“I have a friend with a pet creative alchemist,” Vivian said, agreeably. “Who should have a suitable potion ready for delivery on Friday. Enough for several doses. It mutes the magical scent like traipsing through a river to put hounds off the scent.”
Farran nodded. “I have a few ideas on where we might want to look next, but I’ll need to make an arrangement for access for one of them. Or Vivian, you might have a better contact?” He hesitated, then added, “My first apprenticeship determined I’ve an odd knack for materia, but it also reacts a little unpredictably. It’s an advantage now, but it needs tending.”
That part of things took a few minutes. Vega did not try to follow the back and forth, nor did Aunt Ancha. Farran and Vivian went back and forth, trading names, phrases that made sense to both of them. Aunt Ancha was listening, but Vega let her mind drift. Finally, Farran nodded. “Thank you, Vivian. Tell Uncle Cadmus I’ll be in touch about when I can come out. Not Saturday, maybe in a week.”
“Of course.” She turned her cheek, and Farran stood before bending to kiss it. Vega took her cue, doing the same to AuntAncha. Farran offered her his arm, and they made their way through the door. It wasn’t until they were outside, a good twenty feet down the street, that Farran said, “I’m sure they’re going to gossip about us.”
“Oh, yes. We should allow them to do so. No sense in making them cranky at a lack of gossip. I am glad they were both forthcoming enough. Shall we get tea somewhere in Trellech, before the portal? I’ve got an hour comfortably.”
“Excellent.”
Chapter 32
MARCH 24TH AT FARRAN’S ROOMS
“I’m sorry I’m so late.” Vega was speaking as soon as Farran opened the door. “I overslept.” She’d written a note in the journal forty minutes ago as soon as she’d woken up. It was now close to two, which meant they likely wouldn’t get out to do any exploring this evening; they still had to figure out what they were doing. That was the point of today. On the other hand, Vivian had only got information about a connection to Farran that morning. He was meeting the man for coffee first thing tomorrow. Earlier than first thing.
“I was a little worried, but you’ve had a busy week,” Farran pointed out. “Come in. Tea? We can take our time discussing. When’s your call at the club?”
“Six, I’m afraid. We’ve got a new bit to work through. Mostly not mine, but Madam Helena wanted me handy to advise.” Vega shrugged one shoulder, then turned so Farran could help her out of her coat. “But I can go straight there from here. I brought everything with me.” She spun back to face him. “Including the cosmetics, so you don’t need to worry about mussing them.”
She was, in fact, not wearing much in the way of them. Or at least Farran didn’t think so. He considered asking, then raisedan eyebrow. “Oh, I just put on enough the cabbie wouldn’t think things too odd. Do you mind? Some people find it—.” She was not sure how to conclude.
Farran leaned in to kiss her, taking his time with the movement, so she had plenty of time to decline if she wanted. She did the opposite, arching to meet his mouth with hers, her hand coming to rest at his waist. He took that as a cue to settle his hand against her upper back. When he finally pulled away from the kiss to get a breath, he added, “That clear enough? Why would people mind?”
“A surprising number of people are interested in me only with my performing face on.” Vega reached to touch his cheek.
“And that’s a reason none of it lasted. If you’re going to build something with someone, over time, you’re going to see them in better moments and in worse ones. Also, at some point, I do hope to spend the night with you. A number of nights. I’m sure you don’t wear all of that to bed.” Farran hesitated, then said, “Tell me about your parents, would you? Just a little. Seeing as I’ve met one of your many aunts now?”
“Will you do the same?” Vega gestured at his desk. “I assume that’s a photo with them?”
Farran nodded, then took a step back toward the couch. “You first? I need a minute to work up to it. It’s not— it’s not something I talk about much.”
“Let’s start with tea, then. I need to figure out how to put a thing or two,” Vega said.
“Have you eaten? I’ve some sandwiches in stasis.” Farran glanced over to find her nodding enthusiastically, and so he went off to turn on the kettle, plate a sandwich or two, and add some of Lena’s biscuits. By the time the kettle sang, everything else was ready, and they’d both had a few minutes to gather their thoughts. Farran brought the tray out to find Vega settledon the sofa, and he set the food on the table, before turning to gather up the photo.
When he came back, Vega was a couple of bites into a sandwich, obviously hungry. He let her eat until the tea had steeped, and he’d poured it. By then she’d finished half of the sandwich. “You know the Cousin lines, we interact as much with others in our families as with our parents. We’re often raised together with the others of our age. Time with our particular parents, but often they have their own tasks. My parents do some travelling work, both inside of Albion and outside, matters of locational magic. They’ll be home for three months or six, away for about as long, back and forth.”
“So part of your life, but not always the people who tucked you in?” Farran said, thinking about that.
“Exactly. And from the time I was five, I was up in with the others in the nursery rooms. Stories and hugs and kisses every night, but not always the same person.” Vega shrugged. “People find it odd.”
“Your family, and the others, have been doing things that way for a long time. Presumably with some reason. I’d rather not judge something I don’t know enough about.” Farran glanced at her. “It seems both sensible and safer.”
That made her laugh. “You know enough to know that not all the tales of the Fatae, or the Cousins, are true, yes?”
“Oh, enough. Though also that plenty of them are sufficiently true to mind my manners and avoid offending.” Farran gestured with one hand, and Vega reached to take it when he lowered it. “So you are fond of your parents, and they of you, but they’re not, erm, the centre of home for you?”
“That’s a good enough way to put it. Not my North Star, is how we’d say it. Or one of the ways, anyway.”
“Fair enough.” Farran leaned back a little, squeezing her hand, thinking about what else he needed to know about. Notwanted, because there was a fair bit of wanting in there, but most of it wasn’t necessary today. “What do you want me to know about them? About what they might think of me? Will they be upset that I’m not a Cousin, or not whoever they might have thought you’d take up with?”
“I think they’ll be pleased enough I show signs of taking up with someone steady. You are not a threat to us, or rather, if you’re a threat, it’s Vivian’s fault. And if you’ve been to Electra’s line’s estates more than once, that speaks well of you.” Vega chuckled. “You are not a frog, you do not think you’re a frog, and so on.”
“From what Vivian has shared, Electra and her line are most concerned with humans,” Farran pointed out. “And also, if I’d strayed, they make oaths about shed blood. Not frogs, so much. Ribbit.” He made the last into a reasonable enough croak. He’d heard enough frogs in ponds in his own earthy explorations.
It made her giggle more, and Farran liked that sound a great deal, and what it did to her face. “The rest of my family… Aunt Ancha has given you an excellent report. She told me that already. They’d like to meet you, when convenient. A representative selection. They will be deliberately intimidating, so it’s up to you to decide when it is convenient for that.”
