I grabbed the cloak from Jallina as I ducked into the shadows of the tree, easily closing the gate with magic as well.
She led me along the edge of the wall and building so that anyone casually looking into the night wouldn’t see us. The path led past the arboretum and out to the back gate, all in shadow.
Beyond the gate, there was a steady stream of pedestrians. I’d forgotten the city was still alive after dark.
Jallina motioned me down the street to an alleyway. She turned the corner as if she lived in the neighborhood. I followed a moment later, as a lantern flared to life.
Drez was sitting in the carriage. “Good evening, Mistress Kimber.”
Offering a hand, he helped both Jallina and me up into the seat with him.
“Good evening, Drez,” I finally answered. “Were you this confident I would sneak away?”
He and Jallina shared a look. “You’re our friend, and you’re still looking to make a bit of trouble.”
“Nope,” I answered. “You imagine things. What’s going on?”
Drez slapped the reins, and the horse started its trot out to the main street and into the night. “We’ve sent you a dozen letters in the past month. All asking you to come to coffee with us. That’s all they were asking.”
A chill went down my spine. “I haven’t received a thing.”
“That’s what I was afraid of,” Jallina said.
“Someone is censoring my mail?” It was new to me to think in terms of conspiracies, but I knew I had to do it.
“Yes,” Drez said. “I’m certain of it.”
Jallina sighed. “It’s inside the temple. We had several hand-delivered to the courier at the door, and you say you haven’t gotten anything.”
“Nothing personal at all since we’ve been in the dorm. Why would anyone want to censor my mail? I’m the newest and youngest temple master. I have no clout.” I chuckled. “Less than no clout. I’m a negative influence.”
“You think that?” Drez asked after he and Jallina traded looks.
“In the temple, I know it. There are fourteen masters. I have exactly five who would give me the time of day.”
Or their balls in my cup of tea, but they didn’t need to know that.
“You’re hugely popular,” Jallina smiled. “Hugely. S’Kir adores you. You’re young, you’re likable. You seem irreverent.”
I threw my head back and laughed hard. “I’m irreverent? The absolute last thing I am is irreverent. Good gods, no.”
Drez chuckled. “They don’t know you the way we do. There are bets in the parlors on who is going to bed you first in the temple.”
My jaw dropped. “What?”
The smirk on Jallina’s face was clear in the lantern light. “Indeed. Most people want to see you with Vitas, but a lot of people have also said you’d be drawn to Argo.”
I choked on my next breath. “Master Argo?!”
“The place is a hotbed, excuse the pun, of partner swapping.” Drez pulled the horse to the left through some more noisy neighborhoods. “Which, incidentally, I had no idea of. Apparently, the last time this all went down, we were still quite young, just in university.”
“The bets were put down on Vitas when he first got there.” I slapped a hand on my forehead. “Is it common knowledge that I have Elex in my bed?”
“They really don’t seem to care.” Jallina shrugged.
“I’m not going to be bedded by anyone else but Elex. He was invited to the temple to stay with me, and that’s how that’s going to remain.”
I was mortified that people were betting on who was going to sleep with me. Was that something they really needed to bet on? If that were true, I needed to invent a new sport—and not one that involved bedroom antics.
