14. Cal
fourteen
Cal
It was after dark by the time Cal finally followed Griff out of the gala.
They’d remained late, well past when the other guests had begun to depart.
But Griff had wanted as much time as possible to mingle with the members of the Pentarchy, as well as to observe them from afar, taking notes on everything from their demeanors to who they spoke with throughout the event.
Cal had met them all before, at least in passing, and tonight had done little to change his initial disdain.
The High Chancellor might be the worst of the lot, but even those like the High Scholar or High Judge who professed to serve the public good above all else reeked of selfish arrogance behind their self-righteous veneers.
If they were so desperate to do good, why did they turn a blind eye to orphans like him growing up abandoned on the streets while they hosted lavish parties for the Sanjarkan elite?
Sanjarka might pretend to be a free republic, and it certainly had its benefits over places like Nalax or Khordan.
But true equality remained a distant dream.
Hence why he rarely felt a lick of guilt robbing people like those in attendance tonight for all they were worth.
As they threaded their way out of the crowd, Cal glimpsed something from the corner of his eye that tickled the back of his mind.
But when he turned for a closer look, whoever it was had vanished.
He frowned to himself. What was it that had drawn his attention?
Something about how they’d carried themself?
His first thought was that it was Kelsith spying on him. The thief had made no secret of tailing Cal around the city. But would he really be so bold as to infiltrate a private gala hosted by the Pentarchy? Unlike Cal, he couldn’t alter his appearance at will.
He shook his head as they exited into the night air, blessedly cool compared to the warmth from so many bodies packed inside the ballroom. More likely, it was just a trick of his imagination. After a night full of schmoozing and careful observation, his brain was ready for a break.
Griff was a solid, comforting presence beside him. Some crazy part of him longed to reach out and snag the inspector’s arm, though of course that would be ridiculous. And not just because he still wore his Lord Heneford disguise.
Last night had been a mistake. It was one thing to flirt with the inspector and admire him from afar. But now Cal couldn’t get him off his mind. Despite his best efforts to act normal, all he’d been able to think about all day was how much he wanted to do it again.
Leaning in a bit closer to Griff than strictly necessary, he said in a low voice, “So, any guesses who our culprit might be?”
Griff stiffened. “Not here. Wait until we’re home.” He cast a furtive gaze about them, even though Cal had already checked to make sure no one was within earshot.
Annoyance flared in Cal. Griff had been irritable and jumpy all night—all day, really. When he’d come upon Cal speaking with the High Scholar, he’d looked about ready to tear Cal a new one.
At first, Cal had assumed Griff was just nervous about confronting the Pentarchy. Now, though? He was beginning to suspect the problem might run deeper.
Maybe I’m not the only one who regrets last night…
“What is with you?” Cal asked. “You’ve been acting weird all night.”
“It’s nothing,” Griff said. “I’m just tired.”
Cal narrowed his eyes. “I may not be able to read auras, but I can tell when I’m being lied to. Something’s wrong. Just tell me.”
Griff sighed, his jaw tightening. “I told you at the start of the night to stick close. You shouldn’t have gone to speak with the High Scholar without telling me.”
“Why not? You ran off after the High Merchant and High Commander! Shadow and shade, don’t you trust me not to mess anything up for five minutes on my own?”
When Griff hesitated a beat too long, realization struck. Cal shuffled a few paces from Griff and slowed, staring at the inspector. Hurt squeezed his chest. “That’s it, isn’t it? You don’t trust me.”
“What?” Griff slowed as well, turning to him with what looked like genuine surprise. “Of course I trust you. That wasn’t the problem.”
“Oh?” Cal cocked a brow. “Then what was? Because right now, it feels like you wanted to keep me on a tight leash. Regretting taking that cuff of me, Inspector?”
Griff winced at that, but Cal was too angry to feel guilty. He’d thought they were past this by now. Cal could’ve walked away at any time. If Griff didn’t want him here, he’d gladly do so.
Surprise gripped him when Griff shook his head. “It’s precisely the opposite. I was worried something might’ve happened to you. This is a dangerous case, and after last night, I…I realized how much I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
The raw confession in Griff’s voice hit Cal like a blow to the chest. Neither of them spoke as they resumed walking back toward Griff’s apartment.
Cal’s thoughts returned to the previous night, and for a single fleeting moment, he allowed himself to imagine more. More shared nights, more heated kisses. A life full of more than the empty challenge that had been his sole purpose for far too long.
