The guard came back with his box and with some very enthusiastic help, Tan got the lines for the glamour drawn. He didn’t actually need them to work the magic, but it was a more credible glamour if his walls were straight. Details. It was all in the details.

In the interest of conserving magical power, he cast the outline of the walls first, a transparent overlay in the air that glimmered in the afternoon light, just to see if he had it right. The captain suggested a few changes, which Tan implemented, and they were so minor it took barely more than a thought and a spoken word. Satisfied, with everyone’s approval, Tan added a second layer to the spell and gave it solidity. Good, it looked solid enough to break a man’s hand if he was stupid enough to punch it.

Now for the finishing touch.

Tan raised his hands once more—not that he needed to, but he did enjoy the theatrics—and cast the more intricate spell. It took a solid two minutes to outline the precise details but it fortunately didn’t take much power. Just a lot of thought and instruction. Good, that should do it.

Devan stood at his elbow, watching silently, until he finished. Only then did he ask softly, “What did you do? It looks more…realistic? I’ve never seen a glamour like this before.”

Tan shook a finger at him. “No, no, it’s not what you’re seeing. It’s your other senses that I’ve tapped into. That’s the mistake a lot of magicians make with their glamours. They only focus on the appearance. Mine, you can scent them. Taste them, to a degree. Take a deep breath—what do you smell?”

Doing so, Devan held the breath for a moment, as if he were analyzing, before sucking in another. “Stone. The coldness of stone, fresh mortar? Smoke, from the brazier fires. Freshly cut wood…from the gates?”

“Very good,” Tan approved. “See? If this was new construction, it would have those smells. I’m sure the barbarians knew the area here had burned down, hence they chose to march on it. It would only make sense for them to smell the efforts of new construction once they arrive on scene. It will sell the story.”

“I also hear…things? Like the subtle sound of people moving about but trying to be quiet about it.”

“Makes sense if people were lying about in wait to ambush, right?”

“This will probably cost me dearly, but…” Was that a smile playing around Devan’s mouth? “I’m glad I went to you. This situation really required someone of your intelligence and skills.”

Tan put a hand to his chest and mock-reeled. “Darling, please, these compliments are going straight to my head!”

Devan gave him a playful shove on the shoulder. “Stop. You’re ridiculous.”

Tan tried to remember the last time a man had done something like this—teased him—and came up blank. Before Devan, no one had dared. His reputation had scared people off. No one thought, oh let’s go tease the Black Sorcerer, that sounds like fun. They were more interested in beheading him and dragging his corpse back for the bounty. Only Devan was odd enough to play along with his twisted sense of humor instead.

Tan decided, in that moment, that Devan’s fate was sealed. He was keeping him. Devan was now his person. There would be no escape.

That playful moment passed and Devan was all business again. “I have no idea if we can defeat them, so if this goes wrong, run for the fairegrounds. Tan will portal us out. Understood? Good. Alright, everyone inside. Remember, don’t peek, don’t show yourselves. We have to be completely invisible for this to work. Captain, you’ve got drums?”

“Sure, we drum out signals to each other all the time here.”

“Man them. We’ll need a steady drum as they approach. We’ll silence the drummers the minute they’re fully past that curve.”

Oooh, now that was a good layer to add on. Make it obvious people were here, the town wasn’t abandoned, and the drums were a good way to ‘pace’ the approach. Like soldiers were waiting for the drums to signal an attack.

His knight was just so clever. Tan beamed with pride.

No, Devan didn’t know he was his yet. Baby steps.

They all scrambled into position. Tan chose a nice perch just on top of a balcony, with a chair and everything. He settled there, cast a low-level scrying spell that hovered just in front of his eyes, and watched the canyon. Any minute now, the barbarians would arrive.

Any minute.

Annnny minute.

He called down to Devan, who stood in the street just under his balcony. “Can’t they march any faster? I’m aging, here.”

Devan glanced up at him. “You don’t have a lot of patience, do you?”

“I reserve my patience for necessary things. Barbarian armies don’t get it.”

“I see.”

“Aren’t you curious about what my necessary things are?”

“Not the least bit curious.”

“It’s mostly sexy things,” Tan volunteered.

“Again, not the least bit curious.”

“Maybe not now, but you will be.”

Devan tilted his head to give him that cocked eyebrow and penetrating stare that said he was trying to be patient with Tan’s shenanigans. Largely failing, too.

Tan beamed down at him. Why was this man so fun to tease?

It was a rhetorical question. Tan didn’t actually care why. Devan was, so Tan would. Simple equation.

Now if this damn barbarian army could put some pep in their steps? Tan had other things to do. A man to sex up. Priorities to deal with.