by Nick Martell
“You’ll also need this for tonight,” Domet said, pushing a large book across the table to me.
I began to flip through it: a compendium of handwritten notes about every noble in the country, from Kai Ryder, the blind High Noble, to Adrian the Liberator, the first King of Hollow. There were even a few scattered passages about those in power outside of Hollow.
“Did you write this?”
“Do you always ask such obvious questions? Have it memorized for tonight.”
There were hundreds of pages, a dozen on each king or queen alone. It would take me all day to read it, let alone memorize anything in it. “I’ll need more time than that.”
“We don’t have such luxuries,” he said. He moved the copper bowl filled with a strange liquid in front of me and then took the syringe in his hand. “Ready to find out if you’re a Fabricator, Michael?”
After a pause I said, “Yes.”
I didn’t know what I expected as Domet squirted my blood into the clear liquid. At first nothing happened. My heart felt like it was about to burst from my chest as we waited, insecurities that I might not be a Fabricator returning after years of pushing them to the back of my mind. Then my blood in the bowl began to move, twist, and spiral upward out of the liquid into a spiderweb tower of blood.
“Does that mean I’m a Fabricator?” I whispered.
Domet huffed and took a sip from his drink. “Obviously. If you weren’t, nothing would have happened. Although this test doesn’t tell us what kind of Fabricator you are. It’ll take some time to determine what your specialization is. But that’s a problem for another day,” he said, and then rose from his seat.
“Aren’t we going to figure that out?” I asked as I followed him.
“We don’t have the time. You need to memorize that book and I need to make sure the preparations for tonight are complete.”
“You’re going to send me up against the nobility with no idea how to use Fabrications?”
Domet looked over his shoulder. “You have the book. If you get into a fight during the first event, teaching you how to be a Fabricator would be foolish—you’d be a Forgotten by the end of the week. Learn some control, Michael. Fighting should be the last resort, not the first.”
I didn’t argue with him further. All it would do was waste time and leave me even more unprepared for the first event of the Endless Waltz. And I had other tasks I still needed to do without arousing Domet’s suspicion. After he gave me my five suns and a few scattered notes on the basic principles of Fabrications to review, then told me where and when to meet him later, I took the book off the desk and said, “Wait.”
“Wait?” he said in a condescending tone. “We don’t have time for your hesitation, Michael. You need to learn—”
“Don’t I need the ceremonial blessing before I can participate in the Endless Waltz?”
“The ceremonial blessing? Unimportant. High Nobles attend without it all the time. And you are a Kingman. Kingman have never been known for being friendly with the churches. The nobles will understand.”
“But wouldn’t it be helpful? It might improve how they perceive me.”
“I didn’t think you’d ever consider it.”
“So long as you keep to your end of our bargain, I’ll do whatever I need to.”
“Interesting,” Domet said, hand on his chin. “The Church of the Wanderer won’t bless you—not after your public displays of criticism. The Church of the Eternal Flame might, but… considering you’re a Kingman, they might insist on inducting you into their order, and we can’t have that.”
“What about your friend Rian?”
“Rian? Rian. Yes, he might do it. If I had known you’d consider it, I’d have asked him. He will require something in return, but I have an idea what will satisfy his monstrous appetite.”
Domet penned a quick letter to Rian, sealed it with his wax mark, and then handed it to me. “He’s in the Church of the Eternal Flame in the Upper Quarter. Take a left once you leave my house and keep walking straight until you find it. It glitters too much for you to miss it. Hide your brand and tell the first monk you see that you’re there to confirm a shipment of books for Scorcher Rian. They should take you straight to him. Understand?”
“Understood.”
I left after that, hiding my smile from him. I had no desire to conform with the nobility by seeking a blessing from a church. No, I was after something more important.
I was after Domet’s secrets.
THE EXTINGUISHED
Given what I knew about Domet, finding someone who considered him a friend was too great an opportunity to ignore. I didn’t trust him or believe that he would keep his end of our agreement, and I needed to know more about the man before it was too late. Rian was my best opportunity to learn more about the egomaniac I was working with.
When the glittering church came into view, I took a deep breath and readied myself.
Despite my feelings about the Church of the Wanderer, most—myself included—agreed that the Church of the Eternal Flame was the more corrupt of the two primary religions in Hollow. It was hard to disagree when their cathedral was decorated with more gold and gems than were found in the royal vault.
The multi-spired cathedral was the second-highest building in the Upper Quarter, after the royal castle. I had always thought it was representative of their arrogance—that they would only let themselves be beat by those who ruled the entire country—and my experiences with them had done nothing to alter that.
Rumors said the church was attempting to gain more power in Hollow, as they had on the Gold Coast, and that unless the king acted soon, it wouldn’t be long before the Church of the Eternal Flame was inextricably entwined with the nobility and the Royals alike.
Luckily for me, most of today’s congregation was busy with a ceremonial bonfire directly outside the church, so when I gave my lame excuse for visiting Rian, I was taken directly to him by a monk who then hurried back to the service. He didn’t even pause to call me a heathen or heretic, which was unexpected even with my brand hidden by my collar. They seemed to be able to sense it most days.
