but he didn't touch his own food until he had seen to Goss. When Goss was happily making a mess, he began to decimate the contents of his own plate while around him the others talked about people at court, problems old and new.
He jumped when someone actually said his name, and looked up. "What?" "Sorry," Moonrise said with a smile. "I said, I can see why Shaw is so taken with you. He's tried apprentices in the past, you know. Two of them court-appointed. They each lasted a week before he threw them out. Two others he took at the request of family. I forget how long those lasted."
Shaw snorted. "The first one lasted a day." He smirked in amusement. "I believe the second tried to seduce you, hmm?" Moonrise laughed. "Oh, dear. You're right. I'd forgotten all about that. I'm not certain why he thought seducing me would help make training with you any easier. Maybe he just wanted comforting at the end of the day."
"Personally," Jakob said, "I will never take up with a Healer again. Did that once, showed up late to a date because of the Ev—Lord Sealore. Never forgave me, and Healers know every trick in the book for making a man miserable all night." He pointed his knife at Moonrise. "Evil, all of you."
"Only when our dates show up late," Moonrise said in amusement.
Marla rolled her eyes. "He's not even sorry about it, or ranting about how Healers shouldn't abuse their powers that way." Shaw shook his head and laughed, and looked at Tolan. "Like I said, Jet can teach you the finer points. Though, given how you already yell at me, maybe I should not see to it you learn more ways to express your displeasure." He winked, then reached for his wine and drank deeply.
Moonrise turned back to Tolan. "So, have you decided yet, Tolan, if you are going to stay with Shaw or take up—"
"Enough," Shaw cut in sharply. He shook his head. "We haven't discussed it yet."
"Oh," Moonrise said, flinching. "My apologies."
Shaw shook his head. "It's all right. I should have made that clear."
"No," Moonrise said, rolling his eyes. He leaned closer to Tolan, smiling apologetically. "I always was far too good at saying the wrong thing at the wrong time."
Shaw frowned. "Jet—"
"It's true," Jet said gently, but firmly. "It's why I'm a Healer, not something like an Enchanter."
"You can do far better than Enchanters," Shaw snapped.
Moonrise rolled his eyes, then glanced at Tolan. "I do not pity you living with him," he said with a wink. "He's quite bossy. Some say he's overbearing."
Tolan hated to agree with the enemy, but… "To put it mildly. I'm half-surprised he didn't tell me what clothes to purchase."
He picked up his wine, and took a sip, glancing at a scowling—dare he say pouting?—Shaw as he did it.
Then Shaw smirked at him. "If I don't like them, I'll just take them off." Tolan choked on the swallow of wine he'd just taken, coughing into his glass, splashing wine everywhere, barely managing to set the glass down before he dropped it. He doubled over in a coughing fit, trying to hold to the table, breathe, and reassure an anxious Goss all at the same time.
When he was finally able to breathe again, he glared furiously at Shaw and snarled, "That was inappropriate!"
Shaw grinned. "I thought it was a good idea."
"Yes," Tolan snapped, "Just like you thought it was a good idea to hide a baby! Your good ideas leave something to be desired."
"It was fine until the damned baby decided to walk away—and look what it brought me. A fine apprentice. It was a great idea." Tolan rolled his eyes, refusing to be mollified, and jabbed a finger at Shaw's chest. " I think a good idea would be for you to learn some bloody manner. I think a brilliant idea would be for you to go soak your head."
Shaw laughed. "If I soaked my head as often as you suggest, my little spark, I would drowned."
"At least then you would not say such inappropriate things at a dinner table!" Laughter made him jerk, and stop, and Tolan realized with horror he'd forgotten about their guests, and that they were in the middle of a crowded tavern. Face flaming, he pointedly ignored Shaw, and focused solely on his wine.
"Incredible," Marla said, almost sounding awed. "Not even Uncle will yell at Lord Seacrist—I mean, at your lordship, in such fashion."
