Page 11 of Research with Rivals
Focusing on what advantages Ambrose might already have in our competition would get me nowhere. Still, I couldn’t quite rid myself of the scene in the library, when I’d blurted out that I wanted this position—to him, of all people.
What if I didn’t get it? Ambrose would be unbearable. My skin felt too tight as I relived my most embarrassing moment of the day. The beast I’d thought calm awoke with my discomfort.Deep breath in through my nose and back out through my nose.It felt like my every spare thought was spent trying to control my shift.
Fortunately, this familiar routine demanded my attention. Unfortunately, I was an expert multitasker. My brain ran a mile a minute, so even as I took orders and delivered meals, I cycled through my troubles at the library. Luna and Vincent’s arrival a few hours later was my only signal that time had passed.
“Two Solstice Sips?” Seraphina asked as they took seats at the bar.
I was collecting another order nearby and couldn’t help but smile. “They’re getting a little predictable, aren’t they?”
Luna tucked one of her silver strands behind her ear. “I still love hearing Vincent order it. Please don’t take that from me. He gets so excited—and a little pretentious—when requesting the drink he helped create.”
Vincent’s cheeks pinkened, but he smiled with nothing but adoration for Luna. “I live to make you smile with my slightly pretentious comments.”
Seraphina mock-vomited from behind the bar, but her own smile was wide from their banter. They might have met through a tangled bargain, but their romance had bloomed like unchecked wildflowers anyway. Luna’s head fell onto Vincent’s shoulder, and his wind magic rustled her hair while his arm slipped around her waist. She deserved nothing less than the worship he and his magic continued to heap upon her.
“Deliver that order, Evelyn,” Seraphina said. “Then Vincent can cover for me a moment while we slip out. I don’t think you’ve made it out of your funk.”
I picked up the drinks and nodded. These females had done so much for me. I hated to ask them to listen to me whine, but they’d recently reminded me that friends wanted to know things about each other. I had promised to do better at sharing parts of my life, especially those at the library.
With a quick wave to Mina, I slipped out of the main room and down the hallway to the employee entrance. When I pushed open the door, Luna was already taking off her shoes and gesturing to Seraphina to do the same.
Seraphina’s lip twitched into a smile even as she asked, “Is this necessary?”
“Very,” Luna responded as she hopped into the moat. “You’ll join me, right, Evelyn?”
I wasn’t sure about the science behind standing in the water to relieve stress. It might help Luna because she was half-Norden, or water fae, but mostly, I thought she just enjoyed it. I shrugged and took off my boots, too.
Seraphina was doing the same when I hopped from the small ledge into the river surrounding the tavern. “Well, this is a fun new tradition for consulting on a bad day.”
“What’s up, Evelyn?” Luna asked. Her bright blue eyes were wide and inviting. She was one of the most selfless people I knew, besides Seraphina, although Seraphina did her best to hide her nature.
I sighed. “I guess I didn’t let everything go as much as I’d hoped.”
Seraphina chuckled. “I think you only took it out on the returned dishes, but…” She shrugged. “We’d love to hear if you want to talk.”
“I was invited to work on a special project today.”
“The one the Vesten God is here for?” Luna asked.
They already knew this part because Lord Arctos was a guest at Luna’s inn, so I nodded. “He and Gabriel only selected two researchers, and the work is well within my specialty. They said that whoever finds the answer they’re looking for will be promoted to Vesten historian.”
Luna was smiling, like she assumed I already had the promotion.
Seraphina was more cautious. “Who is the other researcher?”
Even Luna’s face fell when she realized what Seraphina was asking.
“Ambrose Yarrow.”
Luna’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Wasn’t his father big in the library, too?”
Ambrose was one of Vincent’s closest friends. I wasn’t surprised she knew a little about his family. I nodded. “The current Vesten Point, Carter, was the last one to hold the Vesten historian position. He retired to take on court leadership, but Ambrose’s father was the historian before that.”
“But that doesn’t matter if you do the research better, right?” Luna asked.
Seraphina patted Luna’s shoulder like she didn’t want to spoil her view of the world. Luna scowled and swatted at her. “Lord Arctos seems fair. He wouldn’t make it a competition if it weren’t one.”
“I do think Lord Arctos and Gabriel have the best intentions,” I said.
