He probablyshouldknow that. The reflection came too late.
“Captain Pash,” the leader informed him, pausing afterward.
“Oh.” Tiiran bobbed his head. He couldn’t smile like Nikoly but he could be agreeable enough providing he wasn’t talking to fools. “Did you need something from the library? I was about to lock the doors for the night, but if you want to make a request….”
Pash looked over the library again, head tipped up as if trying to see on the upper levels without walking up the stairs. He had a short beard, trimmed into a little point, and a neat mustache. Tiiran was generally envious of facial hair, but he wasn’t sure he liked how sharp the point of that beard was. Pash also had a single braid that went to his shoulders, a style more suited to beat-of-fours or scholars than guards, although nothing said a guard couldn’t have longer hair.
“You’ve been seen around the palace at odd hours—” Pash slowly lowered his head to meet Tiiran’s eyes “—and are known to consort with outguards.”
“Every assistant consorts with outguards,” Tiiran responded without thinking, confused that it would even be interesting enough to mention. “That’s what we’re known for.”
Be quiet, Orin said in his ear.
Careful, Nikoly added.Please, bee.
Tiiran shut his mouth, although he hadn’t said anything shocking or even rude. Pash was still staring at him, so Tiiran added, in a tone thatapproachedsoft, “Most outguards don’t like me. But theyarefrequently in the library.”
“So I have heard,” Pash answered. His eyes were shockingly blue. If he had been shorter, Tiiran might have asked if he was part fae as well. “They are often here.”
“To turn in their reports,” Tiiran explained, struggling to keep his voice even because that should not have to be explained. A guard—acaptain—should know that. It was common and freely available knowledge. “All outguards do,” he went on. “It’s why the Great Library is here.”
Niksa shifted at the edge of his vision, perhaps also wishing Tiiran would watch his tone and words better.
“Reports,” Pash echoed, then left Tiiran to gaze at him in confusion.
“Yes?” Tiiran agreed finally. “And we copy them and file them. As assistants have done for centuries.”
“I also get reports,” Pash continued. Tiiran wondered briefly if Pash was even listening to him or just waiting for another chance to speak. “Stories of library visitors.Yourvisitors.”
Tiiran frowned, more confused than ever. “Is this about the shelf? It needed repair. I didn’t think that would be of interest to the Palace Guard, but was I supposed to tell you? Seems like a waste of both of our resources, but maybe it’s something a Master Keeper would know to do. We don’t have any at the moment.”
His heart had not slowed any despite the stupidity of palace guards coming in here to ask him about banners, and outguards, and possibly shelves. All the worry over Tiiran’s big mouth and yet guards came here to talk about procedure.
“Yes, you messaged your absent Master Keepers some time ago.” Pash waved that off, not seeming to notice how Tiiran jumped.
“You read…?” Tiiran stopped himself, not quite biting his tongue. “Well, they didn’t answer,” he returned. “So if I made a mistake, it was truly because I didn’t know. I will inform the Palace Guard whenever we fix a shelf.”
Which was idiotic and that was likely in his tone but that was hardly treasonous. If anything, the guard should have agreed him that such a step was a bother for both of them. Yet Pash again did not seem interested in Tiiran’s answer.
“You have several nobles who work here.” He kept his gaze steady on Tiiran.
Tiiran’s heart lurched. His shoulders tensed, probably rising to his ears again.
“Is that an issue?” he asked anyway, not rudely, but not as sweetly as Nikoly would have. “I don’t hold it against them,” he added. “They do their work well.”
One of the two guards there to apparently open doors for Captain Pash smiled slightly. The other had a stone face.
“Between the visitors, the outguards, and the nobles, the library is quite a center of information, isn’t it?” Pash asked. Tiiran opened his mouth to say that was the point of the library, then closed it,verycertain Orin would not like him to get snippy in this moment. “Outguards might get all sorts of information from infatuated assistants.”
“The outguards are usually the ones who are infat….” Tiiran cleared his throat. “Wait. Are you… are you implying the outguards are eyes-and-ears?” He shook his head. “Theyare. Forthe king. That’s their purpose. It’s in the histories.”
Pash smiled a little too. Tiiran didn’t like it.
“The outguard Elorin Vahti has been coming here more often than might be required of his duties.”
Tiiran clenched his hands and raised his chin. He could hear his loud, uneven breathing and tried to calm himself. He had been so calm only hours ago, tied up and petted and….
“Orin?” he asked faintly. “He likes to read. And fuck assistants,” he added, honestly, though Orin might not like him to say so. Orin should not have the attention of the palace guards. Tiiran decided that very firmly and was not going to back from it. “He’s quite a good fuck, actually,” he went on, scowling. “Legendary among us assistants.”