Tolan snorted, not believing that for a moment. Shaw begged to be yelled at, the insufferable ass. Shaw chuckled softly, and pushed a plate of fruity sweets into Tolan's line of vision. "I am afraid Tolan finds nothing about me impressive or terrifying or whatever else the courts are calling me these days. He just finds me aggravating."
"On a good day," Tolan said, and conceded defeat by taking a sugared bun stuffed with pears and allowing Shaw to refill his wine. "Most days, I still want to see what soaking your head might accomplish."
Jakob and Marla coughed, trying and failing to hide their amusement.
Shaw rolled his eyes.
Moonrise laughed openly. "You really have met your match, Shaw." He started to say more, but a servant in black and silver livery drew up to the table, and handed a folded piece of paper to Marla.
She groaned as she read it. "Papa is ordering us home right this moment, or else." She winced. "I forgot Uncle said to be home before dark."
"We're dead," Jakob said gloomily.
Moonrise smiled and stood. "Come along, I will escort you home and explain everything. Even your Uncle must forgive being invited to dinner by Lord Seacrist." "Tolan," Marla said as they stood, smiling at him, "want to go down to the beach with us tomorrow? We have some practical lessons, but you could watch them and then we can show you around." Marla glanced at Shaw. "Lord Seacrist?"
"If you want to steal my apprentice, and he does not mind being stolen, then of course you may."
Tolan nodded in agreement, and smiled when Marla and Jakob beamed at him. Then they were gone, leaving Tolan alone with Shaw.He picked up his wine, and drank deeply to avoid saying something stupid.
"So are you still mad at me, Tolan?" Shaw asked. "I swear I didn't mean to run roughshod over your life. I thought you'd like Sorcery."
Tolan gave Goss a small, soft bit of strawberry. "You were only doing your duty in seeing another second-tier was properly trained. I shouldn't hav
e gotten mad about that. Any mage would kill to take my place right now."
"Doing my…" Shaw sounded so confused that Tolan looked up at him. Shaw did look confused—and hurt. "Do you honestly believe that I took you in just to do my duty? You—and everyone else—are always yelling at me for the exact opposite. For doing what I want, the way I want, regardless of what anyone else thinks. Now you say I'm only apprenticing you out of duty? You can't have it both ways. Which is it?"
Put that way, it did sound stupid. Tolan flushed and looked miserably at the table.
Shaw sighed, and Tolan heard the clink of coins on wood—then his hand was taken, and he was tugged to his feet, and the cold of a Shift washed over him. He stood in silence, watching as Shaw went about settling Goss for the night, coming forward only to kiss Goss good night and wish him pleasant dreams. All too soon, silence fell again, and he was acutely aware of Shaw's presence.
Restless, he strode around Shaw's rooms. They were, of course, beautifully appointed. It could not be everyone who maintained rooms in the royal palace. All shades of blue and green, beautifully arranged to resemble the sea, with touches of silver and pearl throughout. There were three rooms—the main sitting room, a smaller office where they had put Goss…and, Tolan suddenly realized, one bedroom.
If not for him, would Shaw even now be sharing it with Moonrise? Or would he simply leave the bed to Tolan, and go to see Moonrise in his own quarters? Were they lovers? He could not say for certain, any longer. They had seemed…and yet not seemed…over dinner. It was impossible to tell.
He listened as Shaw poured wine, the clink of glass, the splashing, but ignored it to stride to a window and looked out where moonlight glistened on the ocean; the way it made the snow shine.
"I thought you knew I took you in for more than duty," Shaw said quietly from across the room. "I did not realize that's what you thought of me—quite the opposite, in fact." "Why else would you?" Tolan snapped, suddenly unable to take it, unable to stay calm. Shaw always made him lose his temper, always made it easy to do so, when before not even the snottiest, most infuriating customers could do more than make him roll his eyes when they weren't looking. "I'm poor, minimally educated, of peasant birth, from a backwater village and had a lazy, selfish drunk for a master. There is nothing remarkable about me save for my magic, and you said yourself that all mages of my caliber were trained and given to the King."