The snow softened her footfalls as Vivian made her way through snowy fields sown with carrots, parsnips and other hardy crops capable of withstanding the winter chill. She pulled her cloak tighter around herself, hoping to preserve her own body heat as she walked briskly down the familiar path towards her home. She figured it was time she went back seeing as she had spent the last four days at Felix’s. The three of them had parted ways at noon, with Aiden deciding to return to his abode as well to confront either a brooding Bruz who had missed him or a laidback one who had gotten even lazier during his absence.

  It could go either way…

  Vivian’s breaths came out in small, foggy clouds as she jogged the final steps up to the house. She stomped her feet and shook out her cloak to get rid of any snow before opening the front door and stepping inside into blissful warmth. She couldn’t help the content sigh that escaped her lips as she pulled off her cloak and stepped further in to see the fireplace crackling merrily with a hearty fire. The living room was empty, but someone must have lit the fire. Sith had probably already left for work, and Peri wouldn’t be up this early even if his life depended on it.

  Must’ve been that Reno fellow. Vivian moved closer to the fireplace and was about to slump down on the sofa when a throat cleared from behind her. She shot back up and whirled around to see Reno standing on the stairs, studying her.

  ‘Welcome back,’ he greeted, his voice just as soft as when she first heard it. ‘Or perhaps I should say hello as we were never properly introduced.’

  Vivian smiled nervously. ‘Hello. We didn’t really get a chance to talk the last time.’

  ‘That’s alright.’ He climbed the rest of the way down. ‘We can do it now. That is, as soon as you change out of those damp clothes.’ His eyes narrowed slightly in judgement. ‘Wouldn’t want to get the upholstery wet.’

  Ah right. Sith did tell me he was a bit of a neat freak...

  ‘Sorry.’ Vivian moved past him to the stairs, feeling a bit like a chastised child, which she was. ‘I’ll be back down soon.’

  ‘I’ll have a fresh pot of tea waiting.’

  Vivian climbed up the stairs to the drawing room, where she could hear Peri’s muted snores through his closed bedroom door. She considered waking the man for a moment to act as a buffer between Reno and herself but dismissed the thought. By the time she would’ve dragged him out of bed, the tea would no longer be fresh.

  Come on Vivian, you’re not Aiden! You are plenty capable of talking to someone by yourself…

  She climbed up the spiral staircase to her attic bedroom, where to no surprise, she found Ebion curled up on her pillow, his body rising and falling with deep breaths. She tiptoed towards him, trying to not wake him. She scratched him gently behind the ears with a finger and the feline purred in his sleep.

  ‘You haven’t seen me in two days,’ she mumbled under her breath. ‘Did you at least miss me a little?’

  Ebion didn’t respond and continued to sleep. Vivian smiled and shook her head before moving away. She quickly stripped off her damp clothes and pulled on a fresh set of clothes. The woollen tunic felt like heavenly, the heating spell sown into it immediately warming her up.

  It was much more expensive than the other woollen pieces, but it was worth it.

  Running a comb through her hair, she left her room and took the stairs down two at a time. She headed into the dining room which was empty.

  ‘In here,’ Reno called from the kitchen.

  Vivian took a calming breath before marching in. Alright Vivian, let’s try to make a good first impression this time… gods know that I haven’t made one so far.

  Reno had kept his word as there was fresh cup of steaming tea awaiting her on the small table as she entered the kitchen, along with a plate of cookies still warm from the oven.

  ‘I thought we could sit here.’ Reno slid into one of the chairs, holding his own cup filled with a dark, brown liquid. ‘It’s warmer than in the dining.’

  ‘No problem.’ Vivian slid into the only other chair. ‘Thank you for the tea.’

  Vivian quietly sipped her tea. It was one of the few sweet things she indulged in. She nursed her cup as she thought about what to say.

  ‘Before I came here, I’d never even drank tea,’ Vivian said idly. ‘Now, it’s a habit. An expensive one.’

  ‘Expensive?’

  ‘Well, tea is imported from the east, right?’ Vivian set her cup down. ‘Most commoners can’t afford it unless you were a rich merchant or something of the sort.’

