Chapter 22
Evariste spent moretime than usual checking over his dapple-gray horses so he could fight the impulse tolaugh.
Behind him stood a bewildered boy—Pest, as he still insisted on being called—standing in a fine silk tunic with sapphire buttons that Angelique had stuffed himinto.
Angelique stood by the boy, muttering ominously at him as she kept one hand around his littlewrist.
She obviously missed the way the boy looked up at her with admiration but had taken him under her wing with the forcefulness of a bossy oldersibling.
Somewhere between dragging him back to the inn and throwing him in a sudsy tub, the boy had come to greatly esteem her. It was probably the only reason why he let her stuff him into his new clothes. And now he followed her around like a duckling, watching her with hero-worship even as she hauled him in herwake.
Evariste briefly rested his hand on the neck of one of the horses as he finally let himself study thepair.
I should have rescued an orphan months ago—she doesn’t hesitate to correct him, nor does she bother with herfront.
Despite his best efforts, Angelique was never as open with him as she was with this youngboy.
As if on cue, Pest squinted at the horses and cart. “What’s goingon?”
“Stop fidgeting,” Angelique flatlysaid.
Evariste allowed himself a smile of amusement as he strolled up to the unlikely pair. “Sorry, Angel. This is the best we could get at such notice. I would port us through, but I don’t want to risk opening a gatewayhere.”
He meaningfully glanced down at Pest, leaving the second half of the sentence unsaid.Because I shouldn’t use that sort of magic in a place where black mages have beenfound.
Angelique, of course, caught on, and answered him in a sing-song voice. “Of course, MasterEvariste.”
Evariste nodded. “Can you drive? I have received word from Mage Serenfa,” he said, referring to a mage from the Conclave. “There is a spell she wants that I need to get startedon.”
“Absolutely. Pest and I can manage the cart. You just work, Master Evariste,” Angelique assuredhim.
Evariste grinned. “Excellent. In that case, let’s be off!” He winked at Pest—who was scratching his side—and vaulted into the back of thecart.
Angelique took her place in the front and inspired Pest to do the same with one imperious look. She then took up the reins and guided the matched team through Fillia’sstreets.
Evariste waited until they passed through the city gates and picked up the main road that wound through the scrubby grass and bushes before he got towork.
He tapped his magic, unspooling a good amount as he considered what was necessary for the spell. He traced the first few symbols of the spell, using his magic to leave a glowing bluetrail.
A tiny water dragon arrived after that, and a phoenix showed up a few minutes later as he continued with hiswork.
Though he was absorbed with his work, he was aware of the faint murmurs of conversation coming from the driver’s bench. When he finished off another paragraph of the spell, he looked up, cracking his neck as he watched Angelique chat with Pest. His apprentice laughed at something the mouthy child said, then scolded him with the next breath. Pest gave her a glowing smile that she missed because her attention was taken by thehorses.
This is good for her, he decided as he rubbed the water dragon’s head.War mages treat her with reverence, but no one has looked at her with hero-worship the way this boy does. Even if she doesn’t wholly notice it, she must be aware he doesn’t treat her with the fright that others from the Conclavedo.
Though, as humiliating as it was to admit, he was perhaps a little jealous of the boy. Despite the fact that they had been together for years, Angelique had never relaxed around him as much as she had this unknown child whom they’d know forhours.
Though perhaps some of that is my own doing, he grudgingly admitted,with my games and teasing about hugs and affection. She barely toleratesit.
Evariste’s smile turned wicked as he remembered how it irritated her to stand so close to him the day prior while they waited for Master Dimi to grabPest.
She was always beautiful, but there was something about the flickers of the fire she hid from him that would briefly flare to life when he teased her enough. It was…addictive.
He thought to his cheeky compliment when he had mentioned the smell of her soap, and the brief narrowing of her eyes before she covered it with a forcedsmile.
Even thinking of it made him want to laughagain.
Any other girl I complimented so closely would have started planning a wedding by now. But not Angel. She just gets irritated and gets that little muscle twitch in her cheek that tells me she thinks I’m half-cracked.
