“I won’t need it,” Jadren bit out on a low growl.“Certainly not for such a simple task.”
“I imagine the results of your work will be the deciding factor,” Gabriel observed coolly.
“Then I best get to it.”Jadren bowed, making a mockery of the gesture.“If I may be excused, Lord Phel?”
“Go, go.”Gabriel waved him on, waited for him to turn and nearly exit before he called after him once more.“Do try to work the lock without my help, if you’re able.”
Jadren slammed the door shut behind him without comment.Gabriel chuckled at his own joke, though his amusement faded immediately into a deep sense of weariness.Sometimes this endless circling felt like an exercise in futility.Making himself face the list of tasks, he looked to see what he most needed to focus on next.To his relief, a knock on the door saved him.Even better, when he called for the person to enter and it turned out to be Nic in all her fiery radiance and nourishing rose-red vivaciousness, he felt a true reprieve.He opened his arms to her, and she set down her things, coming to him eagerly, a warm smile on her face.
Enfolding her in an embrace, he held her against him, inhaling her scent and savoring the vitality of her magic.He sipped at it, just the tiniest bit, more to taste her than anything, and she hugged him tighter, arms around his waist and cheek pressed to his chest.His world righted, steadied, and all the reasons he did any of this returned to him.
Finally, Nic loosened in his grasp enough to tip her face up to his.“Bad morning?”
“Endless,” he answered, then kissed her lightly.“I missed you.”
She smiled, green eyes sparkling with affection and humor.“It’s only been a few hours.”
“Endless,” he repeated.“But better now that you’re here.I’m hopeful time will resume it’s normal pace and cease crawling like honey in a cold snap.”
“You and your farmer’s metaphors.”She laughed softly and kissed him, then disentangled herself.“So, I did a thing.Without consulting you.”
Intrigued, he leaned back against his desk and crossed his ankles, watching her move gracefully to retrieve her box of papers and set them on her desk, efficiently ordering them into piles.“Is that why you knocked?”
She sniffed.“I was being polite.”
“You don’t have to knock.”
She rolled her eyes.“Fine.”
“You also don’t need to consult me about whatever thing you did.”
“I know that’s what you intend, which is why I did it.”She took a deep breath and met his gaze.“It still feels… wrong.”
“That’s Convocation conditioning speaking.”
“I know, I know.”She waved a hand in irritation.“But sometimes it speaks really loudly.Anyway, I agreed to let Alise stay on, as a wizard of Elal magic, pending her signing the contract with you.”
Gabriel felt his eyebrows climbing in surprise.“I didn’t expect that.”
She studied him.“Are you annoyed?I left room for you to back out of the agreement.Alise signed the NDA.”Nic held up the document in demonstration, bringing it to him.“And she knows she has to pass muster with you first.”
“I’m not annoyed.”Gabriel took the NDA without reading and tossed it onto one of his own piles, then caught Nic’s hand, cupping it in his as he searched her face.“It’s a fair change, however, since a few hours ago when you wanted to send her straight back to the academy.”
“Yes, well, we talked.And I’m frankly as surprised as you are, but she asked to stay and made a good argument for it.I didn’t want to refuse her, especially as we could absolutely use Elal wizardry, and the odds of obtaining that assistance from any other avenue looks decidedly grim.It was really the most practical decision.”
Gabriel nodded, managing to squelch a smile at her raft of excuses.Nic would probably forever cast her decisions as practical, even when—or perhaps especially when—they came from the depths of the very soft heart she liked to pretend she didn’t have.“I’m sure the decision is eminently practical,” he replied, adding quickly when she narrowed her eyes at him.“And your sister is, of course, welcome here as long as she likes, even without an interview.She’s family.”
She sighed, heartfelt, shaking her head.“I knew that’s what you’d say.She wants to help with the wedding.”
“Even better.It’s good for you to have your family with you, Nic.I would never go against that.”
“My soft-hearted wizard.”She laid her free hand against his cheek, then she patted it, just shy of stinging enough to be a slap.“But youwillinterview her.Ask her the hard questions.”
He considered that.“Clearly you know Convocation etiquette far better than I, but I’m wondering—is it not a problem that Alise is your father’s heir?”
Nic sighed, tugging her hand away to pace, the lighter gown swirling with the vigor of her movements.“Oh no, it absolutelyisa problem.A huge problem.Alise says she doesn’t want it, which… obviously that’s not a sentiment I understand.”
“Does her accepting a contract with another house preclude her from becoming Lady Elal in time?”