The ice in his voice could have frozen Piya’s stupid, drenched banners solid.
“I meant it, tiny one.” The first outguard, of the sparkling eyes and suddenly serious manner, put one hand on the edge of the desk. “There is very little he wouldn’t do for us, and us for him. And…” the rascal dared to leer, “he is very good for certain other things, as you must know.”
Nikoly had an arm in front of Tiiran and was gently but firmly urging him back from where Tiiran had leaned over the top of the desk to snarl.
“Fae protect me!” the outguard exclaimed softly. Nikoly’s palm was over Tiiran’s mouth before Tiiran could utter his usual response to that. Tiiran was too taken aback at Nikoly’s daring to lick or bite his hand as he thought he should. The outguard put an intricately folded letter on the desk before taking a step back. “There it is, wild one.”
Tiiran stared hard at Nikoly until he removed his hand, then reached for the letter. The letter was folded but unsealed, although Tiiran didn’t suspect these outguards of reading it. They were Orin’s friends, after all, even if they were fools.
A small pouch of leather appeared on the desk next, and even before Tiiran had reached to take it, he noticed a floral scent. When he drew the string to open it, the scent grew stronger. He carefully tipped it over to drop dried rose petals into his hand.
He held them up to his nose and inhaled again, his eyes drifting shut.
Next to him, Nikoly whispered his name. Tiiran opened his eyes, his face growing even warmer.
“I must look silly,” he excused himself, ignoring how quickly Nikoly shook his head. He focused on the letter, taking care not to tear the paper as he tried to open it without putting down the petals.
Kitten, the letter read, both on the outside and at the top of the page once unfolded. Tiiran didn’t look over to the outguards who had surely seen that nickname written there. They’d at least had the grace not to call him that.
Kitten, he read again eagerly.It was roses. That garden is known for roses of all sizes and colors. Perhaps you know that and visit it many times, but I don’t think so. Not from the way your starved senses drew you to it and made you close your eyes as you inhaled the fragrance. The garden will be better in summer of course, but spring roses are lovely too. So is your library,
Tiiran stopped reading just long enough to scoff at the notion of this library beinghis, then hurried on.
but some other beauty might feed your spirit. You should visit the gardens more, if they please you. In the meantime, I thought this sachet might make the Great Library’s guardian smile. Yours, Elorin Vahti.
Then, beneath his name, as if added in a hurry, In fact, go visit that garden within the next few days. I will ask about it when I return, and I’ll know if you lie.
“I never lie,” Tiiran muttered to the absent Orin, then recalled himself and where he was and raised his head.
Several stitched notebooks were stacked upon the corner of the desk. The outguards were gone along with several of the assistants. Nikoly’s gaze was on Tiiran.
Tiiran sighed. “They didn’t sign for those reports. They’ll need to before they leave.”
Nikoly nodded. “I’ll see to it.”
Strangely, Tiiran didn’t doubt that he would. He smiled a little, earning him a pleased smile in return before Nikoly’s gaze went to the pouch of rose petals. Tiiran held it to his nose again, then, like a fool himself, held it out for Nikoly to smell too, which Nikoly did, his curls dropping over his brow when he leaned down.
“You like roses?” Nikoly straightened back up. His attention dropped to the letter.
Orin had noticed Tiiran breathing in the scent and felt strongly enough about it to buy the pouch and write him a letter. He had gone out of his way to send Tiiran rose petals to remind him that he should visit them more. Not evenremind—he’dtoldTiiran to go.
Orin had no right to tell him what to do or when to do it.
“Do you think it will be clear tonight?” Tiiran asked Nikoly anyway. “No late rains?”
“I think so,” Nikoly answered, distracted. “The winds should blow the rains elsewhere. Is he still courting you? I thought you were already his lover.”
Tiiran jolted, then clutched the letter to his chest, wrinkling the paper and Orin’s unlibrarianlike scrawl.
“What?” Tiiran yanked the pouch strings to close it, then stuffed it into a pocket inside his robe. “Orin? Courtingme? Why would he?” He frowned at Nikoly’s stunned expression. “The outguards want nothing to do with me. You just saw that for yourself.”
Nikoly closed his mouth only to open it again. “Buthedoes.”
Tiiran turned his frown to the letter and the delicate task of folding it back into the configuration Orin had used. “Yes.” Mattin might have said Tiiran’s tone was mournful. “He told me he was odd to them. I didn’t believe him but now I see. He doesn’t quite fit. I don’t either. I’m too mean. Too,” he refused to sayfae, “unwanted. I guess it gives us things in common.”
He had to unfold and refold the letter several times to get it right. When it was safely inside his robe pocket, he stopped, shivering as Nikoly leaned in closer and spoke nearly against his ear.
“Nowyousmell like roses.”
