Calling On Fire (Book 1) (13 page)

Esset agreed vehemently with that as well. Then the liveried servant leading them spoke up.

"Here you are, sir," Julliard said, stopping at a guestroom door and turning to face them. "These are your quarters for the night. Yours, sir, are the next door." He gestured to his right.

"Thank you very much," Esset responded with a smile.

Toman settled for a briefer, "Thanks."

The servant inclined his head to them. "If you should need anything, someone will be nearby. Have a good evening, sirs." With that, the man departed.

"Well, g’night," Toman said to Esset, turning away to head to his room. He waved over his shoulder.

"G’night, Toman, see you tomorrow," Esset replied as he opened the door to his own room. Looking over his shoulder to bid his brother goodnight, Esset was a full five steps into the room before he saw her. The woman from before, the one who’d unhooked her chain, left, and returned to the great hall, was here in his room, sitting on his bed, waiting for him. She had beautiful blonde hair, long silken strands that flowed down to her waist. In fact, her hair did more to cover her body than the purple “garment” that she wore.

"Oh—I’m sorry, I thought…" Esset looked around nervously as he began to back out of the room.

"This is your room," the blonde said. Esset’s mind raced.
Orchid? Yes, her name had been Orchid.

The beautiful woman smirked wryly at him and rose fluidly. Her hips swung as she stepped softly towards him, beckoning. "Won’t you come in? Relax, make yourself comfortable."

Esset had stopped his retreat when she’d said he hadn’t mistaken the room, and that mistake had allowed her to trap him. She was almost upon him when it occurred to him to start backing up again. "Um, no really, that’s fine. Uh, shouldn’t you…?"

Orchid slid right up to Esset as he stammered. Reaching past him, Orchid’s slender hand pushed the door shut to hinder his escape. Esset tried to turn to catch it, but Orchid crowded him until he was pinned against the closed door. Esset tried to raise his hands defensively in front of his chest, only to have her press up against him, planting her breasts firmly into his palms. Esset turned beet red. She smelled amazing, like the sweet breath of blossoms on a spring day.

"My, but you are adorable," Orchid breathed softly into his face. Her smile was teasing as she drew away again, but with her hands on his upper arms to bid him to follow. He tugged against her a little bit, but without rudely yanking away, he was unable to extract himself.

"Ah, this is all, uh, entirely unnecessary, really," Esset said awkwardly. "I was just going to, uh, get some sleep, y’know. Big day tomorrow and all that."

"Mmm?" The sound she made sounded almost like a cat’s purr. "Nothing else you want?" She lifted one hand from his arm to brush his cheek.

"No, thank you," the summoner said.

"Really?" she asked. There was a trace of genuine surprise. Her grip loosened, and Esset took the opportunity to step away.

"Really," Esset responded; his tone almost sounded placating.

"Huh. He was right about you," Orchid said curiously, tilting her head a bit. The gesture made her hair ripple as it readjusted over one breast. Esset quickly looked away.

"Uh, who was right about what?" he asked in a rush. Anything to change the subject.

"My lord said you wouldn’t take me," she replied bluntly.

"Wait, what?"

"I thought for sure he was joking. All of Lord Erizen’s guests like company in their beds at night." The way she looked at him made Esset uncomfortably certain that she was wondering if there was anything wrong with him. Only after an uncomfortable silence had passed did she speak again. "He gave me the usual orders, but I’m not sure what he meant by them this time," she finally admitted.

"Orders?" That reminded Esset that he should be mad about this, mad at Erizen. "I think it’s deplorable, how that man treats you."

Orchid looked surprised at his vehement assertion, but then there was a look of dawning comprehension. "Ah, I get it now," she said. Stepping back, she sat down on the bed so she could be more comfortable.

"Get what?" Esset was confused again.

Orchid smiled again, her confidence restored. "I will explain, but you have to promise to listen, okay? You really have no idea how things work around here." Esset looked at her, not entirely sure what he would be promising to listen to, but not objecting, either.

