Salvage ~ V1: Nuts and Bolts (Steampunk/ Gaslamp Romantasy ~ FxM, MxM)

Chapter 13: Much To Contemplate ~ pt. 1

As Kazia stood applauding, a man came squeezing himself through the crowd, his eyes on Amelys where she sat behind Kazia. He was roughly Kazia's own age, tall and lanky, with a mop of ginger curls that fell around bright blue eyes and a light sprinkling of freckles across his nose and cheeks.

"Mistress Thanelin," he said in a lilting Caedran accent, "it is lovely to see you. Did you enjoy the lecture?"

"I did," Amelys answered. "Kazia, this is Sir Eaphan Palanaida, a Professor here at the University. His older brother is the Duke governing the region of Essyl Village, so you may have heard of the family. Eaphan, please meet Lady Kazia Devratha, the newest addition to the Queen's Alchemists."

He turned and made a shallow bow to Kazia.

"How do you do, Lady Devratha," he said. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

"I'm delighted, Sir Palanaida," she answered.

She truly was delighted. She felt nothing from him but a sweet cordiality and a boyish excitement, perhaps surrounding the night's event.

"You seem very young to be a University Professor," she observed.

"Well, I'm just starting, really," he replied with a bashful modesty.

"Eaphan teaches the modern sciences," Amelys said. "There aren't many of my generation who have embraced them yet."

"I see," Kazia said.

At that moment, the familiar figure of Master Ilianus emerged from the surrounding crowd to join them.

"Sir Palanaida," he said, "congratulations on a fine event tonight."

The two men exchanged a handshake as Tamyn nodded a polite greeting to Kazia and Amelys.

"Master Ilianus, what a joy," Eaphan said. "What brings you out tonight?"

"Feeling a bit nostalgic perhaps," he answered softly. "I haven't visited the University in some time."

Nostalgic seemed an understatement, though, as Kazia was overwhelmed with an absolute mess of scattered emotions emanating from him. Outwardly he showed nothing of this, appearing as still and serene as a glacier, but a chaotic blurring of hopefulness and anxiety battled within him, bringing Kazia physical sensations of a queasy stomach, shortness of breath, and a fluttering of the heart.

"Master Ilianus, do you have connections to the University as well?" Kazia asked.

"I was a student here, oh a good decade ago now," he said.

As he spoke, his eyes flitted over the crowd surreptitiously, as if he were looking for someone.

"I haven't heard of many Alchemists attending secular universities."

"I have four older brothers," Tamyn explained with a light smile. "With no lack of heirs to the family estate, my parents wanted to make sure that I had something to do with my life, in case Alchemy didn't suit me."

"Such is the life of we noble spares, yes?" Eaphan laughed. "Lady Devratha I understand that your brother will visit our city soon. He was a student here some time ago, I wonder if he will want to see the University again?"

Kazia stiffened at the mention of her brother, but at the same moment, something in Tamyn's internal conflict seemed to break almost violently. She gasped and bit her lip as his gentle eyes landed on hers, still showing no obvious signs of the distress erupting from him. He stared at her intently, parting his lips as if to speak but closing them silently again several times.

"How did you enjoy the lecture, Lady Kazia?" Tamyn asked finally, and Kazia felt him slowly willing himself to calm again.

"Yes, I do hope we didn't bore you tonight," Eaphan said a bit sheepishly, seeming to understand that bringing up Kazia's brother may have been a faux pas.