After I’d returned from her heir and delivered my report, Lady Karsin insisted I stay for at least a cup of tea, which I didn’t turn down. After all the chaos of today, it was barely afternoon. A moment to relax seemed well deserved.

Unfortunately, it seemed one of the topics of conversation had been myself.

“From what Lord Montague was telling me, your entire apartment is a loss?” Lady Karsin asked me.

“Yes, although I’m hoping his father’s payment will make up for some of it, my lady,” I said uncomfortably.

“And no idea who was responsible?”

“Some idea, but my business is my business, my lady.” And would remain separate from this. As I would be soon enough.

“If you insist. Ah, perfect! Thank you Martissimo!”

One of the servants had wheeled in a cart filled with pastries and several cups of tea. Was she expecting more company? Ah, the rest of the Montagues.

“I hope you both will enjoy the tea,” Lady Karsin said. “It’s laced with alchemy. I think you might be familiar with the practice, Miss Falara?”

It actually pained me to put my cup down when she mentioned that.

“I am, and unfortunately, I have an adverse reaction to the majority of those substances, Lady Karsin.”

“Ah, my apologies. I should have checked first. I’ll have the staff make one without the additive.”

I smiled politely. “Much appreciated, Lady Karsin.”

“Such a shame you’re allergic. I’ve been meaning to try to see the response to this blend before I serve it at a party tomorrow. You don’t have any issues with it, do you, Lord Montague?”

“Oh no,” he said with a gleeful grin. “I’ve actually already tried a few at the more recent parties. They’ve been rather bracing.”

I wasn’t actually allergic to any of those substances, but you did not drink anything with alchemy unless you knew yourself the mixture placed in. Of course, she could have just not said anything, and neither of us would have known. Unless one of us could see magic, and since I’d gone to great lengths to hide my own talent, that would mean the third person at the table.

I gave Gregory Montague a sidelong glance. Did he have a talent for any of the inborn magical arts? That might explain his seeming lack of concern for his own life and why Lord Montague might keep around a son he was less than fond of. Perhaps there was more to him than met the eye.

Lifting his cup, he gave me a small grin and proceeded to drink it all in a single gulp.

No, I thought as I watched him set the cup down with a satisfied look on his face. There might be even less to him.

“I’d heard rumors, but I never thought I’d see it in person,” Lady Karsin said, looking a little shocked. “That’s the style popular in the court these days?”

It was what?

“You must be joking,” I said. “Swallowing it in one gulp cannot be any way to enjoy tea, and definitely not something gaining popularity!”

Gregory Montague raised an eyebrow at my little outburst as I settled back in my seat, cheeks burning. “You have particular tastes on the proper way of drinking tea, Miss Falara?”

“Perhaps inherited from a parent?” Lady Karsin added.

“Definitely not from my father. Whoever that might be. And I never knew my mother as well,” I lied quickly. “So it is entirely possible, but in terms of being raised and taught in the ways of drinking tea, not really Lady Karsin. The streets were my teacher in many things.”

Not untrue, even if that stretch of time was maybe a third of my life. It would be even longer if you included my time under Versalicci, but that hadn’t been the hardscrabble life of the true streets. The stuff about not learning tea from my mother…technically true, if you considered a group effort from many family members different from having learned from her alone.

“You don’t know who either of your parents are?” Gregory asked. “Surely you must have at some point been inclined to find out?”

“Inclination would suggest I have a desire to find out more about the people who threw me out in the streets,” I replied. “If one of them were to materialize out of thin air on fire? I’d go looking for some oil to add to the blaze.”

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

It was only after I finished that I realized both Lady Karsin and Gregory were regarding me as if I’d suddenly caught aflame. I resisted the urge to start breathing deeply. I’d let myself get too unbalanced, let the mask slip a few too many times.

“That seems a bit brazen,” Lady Karsin said.

“I believe she would do it,” Montague said. “She slammed me to the ground, and I believe was on the verge of shooting me this morning.”

Lady Karsin looked at me appraisingly. “Really? I know Gregory might be a bit rough, but that seems a little extreme.”

Cheeks flushing, I hurried to my own defense. “I found him in the middle of the ruins of my apartment, which had been thoroughly ransacked.”

“I also opened the conversation with a few innuendos that I don’t think she appreciated,” Gregory confessed to Lady Karsin. “I think that might explain the gun more than the potential ransacking.”

“Lord Montague, when has opening a conversation with innuendo ever worked out for you?” Lady Karsin asked with a wry grin on her face.

