“Hey,” Calrain said thoughtfully after several long moments had passed. His eyes were trained on the windows. “Perhaps I am imagining things, but I have a feeling that this house might beunoccupied.”
“Really?” Riann’s eyes lit as he took a closer look. All the shutters were drawn, and the garden looked a bit overgrown. “Shall weinvestigate?”
Tariel nodded. “Let’s go around theback.”
They skirted the high metal fence that surrounded the property until they came to the back gate. Tariel pressed her hand to the lock, and with a bit of concentration, used her magic to open it. The mechanism gave with a loud click, and they hurried through the open gate, careful to close and lock it behind them. Calrain and Riann looked around furtively as Tariel approached a side door, but if there were any servants lurking about in the garden, they were wellhidden.
“Quiet now,” she whispered as she unlocked the door. They slipped inside, and took care to wipe their feet on the mat so they would not leave muddy tracks. The house was pitch dark with all the shutters drawn, so Tariel conjured a light, but she still silenced their footfalls as they crept through the house, her ears straining for any sign ofoccupants.
“I don’t hear or see anyone,” Riann said. “Just a rat scurrying about in the cellar, and the windoutside.”
“Yes, I think it’s safe,” Tariel agreed. “Well done, Calrain.” She beamed at him. “You found us a place tostay.”
“And a nice one, too,” Riann added, plopping down heavily on a sofa in the drawing room. He kicked off his boots and put his feet up on a low table. “All we need is a butler to bring me a pipe or adrink.”
Tariel smirked. “I wouldn’t get too comfortable,” she said as she sat on the couch next to Riann. She snuggled against him, enjoying the warmth of his body. “The owners may be gone now, but there is no telling when they could comeback.”
“Very true,” Calrain said, sitting down on the chair across from them. “It might not be a good idea to stay here, in case the owners return and catchus.”
Tariel shrugged. “We can set Zolotais to watch for them while we sleep,” she said, “and I can use my magic to help us sneak out. This is far better than staying in the inn, where we will be interrogated, or sleeping on the streets, especially in this foulweather.”
“Agreed,” Riann said. “Speaking of this foul weather, I’m going to light a fire and banish some of the chill from thisplace.”
“That’s not a good idea,” Calrain warned as Riann stood. “If the neighbors see smoke rising from the chimney, they will get suspicious. They are bound to know the occupants of this house are not inresidence.”
“Blast it,” Riann said, sitting back down. “You’re right. I suppose we’ll just have to make do withoutfire.”
“Actually, I might be able to help,” Tariel said. She left Riann’s side and crouched before the grate. There were already a few logs sitting in the fireplace, but she put them aside, then held out her hands and concentrated, envisioning aflame.
A few minutes later, one sprang to life, lighting up the stone interior. Warmth washed over Tariel, and she sighed in pleasure. “Since the fire isn’t burning any wood, it shouldn’t produce anysmoke.”
“You are a genius,” Calrain crowed, swinging Tariel in his arms. He kissed her soundly, then grinned as he set her back down. “Maybe we can make a go of this afterall.”
“That’s the spirit,” Riann said, clapping Calrain on the back. “Now what do you say we get out of these wet clothes and see if there’s something better towear?”
They spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the mansion properly, and were delighted to find the owners not only had clothes that fit them, but also food in the larder. The three of them had at first felt uneasy about taking advantage of the mansion’s supplies, but when Zolotais had tartly informed them that they really had no choice, and the owners likely wouldn’t miss anything as long as they were frugal, they finally relented. After taking the time to wash up, Tariel changed into a dark green dress that looked rather fetching, and used her magic to shorten the hem and loosen the bust a bit before going to check on Calrain andRiann.
“You two clean up quite nicely,” she said, grinning at them both. They both wore fine velvet tunics with gold and silver embroidery, leggings, and leather boots that probably cost an entire year of Riann’ssalary.
“These clothes are far too big for me,” Calrain complained, tugging on his overly-baggy sleeves. “I feel like I’m swimming inthem!”
“I think I can fix that,” Tariel said, moving to him. She placed her hands on his arms and used her magic to take the sleeves in, then repeated the process with the rest of his clothing. “There,” she said, stepping back to admire her handiwork. The clothes fit him much better, showing off his lean frame rather than hiding it. “Is thatbetter?”
“Much,” he said, admiring his new outfit. “You are a wonder,Tariel.”
“Do you think you can fix me too?” Riann asked. “These sleeves are actually a bit tight onme.”
“I don’t know,” Tariel teased as she approached him. She ran a hand down his upper arm, enjoying the bulge of muscle. “I quite like the way your armslook.”
Riann grinned. “Maybe so, but if these seams burst, I don’t think the ladies will be able to handle it,” he said. “They might faint dead away at the sight of mymuscles.”
Tariellaughed.
“Very humble, I see,” Calrain said with a roll of his eyes. “I’ll go downstairs and see if I can’t figure out how to make us ameal.”
He left them alone as Tariel laid her hand on the seam of Riann’s sleeve. She used her magic to expand the fabric just enough, then crouched to repeat the process with his leggings. As she ran her hand up the inside of his thigh, he sucked in a sharp breath, and she looked up to see him gazing at her, his eyes dark withneed.
“Shall I stay down here a bit longer?” she asked, her mouth curling up at the corners. She skimmed her hand higher, beneath the skirt of his tunic, and warmth spilled through her as she encountered the growing bulgethere.
