Page 62 of This Monster of Mine

Admia’s eyebrows arched. “You’re very interested in how I allocatemycoin.”

So, the money goes to you. It had probably paid for her dazzling emerald robes. She recalled those winters where grain had run dry. Cretus had ceased serving flatbread, and there hadn’t been so much as a crust to steal. So this was one of the people behind those hard months. A well-fed viper.

Cisuré shot her a warning glance. “No! She’s curious about how you’reexpandingoperations. Have you considered bringing Urd farming techniques to other countries with arid soil? I hear that Kashyal is facing drought.”

Admia tsked. “Their rulers won’t hear of it, but there’s coin in the venture,certo.”

The tarts Sarai had been shoveling in her mouth were starting to taste like dirt. She’d assumed that Kadra’s rebuffing of the law was asinine, because surely, as a Tetrarch, he could change everything with a few words on a scroll. Yet, the Tetrarchy’s hands were largely fettered when it came to economic matters—the leveraging of Guild taxes, rent, or the price of goods—where Guilds and nobles held more power and less responsibility. And their greed ran too deep for words on parchment to accomplish anything.

Stomach leaden, she gave her empty plate to an attendant collecting them with a whispered thanks, and realized that she’d lost Cisuré. Squintingin search of her, she jumped at a tap on her shoulder. An inebriated group of what looked to be siblings eyed her with curiosity.

“Good evening.” She glanced at the signet ring on a man’s hands.Nobles.

“You’re Kadra’s Petitor, right?” The ring’s owner clapped clumsily when she nodded. “Perfect. See, he never comes, and my sister’s tired of putting up with this bore in the hope that he’ll arrive.” He nudged his sister who rolled her eyes.

“I asked where he wasonce,” she grumbled. “But really, why doesn’t he come?”

Sarai was at a loss. “Well, I wouldn’t know.” She assumed he’d been invited. Aelius wasn’t the sort to scorn him. “He’s quite busy.”

“Aren’t we all?” Signet Ring chuckled. “He was always off somewhere before, and he’s still at it.” He dropped his voice. “We were magi-in-training at the Academiae, you know. Different years, but he wasknown.”

She couldn’t resist probing further. “Was he a difficult student?”

“Difficult?” Signet Ring whistled. “He was a genius. Spun lightning in circles around us, literally. Tetrarch Aelius had just become Head Tetrarch, and everyone was already putting Kadra’s name forward as his replacement. His old man was furious.”

“He was furious every day,” another chimed in. “Wasn’t a day when he wouldn’t chew him out in public.”

“Entertaining as shit,” his sister guffawed. “In class, Kadra was untouchable, and outside, Othus was boxing his ears behind Safsher Hall.” She mimicked a harsh, male voice. “I wanted the best, and I got you!”

Oh. Sarai quieted. So Kadra had known it too. The awful feeling of being watched through one’s denigration.

“So you’ve lived with him a month, right?” Signet Ring’s sister began speculatively.

“I barely see him,” Sarai said shortly, before the group could start prying. Politely excusing herself, she wandered about the room deep in thought until a familiar man entered her path, wineskin in hand.

“Evening, barmaid. You couldn’t look more lost if you tried. Here.” Telmar passed her a wineglass.

“Good to see you, too, Magus Telmar. But I’ve already had—”

“Just hold it. It helps you look less confused. See? You aren’t alone and friendless. You’re on your way to a drink.”

Sarai cracked a smile, and he looked pleased.

“You’ll get used to this.” He grinned cheerfully, well on his way to sotted. “Just a lot of hob …” He paused in search of the word. “Cob?”

“Hobnobbing?” Sarai offered.

“Precisely!” He smacked his thigh and tottered. Sarai caught his elbow with a wince and gently ushered him over to the sidelines where he proceeded to inform several attendees that he’d “discovered her.”

Anek joined her, a vision in scarlet, fiery hair in lustrous, tight curls. “Gods only know why he’s always like that.” They shook their head sadly. “But this business is something else. More uncomfortable than the Robing.”

“I’ll drink to that.” Sarai sighed. “I’m out of place.”

“I doubt I belong here either.” They shrugged. “But I’ll show up until I do. They can make the space for me.”

She envied their confidence. “I keep thinking that they won’t.”

“We’re already past the hardest part. Not everyone gets an invitation to one of these, only big names. I believe Tetrarch Kadra was invited a few years ago when he was a iudex, and never went after the first.”

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