Ellisandre
The Pedway was the warmest way to reach Linda’s office and avoid crosswalks. Most of the staff was gone when Ellisandre arrived, except for Tristan.
“Go home,” Ellisandre bellowed at him.
He waved them off, not looking up from his desk. Ellisandre rolled their eyes and opened the door to his office. “It’s past five. You got here at seven.”
“Just one more thing,” he groused.
Ellisandre marched in and stared down at what he was working on. It was important but not urgent. “That will wait.”
“I just . . .”
“It will wait.” Ellisandre pushed his laptop closed. “Go get a drink, find a meetup group, play UNO, get a life.”
Tristian glared at them, gripping the laptop. “This is my life.”
“No, this is a job.”
His eyes tightened. “And my life.”
“A job cannot be your life.”
“Tell that to Louie Pasteur or Marie Curtis.”
Ellisandre raised both eyebrows. “You’re a secretary for a nonprofit, not solving the scientific problems of humanity.”
“I’m a secretary doing things that matter.”
“Fine. Go put on one of your suits. If you won’t leave work, at least come socialize while you’re at work.”
“What?”
“Linda’s thing. Tonight. The Gala. You’re coming with.”
“I—” Tristian stuttered.
“Suit, hair, brush your teeth. I can smell what you had for lunch. Pop tarts are not a meal. Get going.”
“But you don’t need me there.”
“Yes, and your legs are going to atrophy into the shape of an L. I’m not into that.” Ellisandre swept out. The insult should keep him angry enough that he would dress without any more complaint. Tristian tended to stop thinking about inconsequential things when he was indignant.
Ellisandre let themselves into Linda’s office. Linda’s hair was down over her shoulders. She brushed it away from her face and smiled. “Look what the cat dragged in.”
Ellisandre shot her a glare and dropped down into the chair across the desk. “I don’t look that bad.”
“You look perfect as always.” Linda leaned forward on her elbows, a softer version of her older brother.
“Fine, there’s a lot going on.” Ellisandre let their head fall back and groaned, rubbing their temples. “Not all of it in my control.”
“The worst,” Linda chuckled. “Not having control.”
Ellisandre narrowed their eyes. “I’m not that bad.”
“You are.” Linda grinned widely. “Exactly that bad. So, what’s outside of your control?”
Ellisandre grimaced. They’d promised Sevastyan, which meant it wasn’t yet time to tell Linda about their boy.
Or the fact that Sevastyan had taken Lisa and Rei off to leave them with a bona fide criminal mastermind.
It rankled, the idea of sweet Rei or brittle Lisa disappearing back into that world.
Or Sevastyan having to take part in something that was slowly cutting through the sinews of his life.
“Someday—soon, I hope—our menagerie is going to grow. They’re going to need what you are just as much as the rest of our motley crew.” There, that was safe enough. And close enough to the truth to also feel like a relief to say.
Linda’s face softened. “Are they safe, now?”
Ellisandre shook their head.
Linda pressed her lips together. “Do you need to be somewhere else? I can do this gala on my own.”
“As if your security team, Richard, Alice, hell, even Ash is going to allow that.”
“What I’m saying is someone else can come with me.”
“Give me this,” Ellisandre said. “I can’t help them, so let me do this.”
“That I can do.” Linda straightened up. “And Elli?”
“Yes?”
“I want to see who you bring into our little family.”