Luxurious Anarchy (Lux/Jinx)

Chapter 23: Come With Me Now

Slowly, Mel nodded, and turned her back on the two of them, calling over one shoulder, "I'll put some tea on while I try to come up with a legal challenge that will hold together in the face of this farce of a sale."

Viktor pulled his hand away from Jayce's face, and refocused on buckling the second greave. "I take it that's her way of saying she believes me?"
His friend laughed, nearly sobbed, and threw his arms around Viktor's shoulders, pulling him into a tight hug.

"A yes would have sufficed, Jayce, you can let go-"

"Nearly lost you," the hulking councilman mumbled, and Viktor blinked his one good eye.

"Well, unless you crush my chest, you won't lose me now. Now ease up, it occurs to me I have blood on my face and this simply won't stand."

For another moment, Jayce held him close, and Viktor wondered if he'd have to speak up again. Before he could, his friend let him go, standing to help Viktor to his feet.

"I don't see your cane anywhere around..."

With a shrug, Viktor started walking toward his small bathroom, his stride unhurried and unaided. "Amazing what a few runes can do for a body, no?"

Coldwater spat and trickled from the faucet, and before long Viktor had cleaned off his face. His reflection in the mirror above the sink was not a pretty one. While he had cleaned the blood from the cut in his brow, his left eye was still swollen shut. Other bruises and abrasions dotted his body, including a truly nasty purple blotch along his right side.

With a sigh, Viktor tossed aside what had been a perfectly good button-up, and pulled on his bathrobe. The soft blue and green flannel robe was in no way, shape, or form the appropriate garment for entertaining guests.

Viktor found himself caring not in the slightest.

Opening the bathroom door, the smell of fresh tea and only slightly stale sugar cookies greeted him, along with a bemused-looking Mel and somewhat aghast Jayce.

He raised one hand, warding off whatever Jayce was going to say with a wave, "I'm not going to make you sit and wait while I rummage around for a fresh shirt. You came here with purpose and concerns, let's get that tidied away first and foremost."

"First and foremost, we're glad you're okay," Mel started, her voice smooth as she poured up three cups of tea. Viktor settled down on his lumpy, second-hand couch, and accepted one of the cups.

"I wish I had the nerve to stop him. But, well, the drive to preserve one's own life is a strong one."

"Do you have any theory as to who told him about it? What the sensor, well, sensed?"

Viktor almost waved away Jayce's question, but with teacup in hand, he refrained from the gesture. "Well, my money would be on a rat within our department. Someone must have seen the equations, or the spare parts. Never let it be said that we kept a staff of dullards around."

Jayce and Mel nodded, Viktor doubted he was saying anything they hadn't thought of before. He took a sip of his tea, and hummed appreciatively, "Oo, that's quite good. Any other questions, or is it my turn?"

Mel waved one hand, conceding the imaginary floor to Viktor, "Ask away, though as always, questions may provoke questions."

A chuckle all around, and Viktor nodded, "Very well. I suppose the first question I have is how did Bolbok use the sensor?"

Jayce snarled, anger waring with shame on his face, "He outed me as a... mage, I guess, to the whole Council. My vote against calling for foreign aid to help deal with Jinx was null and void thanks to that, and I have no doubt my 'condition' will be used to selectively discount any future votes I make against Bolbok's interests."