“More times than you would think. They’ve all worked out each time, including now, so there’s no hard feelings over it,” he assured me. “If anything, you’ve treated me more gently than most who have found me in places I shouldn’t be. I’ve always been of the opinion that experiencing new things can never have a downside.”

I smiled, nodded, and gladly accepted those two taking control of the conversation and turning to Montague’s various scandals instead of my behavior. The servants finally brought a regular cup of tea, and I could hardly refuse any. Besides, if Lady Karsin meant to slip me anything that wouldn’t alter the beverage’s taste, she’d hardly use the excuse of a recent fad of adding alchemicals.

A sip and it felt like the stress had been banished from my body. I felt relaxed, and I let the conversation flow.

The tea tasted amazing, and I spent a few minutes raving about the blend to Lady Karsin. I also made sure to savor every drop, in contrast to that lunatic Montague who continued to down them in single shots, insisting the entire time it was the new style. If I still had the inclination, I might consider trying to slip inside the estate and stealing enough to keep my battered teapot stocked for a century.

I pretended to notice the time on the clock across from us half an hour later. Enough time had passed that I could leave without offense. I hoped so, at least, but if not, I could always blame it on my lower-class upbringing. Besides, Lord Montague would probably be arriving any minute for that scheduled tea with Lady Karsin, and I would do my best to avoid that.

“Thank you very much for hosting me, Lady Karsin, but I really should be going,” I said, getting up from my seat. “I unfortunately have other things I need to get to before the day comes to an end. Perhaps we can do this some other time?”

She nodded. “Tomorrow afternoon, perhaps? Lord Montague will be there as well, so it would be the perfect time to discuss your payment from him?”

I smiled and shook my head. “I have an unavoidable appointment at that time. Perhaps a day later?”

“Definitely,” she said, seemingly surprisingly sober.

Gregory Montague also got up from his chair.

“If you’ll let me escort you to the carriage, Miss Falara?” He asked, offering his arm.

I looked from him to Lady Karsin. What exactly had they talked about while I was finishing those tests?

“I need a reason to avoid Father,” he added. “If I arrive after escorting you out, I can pretend I just made it back from your apartment.”

That seemed plausible enough. I didn’t take his arm, merely letting him walk alongside me in silence as a servant directed us out of the tower.

“I’ve decided not to try and take you to my father’s estate,” Gregory said, breaking the silence once we’d made it into the gardens. “Talking with Lady Karsin some, your advice seems the best, and I’ll do my best to get it through my father’s skull how much risk he’d put Edward in. Well, that and I’m pretty sure I couldn’t force you to come without causing a fuss neither of us really want.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Not without something of a fuss, I’d hope. Your father will take your advice?”

“With Lady Karsin there to help nail each point through his thick skull? Yes.”

Even still, this was some trust Gregory was extending towards me and hoping I’d been right.

I could extend a little back. Nothing that would actually put me at risk, but some goodwill now might pay dividends later.

“Keep a dose. Do not tell your father. If your father follows my instructions, there will be a time when your brother seems to be nearly back to how he was before the poison. Give him the dose, then.”

Gregory went still, a startled look on his face. “You’re trusting me with this?”

“I don’t have many options,” I admitted. “You seem decent enough, and I might be busy with other work for the next few days. It’s better that the first dose gets administered at the proper time than me withholding it.”

My examination of his decency aside, if Gregory Montague was the ambitious type and didn’t dose his brother at the right time or even withheld the cure, I could tell his father. His father didn’t trust me, but I didn’t get the impression his opinion of Gregory was much higher.

“And the second dose?” Gregory asked, eyes narrowing.

“Will remain with me,” I said. “Until I receive my payment in full.”

“My father has many faults, but not paying his debts is not one of them.”

“Then I can witness that when I get my payment,” I replied.

I doubted I’d be getting full payment. I’d probably end up negotiating a lesser price for the second dose just before I changed lives again.

“Keep careful around Lady Karsin,” Gregory Montague muttered.

I stiffened. I was not so lost that I immediately spat back some foolish question about whether he had actually said something. Instead, after a second I forced myself to relax and then snorted.

“You know, I think if I told your father you were saying such things around me, he might double what he pays me,” I said conversationally, no higher than I normally would.

“Oh, but he tried to set us up to begin with. He can hardly blame me for trying,” Gregory said, bursting into laughter. As the fit came to it’s end, he whispered once again. “One century alive. In the court.”

“I’ll certainly keep it in mind,” I assured him. “After all, perhaps a noble on my arm would open many doors I’d find locked.”

“Oh, the doors locked to you would be locked to me as well. Safe travels, Miss Falara!” he called out as he walked back towards the tower.

I nodded, a forced smile on my face. I hardly felt safe.