“That one’s good, but the erotic poetry is in that one on the nightstand, if that’s what you were looking for.”
I screamed, I couldn’t help it, and dropped the book I was holding. Ciaran was right behind me; he’d somehow arrived without me hearing him.
“What the hell!” I shrieked. I picked up the book and smacked him on the arm with it.
“Sorry. I couldn’t resist. How did you not hear me?” He chuckled darkly. My heart took a few moments to restart as I clutched my chest.
“How did it go with Elena?” Ciaran stepped back into the common area of the apartment; I followed.
“It was fun actually. She’s amazing. Thank you for introducing us,” I replied honestly.
“Of course. I had a feeling you two would get along. Elena has been through a lot,” Ciaran explained. He was carrying a paper shopping bag full of groceries and began to take them out and place them in the kitchen cupboards. “She’s a good person totalk to. If you ever feel the need to get anything off your chest.” He was, once again, so considerate. I couldn’t believe I had thought he was a villain just a few days ago.
“Elena told me she’s dancing in a show tonight. She said you would take me?” I made myself ask the question, even though I was nervous he would tell me no.
Ciaran’s eyes lit up. “You’d want to go—with me?” He emphasized the last part of the statement—with me. Oh no. Had I just inadvertently asked my forced roommate, king of the magical City Beneath Lutesse, out on a date? Shit. I had to backpedal.
“I want to go see Elena… not like… together or anything. Just if you’re going, I’ll come along… If you don’t mind, I mean…” I was stumbling over my words. Shit, shit, shit.You are such an idiot, Seraphina.
“Sure, you can tag along, but definitely not together or anything.” He was mocking me, leaning casually on the counter.
“I just meant… we can go as friends, not like a date.”
Why could I not just shut up? Why was I still talking? What business did Ciaran have looking so good in a fucking plain black shirt? Those shoulders… the way it stretched across the planes of muscle on his chest… I could barely form a sentence.Stop it.
“Oh, so we’re friends now?” He grinned. “Thank the Goddess. I was thinking we were still in the ‘enemies’ phase of our relationship.”
I rolled my eyes, his humour disarming me once again. “Okay, I admit it. We’re friends. You saved me. You deserve it. Now can I come to the show tonight?”
“Of course. And I already told you we were friends. But just so you know, Seraphina, friends don’t snoop through friends’ sexy book collections.”
The book in question was still in my hands. I threw it at him.
DRAG
The show, it turned out, was much later in the evening. Ciaran took it upon himself to cook dinner. As someone who could barely boil water, I was fascinated by his abilities. I shouldn’t have been surprised by his culinary prowess. I had first met him in his chef whites at a brutally exclusive kitchen, after all. But nonetheless, I was impressed. And flattered. Ever since finding out his position of authority in this underground city, I couldn’t help but wonder why he was helping me so much. Surely he could have just shuffled me off to someone else—made me into their problem. But here he was. Sharing his space, his time, his resources.
I stood in the cramped kitchen and chatted with Ciaran while he cooked, trying to get him to tell me about his techniques and recipes. He was pleasant to talk to. What I had initially interpreted as annoying had transformed into a playful banter between the two of us, and I found myself wanting to spend time sparring with him.
“Tell me what you’re making,” I needled him from the sidelines.
“I don’t really have a plan, I’m just cooking. It’ll be delicious, don’t worry. I won’t poison you.” His low voice and lilting accent were, as always, so pleasing to my ear.
“How do you even know how to do this? I don’t know the first thing about cooking.” I peered over his broad shoulders as he deftly chopped a shallot into perfectly even eighth inch pieces. He handled the knife with precision and speed.
“My mother was an excellent cook. She taught me a lot before she died. When I came to Lutesse after being forced out of Erinn, I didn’t have any money, and working in kitchens was one of the only things I found I could do without being too conspicuous. It’s kind of the perfect place to hide. Cooking kept me busy, employed, and it has given me a creative outlet.”
“Do you miss it now that you’re a wanted fugitive in Lutesse?” I asked, wondering the same thing about myself and the creative outlet that dancing in the opera had provided.
“Sometimes. I could always cook somewhere down here, of course. But I have so many other duties.”
“Like what?” I wondered out loud.
“Well…” he began tentatively, sliding the shallots off the cutting board into a pot that was heating on one of the gas burners, his shoulders flexing under his shirt as he did. “As I am one of the elected officials of our city council…” He said it offhanded, like his title didn’t mean anything, glancing sideways at me, sighing. “I oversee the entire council, alright?”
I made a little “pfft” sound. I still couldn’t believe he hadn’t told me who he really was. That I had to find out about it from Elena.
“Because it is a skill I possess, I was also tasked with searching for magic wielders within the city proper. Until I became a wanted criminal above, that is. Now I’m stuck down here.” He shrugged, slinging a white towel over his shoulder in a smooth motion. “I enjoy what I do for the council, though. It’srewarding. This place is important. Our people have all come from a place of fear and persecution. It’s important to me that we ensure they are cared for. That we continue to foster an environment where we care for each other.”
