Page 61 of Noble Charms

Kip hovered at Noble's side and said, “I swear it was harmless. None would have felt a thing—the bard's spell is what did the damage. It must have caused some kind of pressure inside the glass bottle as he examined it. I told him to stop. He made it explode, not me.”

No, Noble was not going to call the police, or Morgan, or anyone else. He was going to handle this himself. He pushed up the sleeves to his shirt.

Aria appeared at Noble’s side. “Noble. Don’t.” Aria closed both hands around one of Noble’s arms, holding him in place. When Kip and Virginia continued to gaze with wide, moony eyes, Aria said, “Well? He told you to leave. So—” and then his voice took on a mind-rattling magical edge; an undeniable force that changed the air pressure quickly enough that Noble's ears popped. “Leave, and never come back.”

Suggestion.

Virginia and Kip fled. They hesitated before the debris on the street. Kip seemed to want to continue on—to flee—but Virginia stomped her foot. They sank by the wreckage Noble caused. Noble slammed the door closed, refusing to watch as they pilfered through the investments that didn't matter to him. Virginia was right about that.

The broken window whistled from the cold winds outside. Aria waved a hand over the door, and hummed. The glass shards trembled before snapping up, into place. They were still cracked—but until it could be replaced, they remained suspended together by magic. Aria exhaled. “There. All fine. See?”

Noble breathed again, and watched Aria between pinched brows, vision now clear of his all-consuming rage. “Are you alright?”

Aria looked down at his bleeding arm. “Yeah. I’m fine. Well, actually. Oh.”

All at once, Aria collapsed like a marionette cut from its strings. Noble caught him, scooped him into a bridal hold, and watched Aria’s eyes blink, unfocused and dizzy.

Aria said, “Sorry. I’m not great with blood.”

Not much later, Aria sat on the sink counter in Noble's personal bathroom. He winced as Noble used clean silver tweezers to pull the final tiny glass fragment from his wrist. He dropped it with all the other blood-stained shards into a towel-lined bowl. Aria raised his hand to the wound, said, “Harmless, see?” in a sing-song voice. The cut sealed instantly—though it, and all the other freshly-healed wounds, would remain pink for several days. Tender to the touch.

So Noble made sure to touch him gently. He brushed a hand down Aria's bare arm and said, “I'm sorry.”

Aria swung his feet, knees on either side of Noble. “You needn't apologize. It wasn't too bad. Like Kip said—I did it myself. You gave them the safe anyway. His way would have been a lot less fuss. Sneaking into your home after we’ve gone to sleep.”

He needed not to think of Kip, or else he'd fall into that hot rage again. “You're certain you're alright?” Noble continued to examine his arm.

Aria reached out and brushed Noble's hair from his face, and then scooped his hand beneath his jaw to meet his eyes. “I'm fine. Are you alright?”

Noble opened his mouth to say yes, but couldn't. He didn’t know what had happened in his mind. He was changed. Aria had changed him. Made him see something in the reflection of the basin’s mirror; something that had been there all along, invisible. Until now. Until Aria. Noble gazed into Aria's concerned, watery stare. “Have you spoken with Ellor recently?”

Aria tilted his head. “No. Not since we split. Why?”

“You've not heard a word from him? Or any of his associates?”

“No. I've not even gone back to The Bardic Post for my final check, though I should.” Aria exhaled. “What does that have to do with anything?”

Virginia said you ruined Ellor, Noble didn't say. No, what he said, instead, was, “You don’t need your final check. I’ll give you the money. Anything you want.”

Noble would let him have everything, if he asked. Aria combed his cold, petite, magical hands through Noble's curls again, considering him, and his words. And then he pulled Noble close by the back of his head, and hugged him. Deeply, all-consumingly, chest to chest. Aria whispered, “Just because Virginia wanted your coin, Noble, doesn't mean any of the rest of us do. I will never hurt you in such a way. I swear.”

“But you could,” Noble said, choking on what he wanted to say. “You could.” I would let you.

Aria sat back just enough to place a kiss upon Noble's jaw, at the place where his beard met his cheek. “I wouldn't. I won't. You're a dear friend to me.”

Noble said nothing else, because he couldn't. Aria was not his friend. Aria could never be his friend. Not after the weeks they've spent together. Not after this embrace. Noble squeezed Aria close, hearts beating in perfect, harmonious rhythm. It’s him. It’s him. It’s him.

Virginia had been right in her warning. Aria would lead him to ruin. Already had. Noble couldn't have a wife and Aria both, and he'd give up everything he thought he wanted if he dared to speak.

I love you, Noble didn't say in reply. I'm in love with you.

ARIA

Aria gasped, surprised, as Noble wrapped an arm around his legs, and lifted him into the air. He was placed back onto his feet before he could say a word, and he blew some of his loose hair out of his face. “Warn a man first, you dog. I could have dropped the potato bake.”

“You're too graceful for that,” said Noble, his teeth near-sparkling from the energy that poured from him. The same as it had for the last week—he walked as if he weighed half as much. His grin took an edge as he pushed aside the lid to the dish Aria held and snatched a crispy, browned edge of the potato bake, and popped it into his mouth. He then took off, out the front door, before Aria could retaliate.

“Dog!” Aria called after him as he fled. “This isn't for you.” He sighed as he put the lid on more firmly. What had gotten into Noble as of late? This new, playful, energetic version of him emerged after the disastrous night at Virginia's side. Aria met eyes with Morgan at the front door—freshly repaired, thankfully—and they shared a questioning look.