As I knocked on the door to Rian’s study, I could only hope I wasn’t making a mistake coming here and that I could learn something about Domet without losing too much in return.
“Enter,” he called, and I opened the door.
I was caught off guard by his study. Every space that wasn’t occupied with furniture had hoards of books in its place, except for a very tight and orderly path to the desk. It smelled of books, ink, and tobacco smoke.
“Michael!” the Scorcher said as I entered. “I’m surprised to see you so soon. I didn’t expect a visit until after the Endless Waltz. Excuse the mess: I’m attempting to track when and where the Eham myths about sea behemoths began. What can I do for you, my friend?”
I didn’t know where to stand or sit, so I stood awkwardly in the doorway. “Domet sent me here to get a blessing before I participate in the Endless Waltz.”
Rian laughed so hard his belly shook. “Michael, as much as I would love to—”
I held up Domet’s envelope and said, “He even gave me this, to convince you… but I want information about Domet instead.”
“Information about Domet?”
“Everything I know about Domet makes me think he’ll betray me once I’m no longer useful. So I need to know what he cares about.”
“I consider Domet a friend,” Rian said. “Why would I help you?”
“Because Domet doesn’t have friends—only accomplices and enemies. And everyone’s designation changes frequently. Yours included.”
“You’ve been listening to him. That’s dangerous. But I might be able to help you—for a fee. In addition to that letter.”
“What fee?”
“I want a promise that if you ever meet someone with two Fabrication specializations, you’ll—”
“Like the Mercenary?” I said, unthinking.
“What?” Ri
an jumped to his feet, his chair screeching behind him and knocking over a few stacks of books. “You’ve met one? What was their name? Did you meet them in Hollow? Did you see them use two specializations of Fabrication, or did they simply brag that they could?”
I had assumed Rian was talking about Dark without using his name. Based on his reaction, I wasn’t so sure.
“Yes,” I said. “I know of someone who proved they have two specializations.”
Rian turned away from me, mumbling something. “Their name? Did you catch their name?”
“First, tell me what Domet cares about,” I countered.
“Absolutely,” he said with a predatory smile. “Domet only cares about one thing: the Shrine of Patron Victoria. He protects it as a father would his child. He’s even gone as far as to pay tithes to both churches to leave it alone. It caused quite the controversy here, since our tenets only allow us to acknowledge worship of our prophet and God. But money can change many opinions.”
“That shrine?” I said. “That’s all? No secret bastard or romantic companion? No siblings or parents? A shrine?”
“If you’re doubting what I said, then you don’t know Domet. His parents are dead, he has no siblings, and I have never seen him kiss someone, let alone sire a child. That shrine is everything to him.”
If Domet broke our deal, I had no idea how to hold a shrine over him. Would the other High Nobles even care if I shared his secret? I’d come up with something if I had to.
“The name,” Rian growled. “Who is this Mercenary with two Fabrication specializations?”
“I never met them myself,” I lied. “I heard about them from my foster father. He said Scales had a run-in with a Mercenary who used two types of Fabrications against them in Kingman Keep. It was recent. Their records might have the name.”
“You said you knew them.”
“I said I knew of them.”
“If you’ve lied to me, Domet will hear about this conversation.”
“Based on what I know about Domet, he might be proud I took the initiative to learn more about him.”
“Possibly,” Rian said as he returned to his seat. “Excuse my manners, but I have work to return to and information to validate. You know where I am, and I’ll make sure Domet believes you’ve been blessed by our church. Don’t forget to leave the letter, Michael.”
Armed with the information I’d wanted—and with a record of a blessing assured but the actual blessing avoided—I left, dodging members of the Church of the Eternal Flame as I did. As I walked, I opened Domet’s book and started reading as much as I could about every noble who might be in attendance tonight, his notes jogging my hazy memories about the nobles of my generation.
Surprisingly, Advocators who would normally dog my path home turned a blind eye to a boy with his nose in a book. Perhaps they mistook me for a scholar, since the poor rarely had books of their own. The best we managed were the tomes of propaganda handed out by criers, but most people in the Narrows ripped them for toilet paper.
With most of the day ahead, I did the only thing that made sense. I found a spot by the river to settle down and began to memorize as much as I could about the High Nobles, keeping an eye out as I did for anyone who might be the girl in red or the rebel woman, wondering who they could be and why I couldn’t recall them.
THE CORRUPT PRINCE
“Name the children of the Ryder Family descending in age,” Domet ordered, marching alongside me toward Ryder Keep.
“The eldest is Kayleigh ‘Kylie’ Ryder, my brother’s future wife,” I said. “Next is Katrina ‘Karin’ Ryder, the current two-feather Raven. Then Kyros ‘Kai’ Ryder, the blind boy who will be participating in the Endless Waltz with me. Lastly, there’s Jonathan ‘Joey’ Ryder, a sickly mute who is never seen in court unless his entire family is present.”
“Good.” Domet adjusted the collar on my costume for tonight. He claimed that I had to look the part to return to the Hollow Court, but the outfit just made me look like a fool in a paper crown, sitting on a glass throne.
