“I don’t have a lot of time. Could you please just—”
“I am here,” came a voice. “Thank you, Nobble. I would speak to my protégé uninterrupted.”
“Of course, Master Beguiling!” Nobble ducked her head and found something to tidy at the far end of the softly lit room. Saeldian shifted their posture as their patron came into view.
Osalor the Beguiling appeared, dressed in a robe the color of jasmine blossoms, its translucent gathers overlaid with silver filigree stays. Saeldian tried to figure out how he moved to make the hem that floated a touch above the floor ripple like that, how he could move like the air shivered in delight at his presence, but perhaps an elf could not presume what an archfey could do without thinking about it. Perhaps every bit of their effort to be Osalor’s undeniable protégé would never quite meet the expectation.
“I’m so glad you called on me,” Osalor said. “Dear Saeldian. How fetching you look. An ensemble for a Goldenight party?”
Saeldian shimmied one hip, letting the coins dripping from their illusioned ensemble tinkle. “What gave it away?”
“What indeed,” Osalor said with a chuckle. “What if you wore all those coins against a darker blue?”
A moment’s concentration adjusted their outfit’s illusion. “This?”
“Wonderful,” Osalor said. “Did you only need a suggestion for your party outfit?”
“I’m on a job,” Saeldian said. “It’s during the party, and it’s weird.”
“What do you mean by weird?”
“We were hired today to steal a spell gem. No time to case anything in person. The only time to steal it is tonight, in the middle of a big party full of Waterdhavian wizards, nobles, and noble wizards—”
“You’re nervous.”
“Who wouldn’t be? The client picked the team. Me and Jubilee, but they also hired Kell Redsong.”
Osalor tilted his head. He didn’t frown—such an expression would be too obvious. “I don’t recall—”
“Kell and I worked together in Baldur’s Gate.”
“Right! Your old partner. How is he?”
“Angry,” Saeldian said. “He got pinched with the harp shortly after I set sail. And he thinks I informed on him before I left.”
Osalor looked offended. “You would never.”
“He didn’t have a chance to hear anything different. But that’s not all. We’re stealing the target—the Kiss of Enduring Love—so we can put it back where it belongs before anyone figures it out.”
“Ah! A good deed.” Osalor held out his hands, inspecting his nails. “Did you say the Kiss of Enduring Love?”
“Do you know of it?” Saeldian asked.
He looked back into the mirror. “Never heard of it. Awful name. It rings with sentimentality. Who was it stolen from?”
“We don’t know exactly, but who isn’t as important as where.” Saeldian paused to let the curiosity unfold but couldn’t hold their grin. They’d risen on their toes with the news. “We’re supposed to return it to a domain in the Feywild!”
“Oh! You’re coming here.” His expression went bright with a surprised smile. “Do you know yet which domain?”
“We haven’t been informed,” Saeldian said. “I suppose the client will tell us when we have the gem. What we don’t know, we can’t say.”
“True. The Feywild, though.” Osalor kept smiling. “That’s an interesting place to finish the job. What exactly did your employer say about the domain? Perhaps there’s a clue you missed.”
“She only said a small domain in the Feywild. And then there’s the name of the spell gem, of course.” Saeldian wrinkled their nose.
“They can’t expect you to return a tacky spell gem all on your own. They’ll have to tell you something after you succeed.”
“You’re right, of course,” Saeldian said. “But since I’ll be in the Feywild, perhaps I could come join you for a visit? If everything goes well.”
