“Merrick doesn’t stand a chance.” Kit gave another quiet laugh before seeming to think better of it. “Not that I’m encouraging that. I’d rather you two put your differences aside for tonight, at least.”
On the stove, the water began to roll with bubbles.
My nose scrunched as he pulled away to tend to the steaming kettle. “You’re just worried I’ll ruin your dinner.”
“Ourdinner.” His tone held the slightest warning.
I waved a dismissive hand. “I make no promises. Merrick gave me nothing but trouble for years growing up. Whatever he gets now is every bit his due.”
Kit retrieved the bag of coffee grounds and dipped a spoon into them while muttering, “That’s what I’m afraid of.”
Conversation after that was much more pleasant until Kit took his leave to wash up before our dinner engagement. I reluctantly followed suit and dressed in the new clothes I’d bought with my earnings from leatherwork. A tidy appearance would give Merrick one less thing to disparage me about.
When it came time to leave, we took a moment in the living area. I pressed into Kit with a full-bodied hug and kiss. It surprised me when he slipped an arm around my waist and came back just as enthusiastically, even opening his lips and letting me explore the warmth of his mouth.
By the time we broke apart, I was grinning. “That was quite a parting gift, Mister Mosel.”
“Incentive,” he replied and bent to tug on his boots. “Mind your manners at dinner, and we can pick back up when we get home.”
I groaned, and Kit laughed, then led the way out of the house.
According to Kit, the home of the Shroud Wardenshouldhave looked exactly like all the other houses in Ashpoint. The Bone Men were nothing if not fans of order and conformity, and their approach to housing was much the same as it was to everything else: modesty, scarcity, and the bare essentials.
So, as we walked up the path to Merrick and Violette’s house, I was more than a bit taken aback. A blood-red banner with Eeus’s mark painted in black hung under the window on their front door, fluttering in the breeze, and a wind chime made of delicate bird bones and a raccoon skull rattled beneath the lantern beside the doorway.
Kit snorted a laugh, and I fixed him with a curious look. He gestured to the odd decor. “This is the equivalent of your brother parading around in his ceremonial robes all day. I can’t believe he gets away with being so pretentious. He would have been punished for a display like this if my father was still alive.”
“Why?”
He shrugged. “We’re all supposed to be parts of the whole once we go through our initiations. No one is supposed to stand out. I mean, you’ve seen the house my father lived in, even when he was the Right Hand. He may have considered himself better than everyone else here, but it wasn’t overt like this. His subtlety was how he managed to remain above reproach and keep his position. It’s all about wearing the right mask so you look like you’re just like the next guy.”
I eyed the bone wind chime and shifted the tart from one hand to the other. “I’m not very good at that.”
“I know. It's one of the things I like most about you.” Kit smiled and bumped his shoulder against mine as we ascended the stairs.
Before we could knock, Violette threw the door open and practically pounced on Kit with a crushing hug. She smacked a kiss on his cheek before pulling back and grabbing me up the same way. Kit rescued the tart from my hand before it ended up on the porch steps while the tall woman did her best to squeeze the life out of me.
My eyes bugged as I shot Kit a “help me” look over Violette’s shoulder.
“It’s so good to see you both!” she crowed, pulling back to peck my cheek. “Come in, come in.” She plucked the tart from Kit's hands and swept into the house. “Merry! Kit and your brother are here.”
Merrick stood in the main living area, for once in casual clothes, with a drink in his hand. He was clearly fighting a sneer when he muttered, “Half-brother.”
I scowled. “Thank you for reminding me how fortunate I am not to be more closely related to you.”
Merrick’s sudden flush darkened the bruise that had blossomed beneath his right eye. I imagined on closer inspection it had the approximate shape of my fist.
“That looks awful,” I quipped as I advanced into the house.
Violette was on my heels, her voice like a fly buzzing in my ear. “He’s been rather a baby about it. Insisted on getting a balm from the herbalist to put on it but won't tell me how he got it.”
Merrick must have seen the amusement crinkling my eyes because he grew even more severe. “It's unimportant,” he said, though I wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince his wife or me.
Kit stayed close, and I remembered his last-minute bid to ensure my good behavior, but I couldn’t keep one last snipe from slipping out.
“Did you have an accident at work?” I asked Merrick. “Perhaps a book fell from a high shelf and landed on your face? You really should be more careful.”
Merrick’s forehead scrunched while Violette erupted in cackling laughter. She patted Merrick’s shoulder as she passed him on her way to the kitchen.
