Something pretty…?

Brendan had always been a vain man, and that vanity extended out to his entourage. He liked his men in designer suits, his women in short skirts and high heels. But I'd always complied with his rules, today included, even if it meant I'd had to make sure I didn't flash more than thigh every time I knelt at the library. He'd never seen fit to comment on my clothing choices before, save to demand their removal to the bedroom floor. So why now…?

The sound of footsteps made me glance up, and I realized the foyer wasn't as empty as it had been when I'd first come through. When I spotted those footsteps' owner, warmth shot through me, all the way down to my toes, and an idiot's grin hopped up onto my lips.

If I had my choice, the man in front of me would have been my lover, perhaps more.

Kasimir Stojanović looked like he should have carried the title of Shadowmage, even if he was only Brendan's right-hand man: he was tall and lean, looming an extra inch over his boss, with broad shoulders that tucked down into narrow hips and long runner's legs. Straight hair spilled like satin as low as his collar bone, black as a raven's wing against the paper white of his skin. His eyes were mid-way between the two, the bright steel of a sharpened blade, and just as cutting. But when they landed on me, they were soft as spring rain, warmed by the smile that curled across his lips.

"Severine," he said, my name like some rich dessert on his tongue.

"Kasimir," I answered, feeling color blossom in my cheeks.

"I thought I'd heard the familiar pitter-patter of your heels," he chuckled as he reached up to lay a warm hand on my shoulder. My pulse sped, half my blood rushing to my head, the other half rushing much lower. We'd never been together, could never be together. Kasimir was a mage, and even mages like him who had loyally served Brendan for centuries were still not allowed to sleep with his Catalysts. But that didn't stop me from wanting him. "What errand does he have you running now?"

"Entertaining someone from the Parkkonen group." I leaned into his touch, luxuriating in the familiar weight of his fingers. Every so often, I convinced myself that I'd imagined everything: that it was the one-sided crush of a sex-starved woman, that Kasimir was just being cordial, that there was no heat between us. And then he'd touch me, more than he needed to, longer than he needed to, just barely inside the bounds of propriety, but never quite taking it so far where Brendan could claim offense. "Do you know anything about it?"

Those broad shoulders lifted and dropped in a shrug. "You know Brendan, his ulterior motives have ulterior motives. The rest of us just follow his orders with a smile, if we're wise." Kasimir's fingers tightened, squeezing my shoulder almost a little too hard, before releasing. "Play by the rules, Severine, and you'll stay safe."

"Of course." I tried to keep my face neutral, but I could feel that the corners of my mouth were a little too tight, my eyes a little too wide. Over the years, I'd learned to read between Kasimir's lines. Brendan was up to something, and Kasimir didn't know what. Just that I needed to be extra cautious. "You know I do everything I can to keep my Wielder happy."

"Good girl," Kasimir grinned, though it was about as authentic as Brendan's laugh had been — but at least Kasimir needed no magic to mask his emotions, just self-control. "Now get out of here. I've got bad news to deliver, and I'd prefer that you're not in the splash zone when I do."

That should have been my cue to leave, but I couldn't help myself. "Bad news…?"

Kasimir shook his head. "Corporate bullshit. Nothing you need to worry about, unless you want to hear about discrepancies in the projected EBITDA for the third… oh look, there she goes."

I tossed Kasimir a quick smile over my shoulder as I made my hasty exit. I knew better than to stay around when the two started talking finances; good or bad, the discussion always left Brendan more riled than I wanted to deal with. He would have made an excellent dragon, to loom over a hoard of gold, now that I thought about it.

At least one of the few benefits of being the bottom rung on the Catalyst ladder was that my continued presence in the inner sanctum was rarely, if ever, deemed necessary. Maybe Aeliana didn't have the option to flee the top floor until the workday was done, but I certainly did.

Odyssa glanced up as soon as I escaped to the reception area, an easy smile on her lips. She was all the glory of autumn made human: those striking eyes were bright and golden as fresh honey, her hair the deepest crimson of leaves just before they fall, her skin the color of afternoon sunlight slanting down on fertile soil. There was something about her that always put me at ease, made me want to curl up next to her and whisper her all my secrets.