  ‘Ah, I see.’ Reno looked down at his own cup. ‘I could never get into it. I drink the occasional cup, but my vice lies elsewhere.’

  ‘I noticed.’ Vivian gave a sniff. ‘What are you drinking? It smells bitter.’

  ‘We call it kafi back home, but it’s known as coffee here.’ Reno took a sip. ‘It is bitter, but you can sweeten it with sugar or milk if you want. Though I prefer mine dark.’

  ‘Home, huh?’ Vivian tapped her finger against her cup. ‘Sith mentioned it once. It’s called Rhyzos, right? She said the two of you come from the same tribe.’

  ‘Yes, we’re beiths of the cat.’ Reno lifted his long, striped, white tail to demonstrate.

  Vivian leaned in to take a closer look at his tail. ’It's different from what I remember.’ She frowned in thought. ‘Wasn’t it white and fluffy before?’

  ‘A few among out kind have the gift of dual transformation,’ Reno explained. ‘Which means I have two forms I can change into. One is a white tiger, and the other is ordinary white cat.’

  ‘And you can switch your tails whenever you want?’

  Reno smiled kindly. ’I can also hide it completely if I want, but it is considered a shameful act, so we try not to unless absolutely necessary.’

  Vivian gave a shy smile. ‘Is it rude to say I want to see you transform?’

  ‘Not really, no.’ Reno down the last of his coffee before getting up and picking up her empty cup as well. ‘But I have a feeling your friends are curious about it too. So how about I show you when you’re all here.’

  ‘Well Felix is going to be over the moon. Last night after getting punished by Cyrus, he was thinking about how to trick you into transforming.’ Vivian stuffed the last of the cookies in her mouth before following Reno with the now empty plate.

  ‘Why was he being punished?’

  Vivian quickly swallowed. ‘Oh, he thought he could cut off a lock of Cyrus’ hair without him knowing. We ratted him out obviously.’

  Reno chuckled. ‘Obviously.’

  ‘Anyway, while he was polishing the silverware…’ Vivian stopped and frowned. ‘Or maybe I should say while he was learning to do it, because clearly, he’d never done it before. Either way, he was planning how to get you to transform. And since Aiden got to rat him out to Cyrus, now it’s my turn to do it. So here we are.’

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  ‘I don’t know which one to pick as being worse.’ Reno placed the empty cups in the washing tub. ‘That this Felix is shamelessly unremorseful, or that you and Aiden are terrible friends.’

  Vivian shrugged. ‘It could be both. Sometimes we’re good for each other. Most times we’re not.’

  The sound of footsteps dragging themselves down the stairs interrupted their conversation, warning them of Peri’s eminent arrival. A moment later the man himself entered the kitchen, his curly hair dishevelled as always and his clothes in disarray. He scratched his stubbled cheek as he yawned widely, surveying the kitchen and its current occupants.

  ‘Good morning,’ Vivian greeted. ‘Or maybe I should be saying afternoon.’

  The jab was ignored. ‘You have any tea left?’ Peri rubbed his eyes. ‘Or even coffee?’

  ‘As if I would share my coffee with you.’ Reno folded his arms across his chest. ‘My supply is significantly lower than when I left.’

  ‘Are you accusing me of stealing your coffee?’

  ‘Yes, that’s exactly what I’m doing.’

  ‘Well, you’d be right,’ Peri shrugged shamelessly. ‘It’s not like I can get any while you’re here.’

  ‘And that makes it alright to just take it while I’m not here.’

  ‘If you didn’t want me to take it you should’ve hidden it.’

  ‘I did,’ Reno said crossly.

  ‘You should’ve hidden it better.’ Peri slumped into one the chairs. ‘Now, be a dear and make me a cup.’

  A wooden ladle was airborne before Vivian could even blink. Peri easily dodged it an easy-going smile on his face that just made things worse. Vivian took that as her cue to leave. She didn’t want to be caught in the crossfire when there was a high possibility of knives being involved.

  ‘I should go,’ she said, carefully stepping towards the kitchen door. ‘We’re taking Tala to see Madame Jeanne today.’

  ‘I thought you said it was at the fifth hour?’ Peri dodged a fork that clattered harmlessly against the wall behind him.

