by Vela Roth
Lio lowered his head and his voice. “I still fainted.”
Cassia choked on a laugh. By that time her heart was no longer pounding, and they had reached Lio’s parents.
Lio struggled not to grin like a fool or let his pride burst the Blood Union. “Father, allow me to present Lady Cassia Basilis, royal representative from Tenebra. Lady Cassia, my father, Elder Firstblood Apollon, the Queens’ Master Builder.”
Cassia gave his father a deep courtesy. As she straightened, she lifted her eyes to his. Lio was dismayed to hear her heart start racing again and her breath quicken with anxiety. Knight tensed beside her. In his golden formal robes, Father looked quite different from his statue, but there was no doubt his presence could be just as intimidating.
Father’s gentle strength filled the Blood Union, so powerful even a mortal must feel it surrounding her. The tremble inside Cassia eased, and she looked at Father with large, hopeful eyes. The same eyes Zoe had turned upon him when she had first met her new father, Lio realized. Knight’s tail gave a hesitant wag.
Lio’s father winked at him over Cassia’s head. “How fortunate I am that Anastasios Gifted me first, so I could be first in line to meet you. We are so glad you have come to us—and safely.”
“You honor me, Elder Firstblood. It is a privilege to meet you. Your son has spoken of you with great love and pride.”
“We are very proud of him, especially after what transpired in Tenebra last winter, and most recently in the pass.”
Lio put his hands behind his back. “Thank you, Father.”
He already knew about Lio’s role in the battle? Of course he did. The sea was no barrier to Grace Union and parental conferences.
Father would see the death of the enemy as victory. Was that why he was proud? Did he believe that was how Lio had defeated the heart hunters?
Lio turned to his mother. “You have already met my mother, Elder Grace Komnena, the Queens’ Chamberlain.”
Mother exchanged a few easy remarks with them, and Cassia’s tension eased further. Lio was about to lead Cassia onward when a disruptive aura approached, then joined them before his parents.
Chrysanthos had cut in line. He moved Eudias out of his way with a derisive glance and came to stand beside Sir Benedict and Cassia. Kadi was right at his heels, looking ready to react the instant the mage tried anything. She exchanged an auric glance with Lio’s father, who answered with a silent negative.
Kadi frowned. “King Lucis’s arcane emissary is eager for introductions, Uncle Apollon.”
Chrysanthos put on one of his aristocratic smiles that did not reach his eyes. “I would count myself lax in my duty to Basileus if I let the responsibility of this occasion fall entirely on his daughter.”
Lio’s father said nothing. He just looked at Chrysanthos. Father’s aura stirred and stretched like a predator ready to snap his jaws at a troublesome little bird.
Lio’s mother wrapped her arm more securely in his father’s, and the Blood Union filled with her calm. “My Grace, this is Honored Master Adelphos from Solorum, the mage I told you about.”
The Dexion’s smile hardened. “I need not crave an introduction. How could I mistake the Lion of Orthros? You are none other than Apollon, the patriarch of the Blood Errant.”
Lio prepared for diplomatic intervention. Cassia tensed with him, watchful of the exchange between his father and the mage.
“I am sorry to disappoint you,” said Father, “but the tales that circulate among the mages of Anthros are perhaps exaggerated. The Blood Errant had no patriarch.”
“The deeds of the Blood Errant are known all over Tenebra and Cordium, even to an administrator from Solorum such as myself. The other three members were your two Ritual sons and your niece, were they not?”
“We were equals and comrades in arms in every way.”
“Arms, yes. In fact, you four are the only Hesperines errant who are known for bearing weapons into battle.” Chrysanthos looked about. “Where is your famous stonemason’s mallet, the Hammer of the Sun, which legends say could knock Anthros’s chariot out of the sky?”
“I didn’t have a spare hand for it on Komnena’s and my journey home to Orthros.”
Chrysanthos turned his smile on Lio’s mother. “Well, what a surprise. Am I to understand the mighty Apollon has settled down at last?”
Lio was already sick of Chrysanthos’s plentiful smiles. If he looked at Mother like that a moment longer, Lio would conjure some of his wraiths to change the Dexion’s expression.