But I’d said I’d do what it took to uphold our deal, and I could masquerade as a sheep in front of a wolf if it got me what I wanted in the end. Domet had questioned me about his notes, smacking me in the head if I made a mistake, while his tailors made last-minute alterations and dressed me. He seemed to believe success depended on knowing my peers, but I knew nobles: no matter how often they liked to pretend they were honest, they rarely were. I had survived worse than them in the last ten years, while they had sat in their keeps, protected and docile.
“Tell me their symbol, and their parents’ names and positions in society,” Domet ordered.
“Their symbol is a black dragon over a golden background. Alexander Ryder is the High Noble of Health. His wife is Alecia Ryder, born Maple, and she’s a midwife to the High Noble families.”
“What government positions do the Andel, Castlen, and Braven High Noble families oversee?”
“Agriculture, Development, and Guild Labor, in that order.”
“Excellent. You might pull this off. If you hold your tongue when you should.” Domet adjusted his jacket as we approached Ryder Keep. “Do you remember the plan? I can only get you so far. You’ll have to do most of it on your own.”
“Don’t engage with the Corrupt Prince,” I recited, “but impress the High Nobles. Convince them I want to restore my family’s legacy. And avoid any merchants that might be there. No offer they can make me will be worth it.”
“Exactly.”
We were at one of the side entrances to Ryder Keep, the one closest to the ballroom where the first event was taking place. We had arrived late on purpose, so when I returned, it would be a public spectacle. This entrance also only had two guards outside of it, and according to Domet they were loyal to him instead of the Ryder family. It made me wonder how many others were loyal to Domet in secret.
“Once you’re in the ballroom, your participation in the Endless Waltz will be announced,” Domet said. “There may be some backlash, but you’re a legitimate participant and your paperwork is in order, even if it won’t be seen by officials in the castle until tomorrow morning.” The guards had seen us and were prepared to usher me in.
“Anything else?”
Domet shook his head. “Don’t give them any indication of what we’re truly after.”
“Wouldn’t even consider it.”
Domet put both of his hands on my shoulders, squeezed, and then shepherded me into Ryder Keep with a gentle hand and a few words of encouragement. It was a straight line from this entrance to the ballroom, and I couldn’t get lost if I wanted to. With every step I took I debated retreating down the stairs and away from all of this. But I was a Kingman, not a coward.
My family needed me to do this. My mother needed a cure for whatever magic plagued her mind, and Gwen needed to have a future to look forward to that didn’t lock her into a loveless political marriage. I’d do this for my family. Lyon be damned. He couldn’t run away from our family’s name, no matter how much he wanted to.
We had to embrace who we were. We were Kingman, and this was our city.
I pushed open the ballroom doors and walked onto the balcony that overlooked it, the light above me bringing out the red and grey in my military-style jacket. In my family colors there would be no mistaking who I was. No one had worn them together since my father’s execution.
“Announcing Michael Kingman to the Endless Waltz!” a herald shouted from below, all eyes turning toward the balcony.
There were gasps, and curses, and sighs, and murmurs as I made my way down the stairs toward the main floor. Most of the participants of the Endless Waltz were dressed in bright colors to represent their households. Those that weren’t were in blue and gold to honor the Royal Family. All the men were in military uniforms, useless stylized armor, or religious robes, while the women were in ball dresses, the length of their gloves indicating their status: to the wrist for the Low Born, to the elbow fo
r the High Nobles, and past that for the princess and queen. If they were in attendance. The only exceptions were the Eternal Sisters of the Church of the Eternal Flame, who wore their trademark black flame-trimmed scarves around their arms like veils.
The crowd parted before for me as I made my way over to the only people that I recognized. Kai and the girl in red were at the same table. The girl in red was visibly shocked to see me. Kai, on the other hand, was all smiles.
“What’d I miss?” I asked.
“Quite a lot,” the girl in red declared.
“Supper, for example,” added Kai.
With my heart still pounding from my return, I asked, “Kai, are we good after last night?”
The girl in red raised an eyebrow as Kai said, “We are. You could have handled it better, and that’s on you, but others in my family think… similarly. They’re just more civil about it.”
That made me feel even worse. Lyon probably wanted some support, and I had become yet another voice attacking him. But I couldn’t dwell on it when I could do nothing. I asked, “Have you seen the Corrupt Prince yet?”
“No,” Kai said. “Typically, he only shows up for the hunt in the King’s Garden.”
I hoped that would be the case. It would give me some time to earn favor with the High Nobles before he could do anything to hinder me.
I turned to introduce myself to the boy sitting with them, but the girl in red tapped his hand away. “Don’t bother. He’s my date. I doubt he will be around much longer.”
Flustered by her bluntness, I turned to the other participants. The stir caused by my arrival had calmed, though a few were still visibly distraught by my presence, the members of the Church of the Eternal Flame in particular. I couldn’t wait until they discovered that their church had blessed my attendance. I scanned for Naomi among the crowd—I doubted she had chosen to withdraw or had arrived late—but I didn’t see her.