"You've made promises to Javier and broken them already." Kiram shook his head as Javier started to speak. This needed to be settled between him and Elezar and it had to be done before the bishop's men came. They couldn't afford to be fighting the shadow curse and Elezar at the same time. Sweat beaded under Kiram's arms but he stepped right up beside Elezar.
"It's only your actions that matter. So let's get this out in the open. You want to fight me. Let's do it now."
Elezar's fist came up and Kiram gripped his knife. But then Elezar's dark gaze softened. He squeezed his eyes shut and dropped his hand to his side.
"I'm not going to kill you, Kiram. You're my little brother's best friend." He sighed heavily and wiped again at the blood caked beneath his nose, seeming nearly as exhausted as Javier. "If you want to bend for Javier, that's your business. Just don't do it in front of me."
Kiram nodded. He doubted that he could get better than that from Elezar. He certainly wasn't going to argue over who bent for whom more often. He stepped back, feeling sore and relieved.
"We're all good?" Javier asked.
Elezar and Kiram both nodded though neither could bring themselves to look at each other.
"Good." Javier looked relieved. Lunaluz sauntered to him and butted his head gently against Javier's shoulder. Both Kiram and Elezar stood silently by as Javier scratched Lunaluz and the stallion sniffed and inspected Javier. Kiram wondered where his mount, Verano, had gone. Probably back to the Grunito stables.
Then Kiram heard Nestor's voice, booming from a distance. He called Kiram's name and before Kiram could call back he appeared on the road, riding his roan gelding and leading Verano out to the glade.
As he approached, Nestor expression grew more horrified and worried. "What in God's name happened to all of you?"
Kiram opened his mouth and then closed it, unable to think of anything to say that wouldn't horrify Nestor further. He certainly couldn't tell the truth.
"It's my fault," Javier said. "I wanted to test how easily I could recover from being run through." He flashed that dashing smile that so often made his more rash or ill-conceived actions seem daring and bold.
Nestor seemed only half convinced.
"Turns out," Javier went on casually, "it's not so easily done. At least not without making quite a mess."
"It looks like there's been a murder." Nestor squinted through his spectacles at Javier's torn, bloody shirtfront, then at the huge burned circle at the base of the old oak tree.
"There nearly was." Elezar gave a game smile but his tone was oddly flat. "It's a good thing there weren't any ladies about, that's for certain."
"That's madness," Nestor told Javier. "You were run all the way through?"
Kiram caught the flinch in Elezar's expression though he doubted that Nestor did.
"Straight through." Javier turned slowly for Nestor, who gaped all the more at the blood-soaked shirt.
"Madness," Nestor repeated. "I mean, what if you hadn't been able to recover? You could have been killed, you know" He gave the three of them a look that clearly conveyed that he was reassessing his high opinion of their intellects.
"Yes," Javier replied. "Well, it's not something I'm likely to attempt again."
"I hope not." Nestor continued to peer in silence at the ugly scabbed wound in Javier's chest and a queasy sallow color crept into his complexion.
"Why were you calling me?" Kiram asked Nestor.
"Oh." Nestor brought himself up sharply. "Sorry, I nearly forgot. It's your brother, Majdi. He's come to see you and I think it's important."
"Where is he?" Kiram asked.
"He was waiting at the house gates when I left him," Nestor replied. "I don't think you should talk to him looking like you do though. I mean, he's likely to think that you're being treated abominably."
"Why don't you invite the man into the house while the three of us clean up," Elezar suggested.
Nestor nodded and handed Verano's reigns over to Kiram.
"You tried to stop them, didn't you?" Nestor asked in a whisper.
"Some things can't be avoided no matter how hard you try." Kiram smiled to reassure Nestor. "At least we're all right now. That's all that matters, really."
Twenty minutes later Kiram sprinted down the grand staircase of the Grunito house wearing a loose pair of Javier's fencing trousers, one of Morisio's spare shirts and a servant's coat. They were the only clothes to be found in short order and Kiram was happy enough to have them even if members of the house staff did pause and eye him suspiciously as he hurried past them.
Majdi awaited him out in the spring garden, leaning against a huge bronze planter from which an explosion of rose vines burst up in a tangle of green leaves and gold flowers. He wore his brilliant red Mirogoth coat and rested his foot on a traveler's trunk. He furrowed his brow as Kiram drew closer. "Why are you wearing a servant's clothes?"
"My own are filthy. These are what fit on short notice." Kiram crossed his arms over his chest. "Didyou really come all this way to criticize my wardrobe?"
"I came to see how you were."
"I'm fine."
"Yes, you look it," Majdi replied with a smirk.
"I've had a rough day." Considering everything that had happened he felt that the faded bruises, random scratches, small burns and singed hair he sported weren't all that bad. "In fact, I've had several rough days but I feel as though things might be looking up now."
Majdi gave a slow, knowing nod and it worried Kiram a little. "Mum's been worried sick about you."
Kiram laughed out loud at that. Last he remembered she'd slapped him and thrown him out of the house. "Worried sick about my marriage to Hashiem, you mean?"
"No, I mean she's worried about you." Majdi gave him the same look of aggravation that he often cast upon their more spoiled cousins.
"Majdi, you don't know what she said."
"Not something mean?" Majdi taunted. "Are you telling me that you infuriated Mum and she didn't just hug and kiss you to bits?"
"I'm serious!" Kiram almost cringed at the tone of petulance in his own voice. She called Javiei-"
"Some things are best not repeated." Majdi held up his hand and glanced up to the balcony above. Kiram thought he glimpsed Cadeleonian faces looking down at them. "I know what she said. Half the Haldiim district knows thanks to some fruit vendor. But you know Mum, Kiram. You have to know that she didn't mean it."
"Then why did she say it?"
Majdi rolled his eyes. "Are you really such a child that you can't understand that people say things they don't mean when they're angry? Do you really not know that you behave exactly the same way?"
Instantly the memory of hurling a scrub brush at Javier's face returned to Kiram as did his demand that Javier never speak to him again. Kiram felt his cheeks flushing with guilt.
Majdi nodded as if cementing his conversational victory. Kiram straightened the cuff of his coat to avoid meeting Majdi's gaze. At least he hadn't called Javier an animal or run him through.
"Look." Majdi's tone relaxed and when Kiram looked at him his expression had softened. "I know from personal experience that you don't want to be a little snot about this. You'll just end up feeling like an ungrateful brat later."
"She threw me out and I'm the one who is ungrateful?"
"She assumed you'd go to Uncle Rafie and be perfectly safe," Majdi replied. "But no. Instead we find out that you wandered off into the smoke district and got attacked by Musni and his drunk friends."
Kiram blinked at Majdi for one uncomprehending moment. He'd almost forgotten about his scuffle with Musni. It seemed like such a petty fight compared to what had just occurred with Elezar. "How did you find out about that?"