Page 32 of By Mistake
"Not you, him."
"Oh.Do you mind if I sleep for a few hours?That wiped me out.Which reminds me—how did you accidentally summon Shimari and not die?If I'd tried to do it, there's a good chance I'd have died, and I'm no slouch when it comes to magic."
"He has untapped reserves for certain," Shimari said before Andrus could speak."For what it's worth, he slept for the better part of three days."
"Andrus!"Oresti bellowed.
"Damn it, Shimari!"Andrus snapped at the same time.
Shimari, wholly unrepentant, laughed.
Ten
It was dusk when Oresti woke from his nap, and he felt more rested than he had for ages.Apparently sleeping in the bed of his beloved, far away from court and work, did wonders for getting a restful sleep.
But now that he was rested, his stomach was loudly demanding food.Climbing out of bed, Oresti pissed, washed up, and went in search of food.
He found Shimari first, standing in the hallway addressing a line of servants—or rather, dismissing them, clearly having just finished a dressing down or giving orders or whatnot.As they cleared away, he finished descending the stairs, movements catching Shimari's eye."What was all that?"
Shimari grinned in that mischievous way of his."We've had to take on additional staff in the few hours you were asleep, and I was giving updated orders on the running of the household, especially as pertains to visitors,especiallyunexpected or unfamiliar visitors."
Oresti's brows rose, but he felt nothing negative along the bond he now shared with Shimari and Andrus, a low, constant thrum of awareness that he'd only ever read about, never expected to experience.
"Come and see."
He spun on his heel and strode off, and Oresti followed dutifully in his wake.He was led into what seemed to be a study, given the beautiful, mostly empty bookshelves, the worktable by the rounded bay window, an old globe that was probably decades out of date at least, beautiful deep blue drapes tied back to frame the window.The middle of the room was taken up by a sofa and chairs, and at the far end was an enormous desk, the kind meant for scholars, businessmen, other types always inundated in paper… and behind the desk, looking more than a little frazzled, was Andrus.
His head was in his hands, and he was just barely visible behind a heap of correspondence."Did the entire city send you letters?"
Andrus jumped, head jerking up, and then laughed sourly, half-hysterically, as he slumped back in his chair."I think so.I've more invitations to tea, soirees, dinners, balls, and garden parties than I can count.All thanks to your damned father."
"The damned king, you mean?"Oresti asked dryly.
Casting him a scathing look, Andrus pushed to his feet and rounded the desk, coming at him in a way that would normally have Oresti worried he was about to get punched.That wasn't really Andrus's style, though.Even before, when he'd found out Oresti's secret, he'd just crushed him with guilt and anguish—far more effective than trying to break his nose or jaw.
True to form, all Andrus did was jab him in the chest before giving him a half-hearted shove that didn't really move him at all."Yes, the damned king!I was bothering nobody!All I wanted was to do my shopping and flirt with a handsome investigator I stood no chance with!Now I am inundated in invitations to social gatherings I don't care about from people I don't know and mostly don't like, because your family is a bunch of controlling, interfering busybodies!"
Oresti captured the flailing hands and reeled him in for a quick, firm kiss."You do know you can just ignore them all, right?You're a friend of the royal family.You can do whatever you want or don't want."
"Oh, to have a life that easy," Andrus retorted."Your spoiled brat is showing."
Grinning, Oresti chucked his chin and stole another kiss."You can't be too upset if you're being feisty."
"Why do I keep putting up with you," Andrus said with a sigh that said he was the most long-suffering person in the city.
"I'm rich and pretty?"Oresti asked, and laughed when that got him another playful smack on the chest."What have I missed other than a flood of invitations?"
From the window, lurking by the curtains where he was nearly invisible in the recently fallen dark, save for the soft glow of his red eyes, Shimari said, "We have a creeper."
"We what?"Andrus said.
Oresti squeezed his shoulder reassuringly before looping around the study to avoid crossing the window and came up just beside and slightly behind Shimari."Show me."
"Across the street, the dark green house.Third floor, second window from the left.Watch close."
It didn't take long for Oresti to see it: the barest, tell-tale flicker of a shadow candle, favored by all those who did covert work but still needed light to see by.The flames were purple, subdued, enough to see by for things like writing or checking the time, and highly unlikely to be noticed unless one knew to look.
There was no reason at all for an attic window to be flickering with it in a good neighborhood on the quiet side of the city.More likely to be used by some young noble sneaking out for a night of debauchery.No servant would waste hard-earned money on such a thing.