But of course, it was only a dream.
Last night might’ve been incredible, but they didn’t belong together—they couldn’t. Griff was an inspector, dedicated to helping others. And Cal was a thief who stole things.
There would never be any more.
By the time they emerged into Griff’s cozy apartment, Cal had resolved to reclaim the easy banter they’d had before. Best if they kept things light moving forward. It was safer that way.
“There, we’re back,” he said, collapsing into a chair at the table with a contented sigh. “Now can we talk about the case?”
Griff settled in across from him. “Unfortunately, my aura-sight wasn’t able to offer much insight. Our questions were too indirect. Still, I can’t help but wonder whether the situation with Nalax might be related.”
Cal lightly tapped his fingertips against the thief’s mark on his chest as he considered. “What does any of that have to do with the void orb?”
“I’m not sure. But it seemed to be the subject on everyone’s minds, and the timing seems too coincidental to ignore. Perhaps one of the Pentarchy is collaborating with Nalax to use the void orb in some sort of attack.”
“Or seeking to stoke tensions further,” Cal noted. “The Pentarchy definitely seem the sort to try to twist any situation to their advantage.”
Griff frowned at that, but he offered a reluctant nod. “While we still don’t have a clear motive, if this really is about Nalax, the High Commander and High Merchant seem the most likely suspects. They’ve been at odds on the issue for quite some time and are the most passionate about the outcome.”
Cal grunted his agreement. “Personally, my gallants are on the High Merchant. He stands to profit the most from more open trade with Nalax. If anyone’s a Nalaxian agent, it’s him.”
Griff nodded. “Never trust a man only in it for the coin.”
Cal stiffened, a stab of hurt lancing through him. That one struck a little too close to home. Despite the lump lodged in his throat, he forced a smile. “Right.”
Griff glanced at him, and only then seemed to register what he’d said. His eyes widened. “I didn’t mean—”
“It’s fine,” Cal said. He waved his hand with a shrug. “If anyone would know, it’s me.”
Griff’s chair squeaked as he rose and stepped toward Cal. He rested a hand on Cal’s shoulder. “You’re not like that. I know you aren’t.”
The softness in Griff’s voice mixed with his gentle touch was suddenly too much. Cal lurched to his feet, shrugging off Griff’s hand in the process. His chest felt far too tight.
“I need some air,” he said.
Desperately pretending not to notice Griff’s hand reaching for him, he darted outside and away from the apartment, his heart pounding. Only once he’d put a couple blocks between them and flared duskflame to shift into a throwaway disguise did he finally begin to calm.
Eternal Dark, why hadn’t he walked away when he had the chance? No matter what Griff claimed, Cal knew he’d never see him as more than a thief. Not really. And no matter how much Cal acted otherwise, it was too late now to lie and pretend he didn’t care about the inspector.
Even if whatever lay between them was doomed to end in heartbreak.
He knew he should probably suck it up and head back. They had more findings to discuss, along with the next steps of their investigation to plan. But he couldn’t bring himself to return and sit beside Griff, knowing there was a distance between them he could never breach.
So instead, he found himself wandering the nighttime streets.
Many people—perhaps most people—would’ve been nervous, darting through darkened alleys and across shadowed rooftops.
But this was when Cal had always felt most at peace.
Alone and unseen, there was no one to judge him or find him lacking.
Or at least, there shouldn’t be.
“Enjoying your midnight stroll?” Cal’s head jerked up to find Kelsith perched atop a narrow wall running alongside his current street.
“I was,” he said, continuing to walk past. “I find the quiet peaceful.”
Kelsith didn’t take the hint. Jumping nimbly down from the wall, he landed beside Cal and fell into step with him. “You seem tense. Let me guess—trouble with your inspector?”
Kelsith’s voice contained only mild concern without even a hint of smugness. Still, Cal’s muscles tightened. “That’s none of your business.”
Kelsith’s shrug only irritated him more. “It was bound to happen. Like I told you, the two of you are like oil and water. Sooner or later, I knew he’d turn on you.”
“What do you want, Kelsith? Why are you following me?”
Kelsith gave him a lopsided grin. “You looked so sad and pathetic, wandering the streets alone. I couldn’t just leave you like that. So, I figured you might appreciate a job. Something to help you remember your roots.”