She decided to continue. "We love him, our Lord Erizen. All of us, his women, do. He wouldn’t keep us around if we didn’t, and those who don’t fit in find a place elsewhere—they’re cared for, believe me. Lord Erizen is arrogant, yes, but doesn’t he have a right to be? He’s rich, powerful, and amazingly clever. Yet he changes our names and color codes us so he can remember them." She laughed gaily. "It’s more than that, though. We’re lucky to be his people—every person in this kingdom is."

Esset looked like he wanted to object, but she lifted a finger and shot him a warning look to silence him. He subsided.

"Contrary to the great show he puts on, Erizen takes care of us. Know that this territory and all the ones surrounding it have been under the control of dark mage lords for…well, I don’t actually know how long, but generations, at least. The lord before Erizen was…not so kind. These lords, they show their power through cruelty. Life was horrible under them—is horrible under the others. So…we put on a show. Here, in this kingdom, life is pretty good. But we can’t let any of the other mage lords know, or they would think Lord Erizen soft and destroy him. Everything must seem just as it is in other kingdoms. Thus, the gloom of the Greymaker. Even a healthy peasant looks put-upon under its pall. And thus the chains in the hall." She smirked. "Although I think my lord likes them anyways."

A bit of red colored Esset’s ears. "I dunno. This doesn’t at all match with what I’ve seen of Erizen." Esset wasn’t quite ready to be convinced yet.

"Then you aren’t listening," Orchid said bluntly. "Lord Erizen is practical—he likes power and pleasure. How does he get that? Seizing this territory gets him power. The Greymaker makes him power. Gaining the loyalty of the people keeps him that power and increases the pleasure he can receive from us. We will give him more in return than any other mage lord could possibly get from his people. Are those narcissistic enough reasons for you to accept?"

Orchid laughed at Esset’s expression, and then continued. "You think me unaware of how self-centered he is? You think I think he does good because he has morals?" She laughed. "I know the truth, as do you now. The difference is, I love him anyway."

Esset didn’t know what to make of this extraordinary woman whom he’d found in his bedroom. He'd met women who were scholars, warriors, or simply wives, but he'd never met anyone like this. "That… I guess that does make sense," he finally acknowledged.

"Lord Erizen will be pleased," Orchid said happily.

And that reminded Esset: orders. She’d said she was here on orders. The "usual" orders. "So… what were Erizen’s ‘usual orders?’ You mentioned them earlier," he asked delicately.

"We are underestimated," Orchid replied readily—and proudly. "Being what we are. And our clever lord knows how best to use that, and us, to his advantage. He said, ‘Give him what he needs to see things my way.’ Normally that means we’re to bed his guest and then pillow talk them around to coming to the decision that our lord wants. But I was confused by what he said next: ‘Heads up, doll, he won’t bed you.’” She did a passable imitation of his drawl.

Esset couldn’t help but smile. He still didn’t like that she was being used as she was, but he could see her point of view, at least.

"But you… You’re different aren’t you? Very different from our lord’s usual guests. You don’t need sex and wiles… You just needed the truth." There was just a hint of wonder in her gaze; it was that foreign a thing to her. She looked at him curiously.

"I’ve always been a believer in truth," Esset admitted with irony.

"Well, Mr. Truthful, you sure you don’t want me to…hang around?" She rose fluidly and stepped in very close, making him once again draw back in surprise.

"That’s, uh, not necessary, no." He was back to stammering again. Orchid clearly took delight in how easy it was to fluster him.

"That’s actually a pity. Like I said, you’re adorable." Orchid brushed past him and opened the door. Her blue eyes glanced back at him one last time before she closed the door behind her.

Toman felt a bit of the tension drain from him as he peeled off his coat and hung it on the stand beside the door. Beneath the coat he wore an ordinary, brown, short-sleeved shirt, and of course, he kept on his gloves. He washed and slept with them on regularly anyways, but to take them off in the home of one who was a dubious ally at best—that would be foolish.

