Idle Chit Chat

[Ascendancy]

Allan’s refusal of the drink wasn’t overlooked. While his back was turned, Nikolai’s lips flickered a proud smile, but when next he glanced, his expression was impassive. “There’s sparkling water if you prefer,” he offered as an alternative. There was no ice to be found, for if the chill was desired, a channeler had the means to create it. The offer of alcohol was a natural habit, knowing that the alcoholic present would find themselves vulnerably uncomfortable. It was an edge over others that Nikolai barely realized when he did it. In this case, Allan would likely glance at the table all night. However, ruining one of his valuable Rods of Dominion would only hurt the Custody. Nobody wanted to waste a valuable asset, but sometimes the tools had to be sharpened to be useful. Nikolai could say the same of Jay Carpenter. The boy went through hell, according to Scion anyway, but what a masterpiece that emerged.

Meanwhile, Nik paused the series of commands that would open the safe in order to consider Allan’s comment. Loneliness wasn’t an emotion Nikolai bothered to contemplate. He was always private, even as a young man. Bunking with Garret Rahvid for a university flatmate had been the first such inclusion into his personal life. Only Armande Nicodemus knew how that turned out.

“Not at all. I am surrounded by the world every moment of every day. Sometimes a little peace and quiet is refreshing,” he said just as the vacuum seal of the safe released its pressure. “Ahh, here it is,” he said, lifting a cloth-wrapped tome. If there were other items inside the safe, they were quickly sealed away once more.