Mother replied, “I would not leap to the conclusion that Apollon has settled down, if I were you.”
“The evidence of my eyes is clear,” Chrysanthos countered. “Such a lovely lady must be the reason Apollon has not been seen Abroad in almost ninety years…or should I attribute his absence to a less happy event? Elder Firstblood Apollon, allow me to offer you my sincerest condolences regarding Prometheus. What a shame for your Ritual son’s illustrious career as a Hesperine errant to have ended so. His day on the Akron’s Altar was before my time as a mage of Anthros, of course, but I know how painful it must have been for you.”
How dare he! Lio’s fangs unsheathed. But he knew he could do nothing to stop the mage from rubbing salt in his family’s wounds. Diplomacy tied his hands. They were not supposed to know the mage was the Dexion. Chrysanthos could hide safely behind his false name, his displaced power, and his so-called condolences. For now.
A response rumbled in Father’s aura, but before he could speak, Mother pressed his arm once more with her hand.
Lio’s mother smiled at Chrysanthos, making no effort to hide her fangs. “I am the reason my Grace considers his work in Tenebra done. I am disappointed my reputation does not precede me. Have you not heard of the woman who lured a member of the Aithourian Circle into her home so she could deliver the honored master’s severed head to Apollon?”
Cassia gave a little start, and admiration colored her aura. Lio coughed into his hand to hide his fierce grin, while the Blood Union gleamed with Kadi’s savage pleasure. Father smiled contentedly at the mage.
Chrysanthos’s court mask had disappeared, revealing the hostility beneath. “I had not heard that tale. How enlightening. I must thank you for giving me a lesson in Hesperine-human relations. I begin to see what sort of education you have given your son. Ambassador. What an interesting career choice for the heir of Apollon.”
“Diplomacy is very interesting,” Lio said. “Fascinating, in fact. The Equinox Summit was a broadening experience for me.”
“Ah, yes. You gave a few speeches, didn’t you, and conjured some spell lights.” Chrysanthos looked Lio up and down with an expression he might turn on Eudias.
It seemed all the Dexion saw in Lio was a fresh-faced light mage with an overlarge vocabulary and silk shoes. Lio almost smiled. So the Aithourian Circle hadn’t made the connection that Lio’s light magery had fueled the embassy’s fatal blood spell against Dalos. The secret of Lio’s thelemancy was even safer, it seemed.
“The thorn has fallen rather far from the thicket, hasn’t it, Ambassador?” Chrysanthos taunted him.
Lio’s hands weren’t tied by diplomacy. Diplomacy was his weapon of choice. It was time Chrysanthos learned exactly whom he would face at the negotiation table.
“I hope not,” Lio replied. “As a bloodborn, I take Prometheus’s fate to heart and strive to live up to his extraordinary example.”
Surprise flashed in Chrysanthos’s eyes. “Well. No wonder your father didn’t have a spare hand for his hammer. Now I understand what he brought back to Orthros instead.”
“You may carry this tale back to your colleagues,” said Father. “I am retired. But my son’s career is only just beginning.”
“Now, if you will excuse us.” Lio left Chrysanthos surrounded and guided Cassia over to his aunt and uncle.
An ear-splitting growl disrupted the decorous conversation in the hall. Knight leapt between Cassia and Aunt Lyta and subjected the Guardian o
f Orthros to his most menacing snarl.
“Het!” Cassia called out, reaching for his ruff, but most of it was in a bandage. She took hold of as much of his nape as she could reach. He shook her off and barked a clamor of warnings at Lio’s aunt.
Aunt Lyta didn’t raise a ward. She didn’t even bare her fangs. She braced her feet like her statue in the harbor, chin up and shoulders squared, and stared Knight down.
Lio waited, watching Aunt Lyta, knowing she did not need a trainee to intervene in her standoff with a liegehound. Callen and Sir Benedict had their hands at their empty sword belts, and Perita had jumped back out of the way. Chrysanthos, Eudias and the other mages still stood in front of Lio’s parents, watching the confrontation with crackling auras.
