4. Kianthe
Chapter four
Kianthe
A sharp knock on the door echoed far too early, and Kianthe thought maybe this was the morning she’d light someone on fire.
Reyna slid out of bed seamlessly, padding on bare feet across the cold tile floor. Kianthe pried open an eyelid to watch her—she was only wearing a sleeping shirt and underclothes after last night’s ministrations, and her bare legs left little to the imagination.
“Don’t stare, dear. We have company,” Reyna said without looking Kianthe’s way. She sounded unfairly alert considering she’d been asleep before the interruption, too.
“Tell them it’s too fucking early for this,” Kianthe muttered, flopping back onto the bed. She pulled a pillow over her eyes, basking in the darkness as sleep lurked on the edges of her fuzzy mind. Still, she paid half-attention to the conversation at the door.
A male voice, not Diarn Arlon. One of his lead constables, maybe? Either way, he offered apologies for the intrusion— too little, too late , Kianthe thought bitterly—and said Diarn Arlon expected them to reconvene with Constable Bobbie and proceed on their pirate hunt.
Kianthe almost forgot there were pirates. That was motivation enough to pull the pillow off her eyes and stare blearily at the wooden ceiling while her mind sorted itself out.
Reyna thanked him and closed the door, and a few moments later she rejoined Kianthe in bed. Her feet were cold, and naturally she pressed them right up against the mage’s legs. She fit perfectly against Kianthe’s side, so it was unfair when she said, “Time to get up, Key.”
“You just got back into bed. Seems to me it’s time for more sleep.”
Reyna chuckled, pressing a kiss to Kianthe’s temple. “Nice try. Duty calls, Arcandor. Come along.” And she pulled away far too fast, taking the covers with her.
Instantly, ice-cold air assaulted Kianthe, causing her to gasp and curl into a ball. But there was nothing to grab, nothing to hide under. Reyna tugged out the pillow next, until it was just Kianthe on a barren mattress. Then she began slipping into her day clothes as if nothing was wrong.
“You’re evil,” Kianthe hissed.
“Only some days,” Reyna replied cheerfully.
Morning people. Disgusting.
Soon enough, they’d packed their bags again and stepped into the hallway. The constable—the one with silver epaulets who’d let Reyna enter the ball with her sword—straightened professionally. “Bobbie is expecting you, but requested you meet at her apartment.” A fond smile overtook his features. “She put aside some scarves for you two.”
That was optimistic, considering Kianthe had the toy whale in her satchel and wasn’t giving it up for anyone.
Reyna must have realized it. She patted Kianthe’s arm. “Excellent. I could use a few souvenirs to take home, since she confiscated the last one.”
“It’s cute, and Sasua’s son isn’t here right now.” Kianthe sniffed.
Reyna sighed.
They followed the constable across Arlon’s estate. It was early enough that the morning dew had settled over everything, and the air was crisp enough to show their breaths. The grounds were alive with staff: everyone from maids to carpenters to landscapers bustled past. The partygoers had retired, but a few milled to the stables, clearly preferring to return home rather than sleep here.
Overhead, birds chirped in the pine trees, and a layer of dreamy fog had settled on the Nacean’s surface. The magic of this place was so vibrant it almost woke Kianthe up—yellow strands lacing between the trees as they communicated, lingering in the air like a fine, golden mist, trailing along the ground like a sheet of ice. The Nacean was the ultimate ley line, and it wanted her to know it.
Kianthe shooed it off. Too long looking at all that beauty gave her a headache, especially so early in the morning.
“Our apartments are in a building down this path,” the constable said, pausing at a fork in the dirt road. “Bobbie is on the second floor, southernmost corner. You can’t miss her door—trust me.” And with a wave, he strolled back up the hillside towards Arlon’s mansion.
Kianthe followed Reyna begrudgingly, still bitter about the lost sleep. Reyna, meanwhile, was captivated by the early morning. A redspar chirped in the trees nearby, and she stopped to admire the tiny bird. “Beautiful, isn’t it, Key?”
