Seeking Crystal by Joss Stirling

us together when we do a joint investigation. He’s a pain in the neck but a useful one.’ I could tell from his tone that he meant nothing of the sort; Xav was much closer to his brothers than I was to my family. ‘Both Sky and Phoenix in different ways had bad stuff planted in their heads when they met my brothers. It was tough for a while until they got sorted. It isn’t unusual in the Savant world for some of us to fall victim to such abuse; there are as many of us out there doing bad stuff and mind control is an obvious way to go.’
    ‘But I’m sure no one’s ever done anything to me. I’ve always been like this. From what Sky and Phoenix told me, they fell into the hands of some evil people; I’ve had a sheltered life—school, family. Nothing’s happened to me.’
    ‘Then we won’t find anything like that. But I just want to be sure.’
    ‘OK. But I’m not promising. Let me meet Zed and Victor again. Don’t tell them what you’ve planned. I want to decide for myself if I can let them in.’
    ‘Please, Crystal.’
    I held up a hand. ‘Stop right there, Xavier Benedict. I’ve given enough ground tonight.’
    ‘ Xavier Benedict! Now I know I really have overstepped my bounds when you use my full name.’ He swung me into a waltz twirl around the Campo di Santa Agnese, a little square near our apartment with some of the few trees growing on the Dorsoduro. ‘Are you going to box my ears too?’
    ‘Don’t tempt me.’
    He lifted me onto a bench to promenade me to the end, and then bowed as I stepped off. ‘Will madam ever forgive the presumption of her humble servitor?’
    ‘I see the eighteenth century dress has rubbed off on your manners.’ I rubbed my knuckles against his skull. ‘Dimwit.’
    ‘That’s Sir Dimwit to you, my lady.’
    When we reached the bridge near our gate, we both realized at the same moment that the tide was high once more.
    I raised my foot and displayed my boot to him. ‘Another piggyback?’
    ‘No, my pride can’t take it.’ He sat down on the hump of the bridge and pulled off his Timberlands. He thrust them in my arms. ‘Here, hold these. Don’t, whatever you do, drop them.’ Then before I could think what he intended, he swept me into his arms and strode into the calf-deep water.
    ‘Xav! I’ve boots on—there’s no need.’
    He hugged me closer. ‘There’s every need, my lady. Have you not read the Gentleman’s Guide to Gallantry?’
    I shook my head, giggling as he hissed when his toes registered the cold water.
    ‘On page twenty-eight, it definitely says something about being drummed out of the ranks if a gentleman accepts a second piggyback from a lady. He must sacrifice his toes to keep her dry.’
    ‘But not his Timberlands?’ I held the boots by the laces over the water.
    ‘Not his Timberlands.’ Grinning, he put me down by our gate. ‘I think I’ll take those back before they come to harm.’
     
    The thaw in our relationship carried over to the week that followed. Though I was still busy at work, I no longer avoided our houseguests and Xav even came running with me a couple of times. He was much fitter than me and thought my little jog along the Zattere a very tame event as he had been brought up in the mountains with endless forest tracks at his disposal, but his remarks were teasing rather than sneering so Rocco and I gave him a pass. The dog’s short legs provided me with the excuse I needed when I took a break and Xav was kind enough to go along with the ruse.
    Where we were competitive was over our rival hen and stag night parties. After my shaky start, I had got the bit between my teeth and had begun organizing in earnest. Neither of us would divulge the full details of our separate plans but were not above throwing a tantalizing hint to the other to make them worry that theirs would be overshadowed.
    ‘Diamond, don’t forget, you have to get a really special dress for Friday—top designer, top dollar. I don’t care if we eat off