“Use your words.” I reached into my breast pocket and pulled out a hat pin that I’d borrowed from Gre.
He snarled and sank into the wall, grumbling the entire time.
“Peace and quiet…and calm.” I glared at the thin seam of darkness pooling in the corner like a scolded child. Gre’s trick was amazing.
“Now for paperwork. Boring, calm paperwork. My favorite.” I sighed and settled in before dimming the light in my office to abate my headache and enjoy some peace and solitude.
Chapter Eleven
Greginald
Vincenzo bustled about the kitchen, hovering around from pot to pan lightly frying fish fillets. With my aid, Esmeray could enjoy meat and wine with some frequency and control Ausmius’s little quirks.
I sat at my front desk, leafing through an inventory log with a frown. Always running low on chamomile and garnet sand.
Esmeray muddled about in one of my storage closets, the interior of which had been enchanted to hold more of our stuff. “Gre, have you seen where we put my hell-borne and thaumaturgy books?”
“You told me to put your books on their own shelves separate from mine but I didn’t have room, so I cleared one of my fantasy bookshelves, packed it up, and made it your grimoire shelf. It’s in the back of my study, where I put your desk. I’ll get around to the spellwork to make a new office for you.” I smiled over my shoulder and earned a polite nod.
“I can make do with my books there and a desk in the bedroom or to the side somewhere. I understand you need privacy, but I’m not concerned.” He waved me off as he strode by me purposefully toward my office.
Truth told, the only time I needed privacy was with a client.
“Besides, I don’t think all this spatial magic in one place is a good thing, necessarily.” He squinted about.
“Only if I accidentally overlap spaces.” My skin tingled as something in the dim evening light outside my window flickered, a presence invading my space. “Esmeray. I feel like we may have company.”
“I’ll make myself scarce.” He stepped into the kitchen, exchanging quiet words with Vincenzo as the cooking continued. Looked like it’d be another forty-five minutes at least.
The door opened, and I glanced toward the door, adjusting my gaze because I was so accustomed to staying in my giraffid form. I adjusted my gaze farther down.
A hybrid strode into my office, followed closely in tow by another, two creatures I was very familiar with. And despite their petite size and soft features, they were much,mucholder than they appeared. “Mage of Gray.”
A velvet-eared rabbit hybrid, hair a pale white with equally fuzzy pink ears, stared up at me, eyes just as red as any leucistic wild counterpart. The petit omega male sauntered in, full hips rolling sensually with every step, squeezed into tight pants that left little to the imagination.
Behind the rabbit slinked in a dark-skinned male, skin a rich umber hailing from desert climes. Black, silken hair spilled over shoulders as sleek and flat as the ears atop his head, black tail swishing behind him. Kohl-lined green eyes stared me down.
“Lune,” I cooed, greeting the rabbit before bowing and smiling at his companion. The waifish cat hybrid, sporting his ears and tail, gave me an unimpressed stare that was probably catlike affection. Still, he approached and hopped onto my counter with a purr while purposefully ignoring me. I stroked his head to earn a hum of affection. “And Lionel.”
“It is good to see you, mage.” Lune circled my counter and hopped onto one of my stools to sit, legs crossed. He batted lovely white lashes at me and smiled, lips curved upward almostslightlyharelike. A flaw and a mark of beauty in one.
“And it is wonderful to see you. I needed to make time to come visit you and the mistresses soon, anyway!” I cleared my throat as Lionel scoffed.
The black cat stretched out across my counter, idly knocking a few papers to the floor with a careless hum. “Mistress is annoyed with you, mage.”
“I know, she must be. I swear I had intentions on coming sooner.” I held up my hands, but his gaze locked onto me with an intensity I’d not seen before.
“You stole someone from her path.” He flicked me an annoyed glance and let his gaze wander to the doorway to my kitchen, a sleek brow raising at Esmeray as he approached. “Ahhh. I see it.”
Lionel curved his body and assumed a seductive pose as Esmeray glanced from guest to guest and gave me a curious stare.
“Esmeray, these are avatars of Bastet and Diana,” I said, gesturing from Lionel to Lune.
“Charmed.” Lune held out a hand and Esmeray took it for a gentle shake, offering the same to Lionel, who sniffed, stared at it, and then summarily ignored it.
“I apologize for being taken from your mistress’s hold. I cannot remember what happened after…” Esmeray gestured about, as the memories were obscured and traumatic. “It was my father’s demand.”
Lune looked Esmeray up and down with calculations rolling in his eyes for a long moment before smiling. “You are a good fit for our mage.”
