Page 10 of Moon Tamed

Laughing, I shook my head. “Those papers would win.”

“They really might. Don’t worry if they send you home early. The contract guarantees weekly hours and pays overtime,” he reminded me. “I know you rotate often, but you’re ideal for this job.”

“I can handle it. I think I’ll be able to learn a lot doing the work.”

“Good. Head home if you want.” Rather than head home, I would see if Sila was around. I thanked my boss and retreated. My friend’s office, not much larger than a closet, was located on the other end of the building.

Luck was with me, as I found Sila in her office. As she didn’t have room for a second chair, I sat on her desk. “I survived the first day.”

“How many days will you survive, though? Am I in your will?”

“I’m not sure. I’ll think about checking next week. How was your day?”

“Good. Better than normal good. I have a date tonight. Do you?”

I shook my head, as I’d be off the market for a while due to work obligations. When honest with myself, Calden Stephans did a good job of removing my emotional availability. Until I came to terms with his unavailability, I would do myself a favor and stay off the dating market. “The next few weeks are going to be exceptionally busy.”

“I bet. Any juicy intel on Calden Stephans?”

Under no circumstances could Sila learn I’d joined the crowd of women charmed by the faction’s heir. Unlike most, I understood I wouldn’t be anything more than a helpful secretary, blessed with a view of a friendly man worth staring at. “Not particularly, although he’s on strange terms with his father. They’re a lot closer—and more argumentative—than I expected.”

“Oh, you mean their feud. Nobody knows who started it or why, but it’s fun. Reporters love trying to catch them in the act. As they stick to low-key events, no one gets as many pictures as we want. There is a website dedicated to them. There is a city-state bachelor competition going on, and we voted for Calden.”

“Is he aware of this?”

Sila shrugged. “Who knows? Who cares? All he has to do to contribute is exist—and go places we can take pictures of him. Hey! You could take pictures of him.”

“No.”

“Come on. Please?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I have no desire to take pictures of someone who doesn’t want me taking pictures of him.”

Heaving a sigh, Sila leveled her saddest pout at me. “It’s hard to argue with that.”

“That’s the whole point. I’m to email in with updates, so feel free to use my office until I’m back. You might even get it permanently. Will I survive working at the same place for longer than a week? It looks like we’re going to find out. Give me a nice funeral should I perish.”

“If you’re going to perish, take some pictures first. It’s the least you can do.”

I laughed. “I’ll think about it.”

I could have gone home, but I decided to haunt the doorstep of my parents’ house, a row house in one of the historic parts of Moonriver. For four hundred years, someone in my father’s family had lived in the place, restoring it time and time again. Ten years ago, it had gotten a lot of love and care, preserving my childhood memories. Some of the stones were new, but the place remained mostly the same.

One day, it would become my younger brother’s, as everyone understood I often roamed.

Peter showed up first, and I greeted my brother with a wave. “How is life among the crafters?”

“Dad did my test, so I failed. Again. Of course, everyone who did Dad’s test failed, but are you surprised by this? Apparently, we were getting sloppy with the masonry, so we needed an artisan to teach us a lesson.”

At a hair over six feet, Peter towered over me. He joined me on the step and kissed my temple. “What brings you over? It’s not Saturday.”

“I have a semi-permanent assignment.”

“Well, there goes my sister’s perfect world, shattered beyond redemption. All things are ending.”

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