Spying a wash basin, Toman dumped the ready pitcher of water in and washed his face. When he was done, he patted his face dry with the small, plush towel left there for that purpose. Exhaling heavily, he buried his face in the soft towel for several long moments as he consciously relaxed his muscles, working his way through his neck muscles, down his shoulders, and into his arms. He was about to put the towel down when he thought he heard the door open.

There—a soft scuff on the floor betrayed the intruder's presence. Toman didn't even pause. His coat came to life next to the door, leaping at the intruder and wrapping the sleeves around her.

"Oh!" The exclamation was definitely feminine. When Toman laid eyes on her, his exhale was one of frustration. It was one of Erizen's girls from the throne room: Orchid. She struggled weakly against the coat, unable to free herself and looking rather pathetic in her attempts. Toman made it release her and return to the hook by the door.

"You really ought to knock before entering. Orchid, right?" Toman asked, dropping the towel over the edge of the sink behind him.

"I am so sorry, my lord," Orchid said, curtseying and eyeing the coat nervously yet. "I had no idea, I mean, I thought—"

Toman arched an eyebrow. "It's quite all right. My abilities are completely under my control, and I have no reason to harm you," he said to ease her fears. "And I'm no lord. Just Toman."

Orchid visibly collected herself. "My apologies, sir. You are correct. I should have knocked. I have been sent here to serve you as you please." Toman watched as Orchid consciously shifted her body language to something more demure.

Toman chuckled. "Why am I not surprised? You’re lovely, Orchid, but no thank you." Orchid looked only slightly surprised—probably more by the nature of the refusal than the refusal itself. Far more than surprised, however, she looked intrigued.

"So you are like your partner, then?" Something suddenly seemed to occur to her. "You are not lovers, are you?"

Toman almost choked. "No, no, definitely not. Brightfire no. We’re best friends, brothers. We grew up together."

"Huh. The last time two men rejected me in one night, they were partners in a far more intimate way than the way you and your partner are," Orchid said.

"That’s, uh, very…informative, but no," Toman reiterated. He couldn’t believe that this woman had managed to get him flustered. Although her precise timing had surprised him, he’d guessed that Erizen might try sending his women to them. Despite that foresight, she still had him off balance. It was…impressive.

"I apologize for the misconception," Orchid said.

"I don’t think you’re sorry," Toman said bluntly, his frankness surprising Orchid into looking him straight into the eye.

"I beg your pardon, my lord?"

"I don’t think you’re sorry," Toman repeated. "I think this has played out quite the way you planned. Your first reaction," he pointed at his coat, "was quite genuine. I don’t think I’ve seen a genuine reaction since. You just came from visiting my brother, yes?"

"I don’t—"

Toman cut her off. "Yes?" he demanded.

"Yes," she replied. There was no point in denying it.

"And your act was consistent with that. Nonetheless, I know Erizen sent you here to play us. He wants us to be assured of his…well, I don’t know what you’d call it exactly, but let’s just go with calling it his ‘good side.’ My brother is quick to judge, but I’ve seen more than that going on here. Erizen likes to play games and push buttons, and I get that too, but I don’t like being played. So, will you drop the act?"

"My lord, I’m sure—"

"I’m afraid you tipped your hand when you ‘misconstrued’ the relationship between my brother and me just now. That’s not a normal conclusion to jump to, and you immediately sought to justify your ‘mistake.’ The reason you pretended to make that mistake was to discomfit me and to put me in a space where it was easier for you to tell which of my reactions were real and which weren’t. Let me guess. Erizen uses you to assess how much of a threat we are, if at all, and whether we can be shaped to his ends—or at least used to his ends. Am I right?"

Orchid looked perplexed by his monologue. Either she was genuinely confused—he doubted it—or she was stalling as she debated internally whether to speak plainly. There was a third, more frightening option as well: it was possible that there were painful consequences for her having been caught, and trying to preserve her cover, no matter how flimsy it was, remained her only hope of saving herself. And if that were the case…