  ‘It is, but…’ Vivian tried to think of an excuse but then realized she really didn’t want to put in that much effort. ‘I feel like things here are only going to get worse, and I don’t want to be here when they do.’

  ‘Good call.’ Peri nodded in acknowledgement. ‘Well, see you later.’

  ‘Bye Reno,’ Vivian said as she left. ‘Try not to kill him.’

  ‘No promises,’ Reno muttered.

  Vivian had stepped outside and was closing the main door behind her when she heard something heavy crash in the kitchen.

  He’ll be fine… I think.

  Just one hour after she had come home, Vivian found herself trudging through the snow back the way she came. She was almost at the city limits when she stopped to wonder where she should go. She’d just left Felix’s in the morning, so she didn’t want to go back there. And Aiden had reached his limit for social interaction for the week, so he needed some alone time to recover. For once, Vivian had nowhere she had go or be. She had another four hours to kill before the meeting, so she decided to explore the marketplace.

  Two hours later she had bought nothing but had managed to annoy a lot of shopkeepers by spending too much time staring at their goods and then walking out without making a single purchase. It wasn’t that she was uninterested or that she didn’t have the money, but she couldn’t really justify purchasing anything.

  I already have everything I need. Food, clothes, a place to sleep… I don’t anything.

  Vivian was standing outside Ayda’s general goods, in the process of irritating another shop owner, when someone brushed past her. She turned around to see who it was and froze.

  ‘Oh, it’s you.’ A familiar, condescending voice, with a face to match.

  Vivian gulped before giving a polite bow. ‘Lord Adar.’

  Lord Adar, as always, towered over her, his form actually managing to block out the sun. His short black hair was swept back from his face, allowing him to showcase the full extent of his distaste through narrowed, brown eyes and a pair of tightly pursed lips. Vivian didn’t even know he could go past the level of disdain he had shown the last time they’d met, but the man had managed to exceed her expectations. That was a feat in and of itself.

  ‘Don’t you know it is common curtesy to apologize when you bump into someone?’

  To say she was flabbergasted would be an understatement. She pointed at the bookshop window she was looking through before. ‘I was the one standing still, right around there.’

  Lord Adar clicked his tongue in annoyance. ‘Uneducated and disrespectful. I don’t know why we let you stay.’

  Vivian bit her tongue, showing an immense amount of self-control that she didn’t know she possessed. She couldn’t be seen arguing with a member of the Council given her precarious position in the city. It killed her to keep quiet but keep quiet she did for the sake of self-preservation. A familiar feeling of powerlessness and insignificance crept over her skin and crawled into her mind.

  I hate this. I hate feeling so weak. This is why I never go out without Felix and Aiden. I hate having to depend on them, but at least they can talk back to arses like him without much consequence.

  Vivian stared back at Lord Adar, trying to keep her face as impassive as possible. ‘If there is nothing else you wish to say I’ll wish you a good day my lord.’

  Lord Adar frowned. ‘Hold on now. We’re not-’

  Suddenly an arm slipped into hers, locking itself against her elbow. Vivian glanced back to see who had intervened and was pleasantly surprised to see a familiar face, a welcome one.

  ‘There you are.’ Bethany smiled at her warmly. ‘I’ve been looking for you everywhere.’

  ‘Uh, hello.’ It took a moment for Vivian to catch Bethany’s drift. ‘Oh, sorry! Did I keep you waiting long?’

  ‘It’s alright.’ Bethany looked at Lord Adar and nodded politely. ‘I can see why you were held up. Is everything alright?’

  Lord Adar exhaled sharply. ‘Everything is fine. Vivian and I were just having a friendly conversation, isn’t that right?’

  Vivian gritted her teeth but didn’t contradict him. ‘Yes,’ she ground out. Anything to make this conversation end sooner.

  ‘Well, I best be on my way.’ Lord Adar gave Bethany a courteous smile and ignored Vivian. ‘Good day Miss Blyne.’

  ‘Good day Lord Adar.’

  Lord Adar turned sharply and left, his robes swishing about as he moved. People seemed to pick up on his bad mood and stepped out of his way as he passed by. Within a few moments he was gone.