Perhaps Brendan had done it on purpose, collecting us as he did: himself the height of golden summer heat, Aeliana the floral freshness of spring, Odyssa the crisp beauty of fall — and me, the winter, pale as frost and dark as a moonless solstice.

"Leaving so early?" she asked, leaning forward with her elbows propped on the slick walnut of her desk. As his second, Odyssa was in a strange, middling position when it came to her responsibilities. She primarily served as the top floor receptionist, stationed just outside of the foyer — and thus outside of Brendan's inner circle. And yet she was trusted to be its gatekeeper, to keep tabs on the comings and goings of the throng that filtered in and out of the top floor. She could not quite retreat from his wrath, not the way I could, but she primarily remained out of immediate striking distance.

"I'm to entertain a certain Parkkonen representative tomorrow," I answered, promptly spilling my secrets. See how that worked? "And apparently I'm to wear something 'pretty' while I show him around town."

"Green," she offered, settling her narrow chin into her palms as she peered up at me. There was a glimmer of amusement in those golden eyes, though I couldn't quite tell if she was laughing at me or merely chuckling at Brendan's suggestion. "The darkest green you can find. You have that one dress — you know the one, with the wide neckline? Wear that. And some sensible shoes, for once."

I tipped my head, unable to keep from grinning myself. "And how can you be so certain?"

"I sit and I watch," she said. "I see how Kasimir looks at you every time you wear it. Well, not just Kasimir, but also mostly Kasimir."

That color was scouring back into my cheeks, and I shook my head rapidly. "Kasimir is off limits."

She paused, eyes darting back and forth to confirm the reception area was empty potential eavesdroppers, then crooked a finger for me to step closer. I did, leaning down close.

"Rumor says Brendan is considering granting him a second Catalyst," she whispered. "A reward for loyal service. Kasimir is powerful enough to lead his own city, and yet he stays with Brendan."

For a frozen second, my heart stopped, suspended in my chest. Then it crashed forward again, racing as if I'd run a marathon. A second Catalyst…? Kasimir couldn't sleep with Brendan's Catalysts — but his own, that was a different story. Brendan didn't just allow that, he encouraged it. The closer the bond between a Wielder and his Catalyst, the better the power flowed. Currently Kasimir only had one, a young man named Naïm, but I knew they weren't sleeping together. Kasimir had never been interested in men. If, somehow, I could be that second…

"Earth to Severine," Odyssa chuckled, reaching up to wave a hand in front of my face.

I snapped upright, blinking. "Sorry." I gave another shake of the head, as if I could physically clear the thoughts from my brain. I was jumping too far ahead. It was only rumor. And even if it was more, there was no guarantee it would be me. To my knowledge, Brendan had never given up one of his personal Catalysts before. Besides, I had another challenge in front of me that I had to deal with first: the Parkkonen representative.

"Just don't tell anyone." Odyssa pointedly glanced back at the doors that led to the foyer. "You know how he hates gossip."

Despite being a complete gossip himself. What CEO wasn't a hypocrite in some way? I nodded, trying to drag my attention back to the matter at hand, though it kept trying to wander off towards a certain dark-haired fantasy. "Of course; you know me. My lips are sealed."

"I know, I know." She waved a dismissive hand at me. "Get going already. You have preparations to do. I bet you haven't even made lunch or dinner reservations yet."

Shit. Odyssa was right. I'd been so thrown by Brendan's comment about clothing that I hadn't even contemplated all the other tasks I'd need to complete to be ready for tomorrow. I needed to plan a whole itinerary, both meals and entertainment, and only a few hours in which to do it. "Thanks for the insider information, as always," I said as I stepped away from her desk. "I owe you one."

"Or ten," she called, laughter coloring her voice.

"Or ten," I agreed with a laugh of my own. "Have a good night!"

It was only as I was heading down — in the elevator, this time — that the realization hit me: What if the Parkkonen representative was a test?

What if Brendan wanted to confirm my loyalty, before he handed me over to another mage?

Before he handed me over to Kasimir?