Page 10 of By Mistake
"Here."
He looked up and took the steaming porcelain mug that smelled of tea, honey, and whisky that Andrus knew damn good and well he didn't own."Where did you magic up whisky?"
Greivs laughed."I keep a flask on me.You never know when or how alcohol will prove useful.Drink up, apply more ointment before you go to bed, and get plenty of rest.I'll ensure you are not troubled further, but fully expect Oresti to show up as soon as he can to fuss over you.I was serious earlier."
"What do you mean?"Andrus asked, even as his heart kicked up, because he knew very well what Greivs was referring to.
"He's smitten with you.Doesn't even realize it himself, I don't think, or at least won't admit it.Never seen him sweet on anyone.His family quite despairs, actually, because they've had countless offers of marriage for him, but his father does not believe in forcing anyone to marry."
"Well, they should probably do it anyway, because even if it was true he is smitten with a loser like me, letting him pursue that would be the stupidest thing anyone has ever done.I have nothing, Iamnothing, and it's long past time all of us remembered that and you two go your own way.Thank you for the help and the toddy.Goodnight, Master Greivs."Andrus strode off, vanishing into the backrooms and locking the door of his bedroom behind him.
It chafed at him, being so rude, but it was kinder than letting this peculiar arrangement or whatever it was continue on.Also safer for them, as even the wealthiest merchant in the city would not be able to stand successfully against the ruthless, conniving force that was Lord Grell Farthing, sixth Earl of Hashne, and the cretin of all cretins.
His day had been going sowell.He had money, he'd been planning on new clothes, he had Oresti's attention for at least a little while longer…
Now he was battered, bruised, and scared—of what Farthing would do to him, and worse, what he'd do to Oresti and Greivs.This wasn'tfair.He had to do something.
Fighting back was out of the question; if he could do that he wouldn't have a broken nose and a face that was one big bruise.He couldn't hide behind Oresti like a fucking coward, either.He was pathetic, but he wasn't a coward.
That left leaving, the one thing he'd never wanted to do, because this was his home.This was all he had left of his family, broken and miserable as that family had been.He'd played in the garden as a child.He'd hidden in the long-empty library to cry when his first attempts at friendship and later romance had shattered his heart to pieces, when he'd truly come to understand that nobody would ever want someone like him.
He'd had to leave his parents to rot in the temple because he couldn't afford to give the bodies a proper cremation.Had sacrificed food for weeks to be able to bring the bones home when they were ready.Even now those bones sat tucked away awaiting a proper ceremony he'd never be able to give them.
He'd spent what felt like most of his life in the kitchen making the barest scraps into meals, using tea leaves until they had absolutely nothing left to give.All he had left of them were memories and this house.
But memories couldn't keep him safe and warm.Memories couldn't spare Oresti from Farthing's wrath.Only Andrus not being here would keep all of them safe.Where would he go?With what money?At least he did have some coin.He could pack up whatever foodstuffs would survive indefinitely; his limited clothes wouldn't take up much room.If only he had someone to help him, he could take even more.
Someone to help him…
Once, only once, when he was very young, his mother had gone into the secret basement room and summoned up what she'd called a brownie, a very minor type of demon that was useful for doing mundane chores and other trivial things.The brownie had helped her move furniture and other heavy things to sell, resulting in money enough to keep them in food for weeks.It had been one of the few times that Andrus had gotten to eat meat that wasn't smoked or salted or otherwise cured.It had been some sort of fowl he couldn't remember the name of, the best thing he'd ever tasted.He'd never had it since.
After all the furniture and ornamentation was gone, she'd dismissed the brownie, and he'd never again noticed her using magic.
If he had a brownie, it could help him pack and carry, maybe even haul a cart if he could find one to borrow or buy.There were plenty of villages and small towns outside the city, surely he could figure out something in one of them.Find work, since there would be nobody who even knew of Farthing.
And Farthing would probably never find him.He'd be safe.Oresti and Greivs would be safe, which was the truly important thing.The house would eventually fall in on itself, the magic would die with it, and whoever took it over could have the mess.
Ignoring the heavy ache in his chest, Andrus abandoned his bedroom to venture into the basement to see what was required to summon a brownie.Surely it couldn't be that difficult.
Four
Oresti should be tackling his very long list of problems, especially Farthing and the matter of Willow-White.Instead, he was staring at jewelry like…
Like a smitten fool.He could keep denying it all he liked, but everyone had been teasing him mercilessly, and he hadn't bought a 1000 sel bottle of wine just because he was friendly with Andrus.No, he wanted to be Andrus's friend and lover… but he could not in good conscience be either.Not with the difference in power between them.Not when Andrus was already being harassed by a powerful lord.Oresti would never stoop so low.If all he could do was help Andrus, be friendly, improve his days as far as Andrus would permit, then he would take that and be content.
"You look troubled, milord."
Oresti smiled at the vendor, a handsome woman who bargained ruthlessly and kept a sharp eye on her goods, even when bold thieves thought she was turned away."Merely indecisive.May I examine that necklace there?"
"Of course."She took the indicated necklace from the case and offered it to him.
He grasped it gently, worried his big, rough and calloused hands would break the fragile gold chain.From it hung what had first caught his eye: a charm of an adorable cat, one paw extended to catch the autumn leaf that attached to the bevel from which the charm hung.
Though he couldn't say why, the cat immediately made him think of Andrus.He'd always liked cats, though, how they were resilient and tough and afraid of nothing, but any creature with intelligence was wary of their wrath.Despite that, they were also the sweetest creatures on earth.If he had the time to devote to them, he would happily keep multiple cats around.
Plan for retirement, if he ever got that far.
For the present, he set to cheerfully haggling for the necklace, more than happy to let the vendor win the day.When the necklace was boxed up nicely, bow and everything, he tucked it carefully into a pickpocket-proof pocket and carried on with his day.
