Chapter Eight: Cotton

Cotton felt butterflies in her stomach as Kestian walked with her back towards the circus. The day had been wonderful. Kestian had enjoyed the hike, and the spring, and the picnic, and... Cotton let her thoughts trail deliciously off. She couldn't focus on that part of it too much. Staring at it too long would only make her remember all the dark things that in their contrast made it so bright. It hadn’t been horrible. She had let Kestian see her and touch her and they hadn't hated her when she told them to stop. It had been fine. Cotton thought about the feeling of Kestian's lips on her skin. She thought about what she might have let them do had she not been scared. She thought about what she may yet let them do.

The circus camp was bustling as they approached. People were warming up and readying things for the evening show. Within the hour the audience would be seated, and the show would begin. The Horse Thief came jogging up to her.

"Boss, there you are. I thought you should know there is a man here to see you. He did not want to share his business with me. He was under the impression he would not need to buy a ticket as well."

Cotton felt Kestian straighten up next to her. "Where is he now," Cotton asked. "What did he look like?"

"Average height, skinny, Southern, has reading glasses on a chain round his neck, and... hellborn."

Cotton relaxed a degree, all but certain who this mystery man was, "and where is he?" She asked.

"Just on your left."

Cotton turned in the direction of the voice to see her brother walking towards her. He was more or less as the Horse Thief had described him. His skin a cool dark brown like his own father's and his hair was set into neat scalp braids spiraling in exact patterns around his horns. He was slight in his build; his shoulders were narrow and his hips slender. He had a sort of permanent slouch to his posture that came from years spent bent over books or leaning into conversations, and more recently leaning on lecturing podiums. He had the neat but carefree air of one who knows a lot about a precise few things but should never be asked to do such mundane and practical tasks as balance a budget or plan a meal for himself. In other words, he was an absolutely hopeless academic.

"Linnaeus" she said.

"Cotton" he answered. "It is good to see you. But please, make introductions." He said looking at Kestian standing beside her.

"Of course, Kestian this is Linnaeus Sayyid, a friend of mine. Linnaeus this is Kestian Cere Thaedra," she paused just a moment to look up at them,

"Oath knight if Valaethira," they extended their hand "a pleasure to meet you."

Cotton’s cheeks warmed with shame. They had asked her to call them her lover and she hadn't. But she couldn’t introduce them as such not yet, even if her brother likely expected as much.

Linnaeus took their hand and shook it. "Kestian, a pleasure to meet you indeed. But I know my friend has a show to prepare for so I will not keep her. I was just going to go and find my seat; will you join me?" He offered them his arm.

"I actually need to go to my own work. Or I would join you. But if you are going to stick around, I imagine I will be back for the early show tomorrow. Is that alright Cotton?"

"Of course, always happy to have you." Cotton smiled at them. She couldn't have them here right now not till she'd had a chance to talk to Linnaeus, but she needed to give them a better goodbye than this.

"Till tomorrow then." Kestian said. They kissed Cotton gently on the mouth. Cotton wrapped her arms around their neck. She could feel their smile against her lips as Kestian circled their arms around her waist and lifted her.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

"Till tomorrow, lover." She whispered in their ear. Kestian set her back on her feet. "Tomorrow." They smiled "have a good show." They gave her hand a final squeeze and turned and began walking away.

"So I'm your friend, am I?" Linnaeus asked.

Cotton sighed. "Horse Thief this is my brother, Professor Linnaeus Sayyid."

"You have a brother?" The Horse Thief asked.

"Same mother different fathers. And we have a sister as well." Linnaeus answered for her.

"Linnaeus, I do have a show to get ready for, and I believe you were going to find a seat, although my Horse Thief tells me you neglected to purchase a ticket?"

"What, no free ticket for family?"

Cotton raised an eyebrow at him.

"I’ll take you to dinner afterwards. There's a great spot by the university. An orcish fellow discovered his great act would be feeding people."

"Oh did he?" Cotton asked.

"And he has three children already with another on the way."

"The food is that good?"

"The local girls find him very worthy."

"Enough to share him?"

"I've heard it takes a village." He said with a shrug. “Sharing as you say seems as good a solution as any.”

Cotton’s chest tightened at the thought of going out into the city, even with her brother.

"If we are going to dinner, we are bringing the Horse Thief." She said

"Of course." He said with an easy wave of his hand. "Does he have a name by the way, your Horse Thief"

"Oh he has one. I just refuse to use it." Cotton smiled.

"And I figure why spoil fun." The Horse Thief said "but you two discussing me as though I were not here and dinner plans aside, there is show to prepare for."

"Of course," Linnaeus said "it’s terribly bad luck to wish a performer good luck isn't it?"

"Yes." Cotton said

"Well then sister, perish in a fire, and I will see you afterwards for dinner."

He nodded his head crisply and headed towards the big tent.

"You did not tell me you had siblings." The Horse Thief said.

"No I did not." Cotton said.

"And you did not tell Kestian either." The Horse Thief said

"She knows I have siblings, not that he is one of them."

"And he is—”

"A broker for our mother, same as me, but different. Come on, like you said we have a show to get ready for."

Cotton headed for her tent. The Horse Thief followed her until he split off to prepare his own act. Cotton felt her nerves boiling inside her. She knew Linnaeus was not typically her enemy not in the way Satine was. He had never intentionally hurt her the way that she had. He'd never reported to their mother on her that she knew of. Nevertheless, she was terrified that her relationship with Kestian this new and shiny thing temporary though it might be was now known.

Linnaeus would want to know more obviously, and he might be a little hurt that she had not come to see him or invited him to the circus herself. It's not as though she was trying to avoid him but all the same, she was not close with her family as it was and the distance she kept was something he fundamentally did not understand. Of course, Cotton should have known he would come. He always came when she was in town and there were posters up all over the city, probably around his university as well. Him being here would be fine. Going out with him would be fine, and having the Horse Thief along would just ensure so. She had nothing to be worried about.

"Five minutes!" Cotton heard called from outside her tent.

"Thank you!" She called back.

She grabbed her violin. Time for a show and then, a night out with her brother.