Page 40 of A Suitable Stray

“If it pleases Tiiran,” Nikoly answered, quiet, with his chin up. But it took him a moment to drag his gaze away from Orin.

Tiiran flapped a hand and then floundered for words like a wantwit goose. “Yes. All right. I mean, we should have been having tea soon anyway.”

“We have breaks in the library now thanks to Tiiran,” Nikoly explained to Orin, although he kept his attention on his work of pouring a cup for Tiiran and handing it to him. “We often have them together.”

“I didn’t make that happen,” Tiiran objected. “The breaks for food or tea were something everyone decided on.”

Orin’s gaze settled on him. Tiiran trembled so much it would have rattled his cup in a saucer if Nikoly had bothered with saucers. He didn’t because Tiiran didn’t. Saucers were just another dish to clean as far as Tiiran was concerned, even though he didn’t work near a kitchen anymore.

“Has he told you about the changes he’s made?” Nikoly continued to Orin, pausing only to also hand Tiiran a biscuit. “I suggested he tell you. He values your opinion.”

“I’m sure he was getting to it.” Orin’s tone stayed mild, unassuming, until he went on. “Did the others really decide to take regular breaks on their own or did Tiiran initiate things?”

“They follow Tiiran’s lead.” There was so much pride in Nikoly’s voice that Tiiran squawked. “He cares for them a great deal, and they care for him. Almost like a family.”

Orin sighed with pleasure. “You see, kitten?” Tiiran didn’t see anything. “Your tea,” Orin prompted, possibly in response to Tiiran’s scowl.

Tiiran wasn’t in frowning because he hadn’t had his tea, but blew over the top of the tea and took a drink.

“I chose a calming blend. Not spring tea.” Nikoly told Tiiran… or Orin. He glanced to Tiiran but Tiiran recognized when Nikoly was being charming on purpose. He might have been showing off. So many wanted Orin’s attention, and now that Nikoly had a good look at him and heard Tiiran describe what a friend he was, he probably wanted it too.

Tiiran swallowed the hard lump his tea had become as he glanced between the two of them. Nikoly was effortlessly beautiful, although he did work to win people over. Tiiran had never considered him scheming before, but he was, in his way. Not for anything terrible, or for political nonsense, probably, unless hewasthat sort of noble. But Tiiran had told Orin that Nikoly was trustworthy, if not honest, and that had not changed.

Then there was Orin, who also withheld things, like information “for Tiiran’s safety” or even a great deal of his own power when he was with people he didn’t want to intimidate. He sat in that chair that didn’t fit him, like a beast choosing, for the moment, to stay in its cage. His observant, banked fire of a gaze was on Nikoly and he was smiling.

Nikoly was pretty and controlled as Tiiran would never be, and Orin had probably already figured out how to take that control from him and turn him into the shivering, crying, still-pretty mess Tiiran had often imagined Nikoly could be.

“Did you not need the bandages?” Nikoly continued to Orin. “I admit, you seemed well enough to me.” He paused when Tiiran swung a glare over to him but stayed charming. “I brought them anyway because I thought it might put your mind at ease to tend to him, Tiiran.”

Tiiran wanted to cross his arms at Orin’s warm approval atthat, but he was holding a cup of a tea and a biscuit and couldn’t.

Tiiran was in no mood to be teased. Nor did he want to be appeased withpity bandages—though they might have worked if Orin had needed tending to. But obviously, one didn’t ask for Tiiran to do such things, especially not with Nikoly there being helpful. And handsome.

“There’s nothing wrong with worrying,” he insisted. “You show up clearly having been in a fight,” he added to Orin, ready to spit and hiss if need be and not wanting to behandledby either of them. He’d had a real reason to worry, and it didn’t matter that anxiety made his “temper” worse, or that both of them apparently knew this.

All of Orin’s attention was back on Tiiran now. “A scrape,” he insisted.

Tiiran sneered. “Nobody gets in ascrapewith an outguard.I’vebeen in scrapes.”

Orin’s attention sharpened. “Have you?”

“Yes.” Tiiran opened his mouth to touch his tongue to his broken tooth as evidence. “I bite.”

Orin slouched down slightly, satisfied. “Of that, I have no doubt.”

“Did you bite into bone?” Nikoly returned to Tiiran’s side to peer at him in concern. “Is that what chipped your tooth?”

“Try not to hit bone next time, kitten,” Orin added. “Though I assume this person deserved it.”

“Fuck yes,” Tiiran assured both of them immediately, but then paused to really consider it as an adult and not an angry child. “People with a small amount of power are eager to show it by harassing those with less power than them. In this case, a noble’s Head of House who didn’t think I was working hard enough. I was ill at the time but he decided to motivate me with the handle of a mop. I objected. He didn’t like that, so I objected again… with my teeth.”

Orin’s stillness hid all manner of thoughts, something that likely intimidated anyone he’d ever questioned. “I don’t suppose you remember their name?”

“The noble, or the Head of House?” Tiiran regarded them both in confusion. “Does it matter?”

“Yes.” Nikoly’s voice shook with anger.

Orin was calmer but somehow also furious. “You’ll find such things are actually the job of the Outguard to note and report. It goes to the magistrate, or mayor, or noble, whoever is the official in charge. And if nothing is done, then it could, in theory, go all the way to the ruler.”

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