Oracle

Part 37

"No point giving you the good stuff if you are just going to down it in one," Justice said dryly. "You're supposed to savour that stuff, not treat it like its medicine." He found himself scolding the considerably stronger and more powerful woman but really Maria was meant to know better than this.

"This is the Rook, not the Royal hotel bar," Maria pointed out darkly but continued to sip the poison. "I didn't realise there were standards here." The Royal Hotel was the most expensive hotel in the city and indeed had strong standards when it came to behaviour. The Rook only had John's rules to content with which were simpler than the Royals.

"I thought police balls were boring," Oct mused, sliding nearer to Maria. "This one clearly has your angrier than I've seen you in a while."

"Boring," Maria snorted, scales glimmering over her arms for a brief moment before fading back into human skin. "One word to use. A lot of older senior members patting themselves on the back. Except there is more going on because when is them not. Fucking politics."

"Politics will do it," Oct nodded, patting the woman high on her back. This was not the time to flirt with her, not when her own other half was close to the surface.

"Politics are always bad," John agreed as he walked through the bar door still holding his whip with a slightly shaken looking Leo in tow.

John patted Leo on the butt gently with the whip and the man flinched slightly before moving over to greet Justice with a kiss. Justice pressed up against Leo, wrapping an arm around Leo's waist and the man rested his head on Leo's shoulder. Leo wasn't wearing his heels as he barely came up to that on Justice. "May I ask who annoyed you so much?" John asked Maria, giving Leo a look as he lingered next to Justice for a brief moment to take comfort.

"Detective Mathúin," Maria grumbled out, slumped over, eyes watching as Leo moved from Justice and over to Jaspar. The blind seer didn't stop playing but made room for Leo to sit next to him on the piano stool. Justice poured John his standard drink before passing out refills for the people at the bar. Most of the regulars were so used to things happening that they weren't even paying attention.

"What has the detective done now?" John asked softly, watching the men himself. None of them could hear the interaction but Leo leant against Jaspar in as much as a hug as he could manage without disturbing Jaspar's playing. John smiled, pleased by what he was seeing, putting the whip on the bar top as he leant on it. Maria, not knowing the full story, carried on drinking but looked pleased herself from where Justice was watching her.

"I'm not even going to dignify that happened with a retelling," Maria grumbled, looking extremely unhappy. Not angry unhappy, sad unhappy with a strong dose of embarrassment. Justice had heard the warden mentioned Detective Mathúin before. He was someone she worked with a lot and someone Maria seemed to get on with most of the time. The gossip on the grapevine was that the man had a massive crush on the warden.

"He proposed to Maria, in front of the entire ball after getting his latest medal for excellent conduit," a voice chuckled as another person entered the Rook but from the main door. Fire and brimstone, the youngest warden was standing in the doorway. Pale skinned but distinctly beige, dark brown eyes and dyed light brown hair. The man was done up in an expensive suit most wouldn't have guessed he owned. Not the expensive bit, the man was known for wearing expensive clothes but not typically formal suits.

"John, you need to check your warding," Oct chuckled from the side. "You're looking very handsome as well Warden Isaac."

Isaac smirked and bowed slightly before moving to sit next to Maria, Oct moving out of the way to let the youngest warden sit next to his senior. At 25, this was Isaac's first assignment and no was entirely sure just what he had done to deserve such a hard assignment. "You say that as if it is a bad thing that I can find you," Isaac mock pouted. "And the proposal wasn't bad. Just a shame he missed a few cruel steps."

"Like asking me out on a date first?" Maria said dryly, swirling what was left of her whisky. "I knew he liked me but I'm confused as to when I said we were any more than friends."

"That would be frustrating," John nodded. "And a touch impolite to put you on the spot like that. How did you let him down? Gently, I hope."

Maria groaned and Isaac snorted. "Maria ever so gracefully turned on her heels and walked out of the hall without a single word. Which is why I came and found you. I was concerned," Isaac said softly, before switching to another language for a few moments. Maria moaned again but replied something back. Isaac leant against her much how Leo was leant against Jaspar.

"Warden Maria," John said with an almost scolding tone. "That is going to bite you in the butt. As for people starting to find the Rock, I'll have a cleaning day after the full moon to refresh the warning. With Elison and Jaspar now living here permanently, I needed to refresh them anyway."

Both Justice and Leo looked up at that declaration, hope blooming their eyes. Hope for a day off, Justice actually felt a bubble of excitement swell in him. They both lived for the rare cleaning days when John let them out for the day with some pocket money to have fun.

"Cleaning day?" Leo said sounding very hopeful.

"Like if I had done anything else it wouldn't have. I can't marry the man and flat out saying no would be..." Maria trailed off before letting out a sound of frustration again. "This is it. I quit. I'll go freelance," she grumbled unhappily into her arms. Isaac just rubbed her back and Justice pushed over a hot chocolate. "Really?" she said quirking an eyebrow.

"It has Irish crème in it," Justice offered.

"I love you," Maria settled on immediately before taking the mug. "This was not how I wanted things to go today," she moaned.

"Master if we have a cleaning day coming up, does that mean we can go out for the day?" Leo asked, walking other to flutter his still slightly red eyes at John. Justice quickly joined him. "I would like to go shopping!"

"You have hundreds of clothes," Justice said dryly, wanting nothing to do with that. "I'd like to go see a film, though."

"Sorry boys, not this time," John said gently but everyone felt both men's heart drop and neither was able to keep the disappointment and sadness from their faces. John reached over and held both of their chins to make sure they were looking up at him. "Justice, Leon, I am too short handed at the moment to let you two have a day off. When I've hired some more people I will arrange a day off for you. I promise. Okay?" he offered gently.

"Yes, master," both men said in unison, clearly downhearted by this but Justice moved back to the bar and Leo back to Jaspar without a complaint. Justice started pouring his drinks again before realising he was about to cry.

Quickly he moved behind the bar and downstairs to the storage room, away from the many eyes of the Rook. He sat down on a stool and curled into a ball and sobbed. For one brief moment, he thought he was going to finally have one day to be himself but no. It wasn't to be. Still, Justice knew he could use this one he got the information back to Maria when John was away. They finally had a day when they knew the Rooks enchantments would be at their weakness and Justice would be able to leave without getting dragged back by the magic. Cleaning day was coming.