“Not more beautiful than a bed. Or breakfast. Or tea,” Kianthe said petulantly.
Reyna snorted, then covered her mouth.
It revived Kianthe somewhat, and she grinned.
The constables’ apartments were in a huge building with an interior courtyard, three levels, and outdoor walkways leading to each room. Kianthe counted at least forty-five of them, but there may be another complex somewhere nearby. It was a shocking operation, and one she wondered if the Council knew about—no other Sheparan diarn employed this kind of enforcement, to her knowledge.
That thought didn’t sit well with her… but it wasn’t exactly a magical problem, so she shoved it aside.
The constable who’d guided them was right: Bobbie’s door was impossible to miss. Huge open crates of crocheted projects filled the walkway around her door: scarves and hats and cloaks and sweaters and even a bin of toys, all adorned with hand-written signs in meticulous cursive:
FOR THE COMMUNITY. PLEASE TAKE. FREE.
Kianthe squeaked excitement and dove into the little toy animals. She’d stuffed two foxes, a racoon, and a tiny dragon into her pockets before Reyna put a gentle hand on her arm.
“Dearest, perhaps we should leave these for someone with children.”
“Stars, please don’t do that.” Bobbie had opened her apartment door, and desperation filled her tone. “Take what you’d like. At least it’ll get some use.” Bobbie was already clad in her uniform, so she must also be a morning person. Although, judging by the heavy bags under her eyes, it was wholly possible she hadn’t slept at all. She stood with forced professionalism, and straightened under Kianthe’s gaze.
“Hi,” Kianthe said, suddenly feeling awkward—like the toys in her hands were contraband, and she’d been caught by a sheriff.
But Bobbie had another problem on her mind, clearly.
“You must be the Arcandor. It’s—it’s a pleasure to meet you. Or do you prefer Mage of Ages?” In the doorway, Bobbie hastily dipped into what might have been a bow, then tapped her chest in a militant salute, and finally recovered by inclining her head. The result was a snarled mess of greeting that ranked up there… possibly number four of Kianthe’s hilariously bad introductions.
“I prefer Kianthe, but no one seems to care about that.” She straightened, stuffing her crocheted score into the satchel at her hip. “Formality’s a bitch.”
Bobbie laughed before she could stop herself.
It lightened the mood considerably, especially when Reyna pulled out a beautiful dark blue scarf, wrapping it around her neck. It contrasted with her light skin and hair and made her ash-brown eyes pop.
“You said you do this for stress relief?” Reyna frowned, running her fingers along the uneven stitching. Her eyes roamed the multitude of projects. “Should we be worried?”
At that, Bobbie seemed to remember this wasn’t a social call. She clasped her hands behind her back, the picture of a perfect constable. “You have nothing to be concerned about, Miss Reyna. I am more than capable and will do my best to ensure the pirate remains under control once we find her.”
“’Reyna’ will do. And I’m more concerned about you falling asleep at the saddle than a pirate attacking me.” She frowned.
Bobbie seemed mildly offended. She set her jaw. “I respect your opinion, Mi—er, Reyna. However, Diarn Arlon made his orders clear, and I’m the constable taking point on this search. If you’re still interested in joining me, I can meet you at the stables.”
“Well, we don’t really have a choice either,” Kianthe said, rifling through the hats now. She found one with a pom-pom at the top and tugged it gleefully over her hair. It fit perfectly, but when she showed it to Reyna, her fiancée was covering her mouth to stifle laughter. “What? I think it’s great.”
“It’s perfect.” Reyna said.
There was a strong chance she was lying, but Kianthe shrugged and cheerfully pulled it over her ears anyway. Nice and warm. She picked a matching scarf, spread her arms to demonstrate the display. Reyna was laughing outright as she pressed a kiss to Kianthe’s cheek, which sent a different warmth through the mage’s body.
Bobbie, meanwhile, tied her sword to her hip. “I have a few more things to pack before we go.” A pause, a direct glance at Reyna. “I assure you, I am fully capable of doing what’s necessary to capture this pirate. But—if I can just talk to her, I think this whole thing will be resolved.”
