Family of Lies: Sebastian (11 page)

“How long will that take? Why don’t you make Mother and Father care for her like they’re supposed to instead?” Kevin moved another piece and frowned after seeing the trap he had fallen into. “Sneaky bastard.”

James sighed. “I’m sorry, Sebastian. I can’t have Ophelia in an inn where there are so many people. She would be in danger, and she hates crowds.”

“She’s never blamed you, and it’s pointless to give up your livelihood when it’s something you’re good at.” When they weren’t talking about his love life, it was relaxing to sit among his brothers.
At home, all it takes is a card game to turn us into beasts.
“And you have a baby on the way. He or she is going to keep you busy as it is.”

“You’re going to stay at home and rot?” Kevin asked.

“Maybe not for long. Did either of you know that Ophelia is in love with someone?” Kevin’s and James’s heads snapped in Sebastian’s direction.

“Who is he and for how long?” James broke the shocked silence.

“I don’t know for both questions. Margaret told me. I don’t think it’s someone who’s a threat, or she would have taken care of the problem herself,” Sebastian said.
Forgive me, Ophelia, but I need them off my back, and I didn’t tell them who I suspect.

James ran his hand through his hair. “You play hero and Ophelia is in a mysterious romance. Any more surprises?”

“I’ve barely convinced Kraven not to elope.”

“Arrgh!” Kevin swept his pieces off the board. “I’m done, and not because you pulled that scheme out of your ass, James. How the hell am I supposed to think when you drop this in my hands?”

James gathered the pieces together and put them in a wooden box. “I still call foul, liar.”

“I came here to ask for your help, James. And since you want to put your nose in my business too, Kevin, wouldn’t your time be best spent helping somebody who wants it?”

James crossed his arms but nodded for Sebastian to continue.

“He’s met a servant woman, and he wants to marry her. Unfortunately, he stupidly loaned Mother most of his money, and he doesn’t have much to offer a bride.”

“What’s she like?” Kevin asked.

“She seems nice and has a decent head on her shoulders.”

“Anything weird about her?” James asked.

Sebastian sighed. “There’s goblin in her bloodline, so her lifespan matches ours. Other than that, she’s perfectly normal.”

“Mother will sabotage it, and Father will figure out a way to offend her parents,” Kevin promised.

“I know.” Sebastian pitched his voice higher to mimic their mother. “You may marry a commoner, but Gods, not a boring person.”

“I’ll talk to the girl’s parents in secret, and Kevin and I will put up money for the wedding. Ellie’s a hopeless romantic like me, so she won’t need much persuasion to have the wedding here,” James offered.

“What do we do with you after we take care of them?” Kevin asked, refusing to drop the subject.

“Tell your friends about my bookshop when I start it.” Sebastian winked at his brothers.

“On another topic, why would you let Father run amok at the castle without any trustworthy sibling to hold his hand?” James asked.

“Harold can’t put up his stand at the festival this year, so I decided to help him. I want the experience and profits, and I’ll have neither if I’m always the one controlling Father,” Sebastian said.

“But he might have been manageable if you had waited at the castle.” James frowned at Sebastian. “And this business with the prince will only cause more rumors. I don’t like that you have to travel with guards now.”

“It’s just a precaution.” Sebastian stood up and tied his cloak in place. “I also need sleeping arrangements for the soldiers. They’re on the king’s coin, and they can afford any available rooms you have.”

“There are four open rooms upstairs on opposite ends. That’s the closest I can put the soldiers with you,” James said.

Sebastian shrugged while he put his hood on. “It doesn’t matter to me. I doubt I’m in danger of getting a hangnail.”

“I reserve the right to say ‘I told you so’ first,” Kevin said, standing at the same time as James. If it wasn’t for the difference in height, they could have passed as twins.

“Quit wishing me harm, Kevin. Mother and Father are already doing their share of that right now. I’m exhausted, so if you don’t mind, I’m going to bed.” Sebastian opened the door for his brothers, followed them out of the room, and rolled his eyes when the soldiers quickly joined them. “I feel like my taxes are disappearing into a hole of unnecessary spending.” He frowned when he spotted his bags dangling from Lieutenant Adams’s arms. “Why are you holding my things?”

“Because we’re going to the same room,” Adams said.