  ‘I hope I didn’t overstep.’ Bethany removed her arm from Vivian’s. ‘You looked uncomfortable.’

  ‘No, no, you’re a lifesaver!’ Vivian replied. ‘Thank you. It was not a friendly conversation.’

  Bethany smile. ‘Yes, I figured. Don’t let him get to you. There are pricks like him everywhere.’

  ‘That is not a comforting thought.’

  ‘So where are you headed?’

  ‘Oh, I'm just wandering around. I’ve got nothing else to do, so I thought why not go around and vex a few shop owners.’

  ‘Well, you seem to be doing an excellent job.’ Bethany nodded behind her. Vivian turned to see the shop’s namesake, a portly, female dwarf, glaring at her through the window. ‘She seems two seconds away from hurling something at you.’

  ‘A sentiment shared by many I suppose.’ Vivian smiled and waved at Ayda. The glare intensified.

  ‘Don’t take it personally.’ Bethany laid a guiding hand on her elbow and led her away before a fight could ensue. ‘People tend to hate what they don’t understand. And no one understands you.’

  ‘Me?’

  Bethany sat them down on a bench on the sidewalk. She rummaged around in one of the bags she was carrying, pulling out a paper bag and holding it out open to her. The smell of hot, freshly baked cookies.

  ‘Oh no, I’m good,’ Vivian refused politely. ‘I don’t really like sweet foods.’

  ‘Then these are perfect for you. They’re gingerbread cookies. Slightly sweet, mixed with several spices. Go on.’ She shook the bag at her. ‘Try one.’

  ‘Well, if you insist.’ Vivian reached in and pulled out a biscuit. She took a single bite and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was indeed not sweet.

  ‘Good right?’ Bethany leaned back on the bench, adjusting her frock. ‘I got it from Lynn’s Bakery. Quaint little place three streets over.’

  Vivian swallowed the last bite of her cookie and leaned back as well. ‘…Why are you being so nice to me?’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘I’ve been here for more than a month and the only nobles who’d look me in the eye are Felix and Aiden… and now, you.’

  ‘Well, if you ask me why… I can’t really pinpoint an exact reason.’ Bethany shrugged. ‘Perhaps it’s curiosity.’

  ‘Right.’ Vivian chuckled grimly. ’Right, you did mention I was an oddity.’

  ‘I meant that in a good way. Do you know how mind-numbing tea parties can be when all you have to talk about is dresses and who-kissed-who?’ Bethany let out a short huff. ‘You are a very welcome change.’

  ‘So, you talk about me?’

  Bethany shrugged with a teasing smile. ‘Occasionally.’ She looked out at the street, her eyes wandering from person to person. ‘It’s because you live away from the city that you don’t know. After all it’s not every day that a commoner mage manages to survive a mage hunt for three weeks and take down an entire squadron of Sentinels, before making her way to the city to then convince the Council to let her stay on account of her being able to talk to the druscans, which, mind you, is something no one else had ever been able to do.’

  Vivian scratched her cheek shyly. ‘Well, it wasn’t as epic as you’re making it out to be…’

  Bethany shook her head. ‘Kenny and Quinn won’t shut up about you. It’s always commoner this and commoner that. They act all haughty, but I can tell a small part of them admires you.’

  ‘Oh… well…’

  Bethany smiled and stood up. ‘Have a little more faith in yourself. Sure, there are arses like Adar around, but there are also people like me and your friends who really like you. So, try listening to us instead of them.’

  ‘No promises. But I’ll try.’

  Bethany turned around to face her. ‘You said you had no plans right now, yes?’

  ‘Not till the fifth hour.’

  ‘How about we spend some time together? Get to know each other better? You can tell me all about how you thrashed the Sentinels black and blue. And I can give you some good gossip about Kenny and Quinn as ammunition for the next time you run into them.’

  ‘… Are you sure they’re your friends?’

  Bethany smirked. ‘I love them, but they really need to be taken down a peg. I think you’ll do an excellent job.’

  Vivian smiled and stood up as well. She gave Bethany a mock bow. ‘Well then, I am at your service my lady. Please, grant me your wisdom.’