Reyna latched onto that, tucking a few pairs of gloves into her own bag. “You must care for her, to give her a chance to explain herself before judgment.”
“She was my best friend,” Bobbie replied automatically. Then she clamped her mouth shut, eyes widening. “Ah, I misspoke. I would never be friends with a pirate, especially one who’d put Diarn Arlon’s lands and profit at risk.”
“Of course not,” Reyna agreed good-naturedly.
Bobbie ducked her head, clearly embarrassed. “I’ll get my things. Meet you both at the stables.”
She shut the door in their faces.
Kianthe stuffed a few more scarves into her bag and said, “I got six. How many did you take? Let’s see. Matild, Tarly, Gossley. Feo and Wylan will want one. Sigmund and Nurt. Toys for Sasua. This is great.”
Reyna started for the staircase, running a gloved hand along the wooden railing in contemplation. “Mmm. That should be fine.”
She was distracted. Kianthe jogged to catch up, tossing an arm over her shoulder. Reyna automatically tucked into the side of her, which made Kianthe inordinately happy. “You think there’s a problem here? You’re smiling again.”
“Am I?” Reyna chuckled, drumming her fingers on her sword’s pommel as they exited the apartment building and walked back towards the stables. “There may be a problem, I suppose. We have a diarn who’s absolutely determined to stop this pirate; I’m certain he has a punishment in mind when he meets her. Then, we have a constable working under the diarn’s orders to ‘capture’ this pirate—and there’s a very real chance her relationship is deeper than she’s expressing. She may be in love.”
“Love?” Kianthe reeled back, craning to see Reyna’s face. “Couldn’t they just be old friends?”
“It’s possible. Difficult to say until I meet the pirate. But Bobbie…” Reyna paused, her lips quirking upwards. “Let’s just say she sounds a lot like me years ago, wrestling with duty over emotion. It’s no wonder she’s stressed.”
As they walked, the sun peeked through the clouds, casting them in brilliant light. The fog on the river, far downhill, was already burning off, but the air still held a chill. Kianthe casually ignited a flame to keep her fingers toasty. It helped a little. “Hang on. Did I stress you out?”
“Mmm. The situation was stressful: the illicit romance, the clear clash between my career and the life I desired. Once we left for New Leaf and resolved everything with Queen Tilaine last summer… no. I haven’t been stressed in a while.”
“Good,” Kianthe said with finality.
Reyna tucked herself back against Kianthe’s body, this time by taking her arm. She held her fingers up to the flame in Kianthe’s palm, stealing some warmth. “I’ll be interested to see how this plays out, but… depending on how this pirate reacts to us, I may have some plans to enact. If they’re left alone, I fear Bobbie is perilously close to destroying their relationship entirely.”
Kianthe hadn’t seen any of that from their limited conversation. She fought to keep her expression controlled, neutral. Less, “what the fuck,” more “ah, yes, I noticed that too.” It wasn’t successful, based on Reyna’s amused chuckle.
“It’s just a theory. But if it does work that way, can you do me a favor?”
“Anything, as long as it doesn’t put you in mortal peril. That stresses me out.”
Reyna snorted. “I’ll do my very best to avoid ‘mortal peril.’ But I want you to stay close to Bobbie for a time, keep her company. Based on my own experiences, I believe she’ll respond well to you.”
Kianthe was confused. “Are you setting me up with the sexy constable? I was joking, Rain.”
“Gods, no,” Reyna exclaimed, laughing so hard her cheeks turned pink. “But I do think Bobbie will need your help. And since our quests overlap here, we might as well see if we can leave the world a little better than we found it, too.” She tapped the pompom on Kianthe’s new hat.
The mage heaved a sigh. “Why do I feel like we’re meddling in something that’s none of our business?”
Her fiancée offered a shrewd smile. “Key, you should know by now. Meddling is my favorite pastime.” She started humming under her breath as they ventured down the path to the stables.