“I don’t need a roommate.”

“It’s for your safety. I know there haven’t been any attacks, but why tempt fate?”

“And there won’t be. I want to sleep, and I can’t do that if you’re hovering over me,” Sebastian growled.

“It’s my job to make sure nothing happens to you. Just get undressed and go to sleep like normal and you won’t even notice… oh.” Lieutenant Adams paused. “Do you take off your cloak when you’re alone?”

“Astute conclusion, Lieutenant. Now please leave me be or I’m going out a window while you sleep.”

“Fine, the room is all yours, but if you see anything amiss, give a shout,” Lieutenant Adams demanded.

“Agreed.”

Lieutenant Adams actually obeyed and followed Sebastian to his room without going inside. Sebastian locked the door and flung off his cloak. Stretching out the journey’s kinks, He undressed and circled the room’s full, steaming tub. He sighed and gave the water a slap.
Real privacy. No guards, no siblings, and all the hot water I can stand.
Sebastian stepped into the tub, slowly submerging each body part until the water ended under his nostrils. Holding his breath, he dipped lower and water flowed over his head. Motionless in the water with his worries far away, Sebastian closed his eyes and listened to the water’s vibrations. When they died down, he swayed his arms to create more. He felt no urgency to take another breath.
It’s not the extra years, but these small things that make being only part human enjoyable
, he thought. For an hour, he didn’t break the surface, and only the door opening disturbed his soaking.
I’ll stay under until whoever it is takes a hint and goes away.

But footsteps sounded closer than they should have for basic privacy, and Sebastian didn’t know who was in his room. As Sebastian had sensed the tiny movements in the tub, he concentrated on his feet, listening as each thrum in his toes accompanied the intruder’s steps. Closer. Closer. Sebastian sprang out of the water and tackled the intruder. Both men fell and a knife clanged to the floor. Sebastian snatched his cloak and a blade from the sleeve.

“Don’t,” the assassin whispered, his words muffled by a scarf tied beneath his eyes.

Sebastian looked up and the assassin’s crossbow pointed at his heart.

The assassin shook his head. “Just don’t.”

Sebastian stopped moving. “What am I supposed to do?”

“I don’t… they said you were ugly. You’re not….” The assassin gulped and tried to look at anything in the room but Sebastian, but his eyes were drawn back to him. “How can anyone be so beautiful?”

“These aren’t questions I can answer on the floor.”

“No, you stay!”

The crossbow shook, and Sebastian didn’t want to be accidentally killed by the fool.

“If I tell him what you look like, he’ll order me not to do this.” The assassin was so enamored with Sebastian’s face that he didn’t hear the door open. Kevin crept into the room with his knife raised.

“You should tell your boss. I’m sure he’ll understand.” Sebastian kept his voice steady. Just because the man was having a crisis didn’t negate the assassin’s original motive. “But please spare me.”

“I couldn’t—” Kevin thrust his knife under the killer’s chin and yanked the blade out.

Kevin wiped the blade clean with a handkerchief. “It had to be done. There’s no telling when the shock would have worn off.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“Useless guilt is written on your face.” Kevin shook his head. “You’re as soft-hearted as Kraven.” He grabbed the clothes Sebastian had thrown on a chair and tossed them at him. “Get dressed. The king’s guards are dispatching the rest of them,” he said as he closed the door, but it was shoved open. Kevin raised his knife but lowered it when James poked his head through the space.

James shoved the rest of his body in and stood against the door. “Good strategy. Fight naked so the bad guys are too busy staring to kill you.” James blew out his cheeks. “I expected to find you dead.”

“No thanks to those useless soldiers,” Kevin said.

“Complain later. Would you guys please look away?” Sebastian pleaded.

James and Kevin closed their eyes so they could remain in their positions barring the broken door.

“Sir Orwell!” a panicked Lieutenant Adams shouted through the door.

“I’m fine, but I’m dressing, so wait a damned minute!”

“If he’s still grouchy, then he must be fine,” Sergeant Hooper’s voice joined in.

With his clothes finally on, Sebastian did a quick once-over before swinging the cloak over his shoulders and tying it in place. He flipped the hood over his head and nodded to James and Kevin.

