Four months ago, Kit March abandoned his fiancé without even a note of explanation for a deserving man.

Leaving Lauri should have freed him from the pressures of romantic expectation, so how does a talented magician end up performing flash magic for buttons and hairpins in Raugue's worst tavern? Kit doesn't know and doesn't care, as long as he can keep drowning guilt in beer and spellworking. As long as he can keep not thinking!

When a stranger offers the word "aromantic" followed by an opportunity to join a dangerous quest to the Gast, Kit may have more distraction than he can survive—and more comprehension than he can navigate.

Contains: A transgender, allo-aro gay man riddled with guilt for fleeing his fiancé; an aro-ace man offering the gift of language; and the prospect of a journey to a place that will forever change Kit and his new companion. 

Setting: This piece is best read following Ringbound. It also contains references to events in the Esher Hill story Love is the Reckoning and spoilers for events in A Quest of Spheres and Phalanges.

Length: 8, 785 words / 33 PDF pages. 

Series: Kit and Amelia, Mara and Esher.