Page 147 of Heir

Saying it had been satisfying. But now, after days of Arelia’s silence, Sufiyan realized he had, perhaps, been a touch childish. He needed to make it up to her.

Perhaps he could ask her about aqueducts. Judging from the way she stared at Burku’s, it would be a topic of great interest. And he liked listening to her talk. It was oddly soothing.

“Quil said Tas wouldn’t be at the embassy,” Sufiyan said. “He enjoys spending the Empress’s money. We need to find the most expensive brothel in the city.”

“The Bellflower,” Arelia said, and at Sufiyan’s raised eyebrows, she shrugged. “They have an underground fountain system that’s a marvelof aquatic engineering,” she said. “The Empress sent the engineering corps here to study it a year or so ago.”

Despite his dislike of Burku and his general irritation at being sent off like a servant by Quil, Sufiyan found himself smiling. Arelia always managed to surprise him.

Two hours later, they approached the Bellflower. They’d cleaned up, boarded their horses, and now posed as a giddy married couple visiting the brothel on a lark. Arelia hooked her arm through Sufiyan’s, and he found he was distracted by the way her fingers tightened on his wrist, the way her body pressed against his.

“Our dear friend Rano told us to ask for him by name.” Sufiyan spoke down his nose to the doorman, using the fake name Quil had shared. The doorman, to Sufiyan’s immense irritation, couldn’t seem to lift his gaze above Arelia’s bustline. “Youdoknow Rano?”

“Fourth floor, northeast corner.” The doorman collected their entry fee and, spotting Sufiyan’s glower, averted his eyes. “The green room.”

They entered to a high glass ceiling and long marbled hallways. A fountain sprawled across the central rotunda, jets of dancing water shooting from one corner of its pool to another, changing every few seconds. Sufiyan wanted to reach for the little sketch pad Quil had gotten him on his yearfall. He doodled in it here and there, but this was worth sitting down and studying for a day or two.

“The pressure system below the tiles is what allows those jets to shoot so high.” Arelia’s admiration was clear. “The sheer force of—” She caught herself, as she sometimes did. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine by me.” Sufiyan glanced around, trying to figure out which way was northeast. “I wish I loved something that much. I used to, but—” He’d loved many things. Drawing. Medicine. Archery.

“You will again,” Arelia said, squeezing his wrist so that he looked at her, surprised. “It will take time, is all.”

Sufiyan didn’t know what to say to that, so he grabbed Arelia’s hand—something she didn’t seem to mind—and pulled her ahead with the single-mindedness of an eager newlywed.

Laughter and other, more titillating sounds drifted out of the many rooms they passed, and Arelia craned her neck, trying to get a glimpse of whatever was going on within. Soon after leaving the fountain hall, they walked beneath a sculpture of two—or possibly three—people so closely entwined that it was difficult to figure out where one body began and another ended. Arelia stopped to stare, brow furrowed.

“Now, how would that even work—anatomically—considering that his leg is there, but hers is—”

“Now’s not the time.” Sufiyan’s neck heated, which was ridiculous, as he was certain he had more carnal knowledge than Arelia. Yet here he was, lowering his gaze like a stuffy old grandfather. He cleared his throat. “Come back and get lessons if you’re so interested.”

“Hmm, I might.”

He flushed at the imagethatconjured and focused on getting to the stairs.

They found Tas a few minutes later, surrounded by a bevy of half-clad companions, all laughing uproariously at something he’d said. Sufiyan wanted to shove them aside and hug the man who was like an older brother to him. He wanted to rejoice at the fact that, after so many weeks of hunting, Tas was exactly where Quil said he would be.

Except, of course, Tas was surrounded by prostitutes. And he was also spectacularly drunk.

“Bleeding hells,” Sufiyan muttered. “Is he even going to recognize—”

“My dears!” Tas saw them and opened his arms. Arelia reddened, for when he stood up, he was wearing next to nothing. “You came! Oh, do excuse me, beauties.” He leered at the two courtesans closest to him. “Friendship calls.”

He staggered up, wrapping one arm around Sufiyan and the other around Arelia, smelling so strongly of wine that Sufiyan, who avoided alcohol, practically choked.

“About bleeding time,” Tas hissed. Sufiyan got a good look at his friend’s eyes—clear and bright. “Expected you weeks ago. Laugh, for skies’ sake, there are watchers in these halls.”

Arelia slapped Tas on the chest, giggling convincingly, and Tas swept them down a hallway and up a flight of stairs, talking about basking in the weather and devouring the food and delighting in the entertainment until finally, they entered another, simpler room. It had elegant pine furnishings and a large fireplace, but was thankfully empty of naked people.

As soon as the door shut, Tas dropped his arms and pulled on a robe, to Sufiyan’s relief and Arelia’s obvious disappointment.

“What the hells are you doing in a brothel?” Sufiyan asked. “I thought you were supposed to be spying. Not…” He waved his hand around suggestively.

“Iwasspying.” Tas gave him a withering look. “I spent a month trying to get close to the harbormistress’s favorite prostitute. He’s a flighty one and usually only sees her. You two nearly ruined the whole thing.” He took a closer look at Arelia.

“I don’t think we’ve met,” he said. “You’re the engineer, right? I don’t get to Navium much. Quil says you’re brilliant. Didn’t mention you were pretty.” Tas grinned and Sufiyan struggled not to kick him.

“Probably because they’re cousins,” Sufiyan said icily. He’d forgotten how irritating Tas could be.

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