Kevin raised his back off the door, and he was shoved forward when the soldiers rushed in to reach their assignment.

“Fingers and toes all accounted for, Sir Orwell?” Lieutenant Adams asked Sebastian.

“I am unharmed,” Sebastian said.

Lieutenant Adams surveyed the room and frowned at the assassin lying in blood and water spilled from the tub. “I’m sorry we didn’t come to your aid. Those who attacked the inn used a powerful ward to block anyone from entering this room except for them. Things could have been worse if Mistress Ellie didn’t have spells in place around the inn, or if that seer sister of yours hadn’t sent us a warning.”

“The soldiers were repelled from your room, but Ellie’s safeguards are blood-steeped. Magic cast from an outsider wouldn’t have affected anyone of our blood,” James said. More soldiers arrived, and he stepped aside to let them in.

“We couldn’t take any alive. They were all mages and had to be taken down with arrows when we saw them casting a particularly nasty spell,” Sergeant Bradley reported.

“We’re damned lucky those other attackers fell in that wizard’s trap,” Sergeant Hooper said.

“What wizard?” Lieutenant Adams asked.

“This one.” Ellie pushed through the crowded door with a man far skinnier but taller than James. His black hair was trimmed neatly to short curls, and he wore a red robe with a long opening running to his navel.

The man grinned at the full room and bowed deeply. “Trey Ausher at your service.”

“There were more assassins at the back of his inn. Carrying so many weapons triggered a trap he has set for brigands and thieves. There were ten of them, and all had magic.” Ellie pulled blonde strands behind her ear. “Things might not have gone our way if those men had made it to our home.”

“Are they alive?” Lieutenant Adams asked.

Trey shook his head. “The spell isn’t a lethal one, but when they woke up, they started convulsing. All of them died in less than a minute, foaming at the mouth and screaming in agony.”

“Insanity.” The lieutenant pointed at the body. “Bradley and Hooper, get rid of that while I report to the king.” His soldiers carried the body away by his arms and legs, and Trey and Ellie followed them out, closing the door behind them. Lieutenant Adams removed a round mirror from his coat and chanted over it until the king’s image appeared.

Sebastian looked at the determined faces standing around him.
I brought this on myself for not minding my own damn business and getting too cozy with my guards. I should have ditched them a long time ago.

“You have no magic, so why send so many assassins after one man? This was excessive even if you do have six bodyguards,” Sonny, another of the royal guards, said.

“They probably researched the area,” James suggested.

“I saw no magic schools or merc training grounds on the map.”

“Nothing that spectacular, but the group of inns on this street is known as Wizards’ Row. Every owner is a powerful mage, including Ellie.” James smiled broadly. “Our little one will pack a punch too.”

“We’re leaving,” Sebastian interrupted them.

“We’re not leaving in the middle of the night when another ambush could be in the works. Spending the night in a place called Wizards’ Row sounds saner.” Lieutenant Adams held out the mirror. “For you.”

Sebastian glared at the mirror.
If I accidentally let it fall, I don’t have to speak to the king.
He sighed.
Ellie probably has another mirror they could use, so it wouldn’t make a difference.
Sebastian took the mirror but instead of the king’s face, Prince Turren’s worry-filled sapphire eyes met his.

“I order you to do as Lieutenant Adams says or you will be forcefully brought to the castle.”

I should have fucking dropped it.
“No.” Behind him, James sighed loudly, and Kevin shook his head. “We will move to one of the nearby inns if we can’t travel, but I will have the final word. Refuse and I ditch my caretakers regardless of the danger,” Sebastian said.

Prince Turren rolled his eyes instead of becoming angry. “Why can’t you at least pretend to respect my authority, Bastian?”

“Because giving me a pet name doesn’t make me one of your sycophants?”

“True, but why not return to the castle?”

“I have responsibilities to address for the king’s loyal servant, Lord Bast.”

Turren smiled. “During Father’s time with the lieutenant, I used my mirror to contact Harold. He says missing a year at the festival doesn’t matter if it meant you would be safe.” Before Sebastian could come up with a second excuse, the prince cut him off. “And I spoke with Diana. She says the herbs can be found here. As a matter of fact, Lord Pasley is helping Ophelia pick them tomorrow morning.”

“Efficient little shit, aren’t you?”