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I cock my head. “Something to do with medicine, I’d imagine. She’s training to become a medic.”
The shopkeeper relaxes just slightly. She obviously knows that the stuff can be put to unsavory uses, but it must have some legitimate functions as well. “It’s not requested often. I only get it by special order.”
I put on my best cajoling voice. “I don’t suppose you’ve gotten one of those orders recently enough that I could jump the queue? She’d besograteful.”
The woman shakes her head briskly. “Nothing here and nothing on the way. I’m sorry, my lady.”
All right, then our conspirators haven’t been getting regular stock here, if she can be believed. Not all that helpful, but it does let us cross one avenue of investigation off the list.
I thank the shopkeeper again profusely and pay for my jazfern. Popping it into one of my gown’s discreet pockets rather than my pouch, I’m just ambling out the door when I nearly bump into a lithe, unmistakably familiar figure passing by.
Casimir beams at me, his gorgeous face more stunning than ever with the sun shining down on it. “Oh, hello! What a coincidence bumping into one of my schoolmates here.”
Sixteen
My heart skips a beat and my tongue tangles for a moment in my shock. And not only because I’m afraid Casimir will ask what I just bought.
Why couldn’t the courtesan be at least kind of a jerk like the other guys, so I’d have an easier time ignoring his epic gorgeousness?
I gather myself, setting my hands on my hips and lifting an eyebrow. “It does seem to be a pretty big coincidence.”
Casimir’s smile turns a bit sly, which somehow takes him to yet another level of breathtaking. “There’s a beauty goods shop just down the street that’s one of my favorites. I don’t suppose that happens to be where you’re headed next?”
We aren’t really supposed to be spending time together. Did he contrive this meeting to give us an excuse to talk?
What could he have wanted to talk about so urgently?
I’d better find out. I match his smile as well as I can. “Actually, it is.”
Casimir turns with a discreet gesture to indicate which way we should walk. “I’d be happy to give you some recommendations if you need them.”
“Sure, that sounds great.”
As we stroll farther down the street, I flick my gaze around to make sure no one’s all that close by. I’ve been getting a lot of practice at talking so that no one will overhear. “How did you know where I’d be?”
Casimir keeps his voice equally low. “I saw you heading out looking rather purposeful, and I remembered the herb shops you told us we should look into. This is the closest one. And I really do like the beauty store down here, so it wasn’t any hardship to wander by.”
Julita snickers.Oh, Cas. Isn’t he just lovely?
I suppose so. I still need to know: “What’s going on? Why did you need to talk to me?”
Casimir glances over at me, his pine-green eyes briefly pensive beneath the loose waves of his tawny hair. “Outside of our meetings, you haven’t had anyoneyoucan really talk to other than Stavros, and I know he wasn’t entirely on board with the plan.”
He pauses, his eyes searching mine. “And I suppose Julita, but as much as we appreciate that she isn’t entirely gone, that can’t be an entirely comfortable situation for you either. I thought you might be feeling isolated. It must be a strain constantly putting on a persona in a setting you’re unused to.”
So he followed me out here and waited around until he saw me… so that he could offer a little company? Even as I try to wrap my head around that generosity, a lump solidifies in my gut.
Itislovely of him.
What are the chances he’d bother if he knew what I really am—why I actually came out here?
“Thank you,” I say around the matching lump that’s crept into my throat. “You didn’t have to—”
“I know,” Casimir says easily, with a glint of his gemstone teeth. “But we are on this quest together, even if we have to pretend to be apart most of the time. We should support each other when we can.”
I can’t help giving him a skeptical sideways glance. “You didn’t have anything better to do?”
He knocks his elbow playfully against my arm. “No classes this afternoon. If it makes you feel better, my career’s entire purpose is making people happy. You can consider this field work.”
