A House Divided

Chapter 20

"I may need your assistance with something," Miss Wyland said as she slipped through Kila's back door.

Anticipating that she might drop in, he'd been on alert the entire evening, listening for her. He had taken to leaving his back door unbarred, his windows unlatched, when he was at home and awake. She'd already proven to him that she could sneak into his lodgings whenever she liked, so he doubted practicing her skills on his security would help her develop them any further. Why not make things simpler for her?

"Oh?" he asked, lifting a brow as he turned to her, wiping his hands on a tea towel.

Her face was drawn, her eyes troubled, but she brightened at the sight of his preparations. "Two cups?" she asked, her lips quirking in an amused smile.

Shrugging, he said, "I've decided it's best to be prepared. Been putting out an extra cup every night."

He would have called her expression wistful, but that didn't make much sense to him.

"That's kind of you," she said.

His traitorous eyes wanted to drink in the sight of her, and he found the urge difficult to resist. She was dressed as she always was, in tight, form-hugging black clothing that intrigued him more than he cared to admit. Her eyes were almost indigo in the flickering candlelight, and he felt himself being drawn into them. Tearing his gaze away, he returned his attention to the tea preparation.

Words tickled at the back of his throat. He wanted to tell her how much he enjoyed her company, but he wondered if that would sound odd, considering they were caught up in the midst of an intrigue. Would things be different once they managed to untangle the threads and discover what was happening in House Staerleigh? Was the chemistry simmering between them due to the excitement of being embroiled in a secret together, or was it more substantial than that? Would she continue to visit him at night after they'd solved the mystery?

He hoped very much that she would. Her secret skills and sharpness of mind intrigued him, made him want to learn more about her. He would like to spend time with her, note the changes the years had wrought. He longed to know this new, adult version of the sweet young girl he had once befriended.

He kept his thoughts to himself.

They sat at his small table, Miss Wyland's shoulders relaxing as she sipped the tea. She was pensive, though.

"How may I assist you, Miss Wyland?" he asked.

"Miss Wyland?" she repeated, her lips curving in a full smile that snagged his gaze once more. "Really? When did we end up on such formal terms?"

"What should I call you, then?"

"You should call me by my first name, like you used to—" she cut herself off, looking abashed. "Right. I guess you didn't know me as Cianne then either."

"No, but I like to think I knew you."

His response pleased her, judging by the color that rose to her cheeks, the hope on her face. "You did know me. You do know me."

"Cianne it is, then, if that's what you would like."

Her cheeks got even pinker at his saying her name. "It is."

"So, how may I assist you, Cianne?"

"I may need to break into the offices in the Council Hall."

He wasn't surprised, not truly, but he did feel wary. Not because he didn't trust her, but because he wondered if it was a risk she should take. Her position within the House seemed precarious as it was. He did not think the Elders would be lenient if they caught her.