Knight fell silent and tucked his tail between his legs.
Aunt Lyta held his gaze. A moment later, he flattened himself on his belly at her feet.
“You’re a good dog,” she said, “simply doing as you were crafted to. It is your makers for whom I shall save my ire.”
“I beg your forbearance for his outburst,” Cassia said with a deep courtesy. “Please forgive our indiscretion, which has disturbed this noble gathering.”
“Don’t give it a thought. I hope Knight will be our guest in the gymnasium sometime during the Summit. It would be educational for the Stewards.”
“You are too generous.” Cassia’s aura twinged with alarm.
“I’m sure we can ensure the encounter is safe for everyone concerned,” Lio said. “Well, now you and Knight have officially made the acquaintance of Elder Grace Hippolyta, the Guardian of Orthros.”
Aunt Lyta flashed her spirited grin. “Well met once more.”
“I am glad we could be properly introduced under better circumstances than previously,” said Cassia. “Thank you again for everything you did for us at Waystar.”
“I was happy to help.”
Aunt Lyta and Cassia exchanged a speaking glance that left Lio wondering what had passed between them at the fortress. Whatever it was, it seemed to have fostered an understanding between them. Cassia was already drawing closer to members of his family.
“Uncle.” Lio turned to his mentor, making a conscious effort to put more confidence in his voice. “You remember Lady Cassia from the Equinox Summit. Lady Cassia, allow me at last to introduce you to Elder Firstblood Argyros, the Queens’ Master Ambassador.”
“Lady Cassia,” Uncle Argyros said. “How glad I am that the length of the king’s pavilion no longer stands between us, and the Solstice Summit has brought us properly face-to-face.”
“I too am very glad for this opportunity, Elder Firstblood.” Straightening from her courtesy, she met his gaze.
Lio watched in amazement, but somehow he was not surprised. His Cassia looked into the eyes of Silvertongue without a twitch.
“We have many things to discuss,” she said, “some of it unfinished business from last year’s Summit table. I believe this time will be fruitful.”
“Clearly,” Uncle Argyros replied. “However, you will be discussing it with my nephew, who will preside at the negotiations.”
Lio wished it filled him with pride to hear his uncle say that, here in front of his Grace. But it just reminded him of the puzzle of Uncle Argyros’s complete lack of involvement in the Solstice Summit.
Uncle Argyros had argued so vehemently on behalf of Lio’s proposal, then dropped the whole affair in his lap. Lio had been so consumed with preparations, he had barely even spoken to Uncle Argyros since. It was almost as if his uncle wanted it that way.
But it appeared their lack of communication would not diminish the welcome Uncle Argyros gave Cassia. Lio could feel it in his uncle’s aura. Within a few minutes, Cassia had succeeded in doing what few people alive, mortal or Hesperine, ever managed. She had impressed Silvertongue.
They made their way down the line to Kia’s parents from Hagia Anatela, then Lyros and Nodora’s from Hagia Zephyra. At last, they came to Kassandra.
“Ritual Mother,” Lio greeted her, sending her his gratitude through the Union.
She gave him an affectionate smile. She certainly didn’t need him to introduce Cassia to her. No doubt she knew his Grace well already, as she did all the people she had met in her visions who had yet to encounter her.
“Here is Lady Cassia Basilis,” he said, “royal representative from Tenebra, of whom you already know a great deal, I think. Lady Cassia, you have heard me speak of my Ritual mother, Elder Firstblood Kassandra, the Queens’ Master Economist.”
Cassia courtesied. “It is a pleasure, Elder Firstblood. I have seen the fine craftsmanship of Ambassador Deukalion’s handkerchiefs. Your extraordinary works in silk are more than just cloths.”
Kassandra laughed. “So these are the threads through which you have come to know me.”
“How fascinating to learn you are also Orthros’s lead economist.”
“Yes. Weaving is my craft, but silk and cotton are fabric in more than one sense. My Imperial ancestors’ innovations in textiles are responsible for millennia of prosperity and trade. I and my delegates serve Orthros by managing Hesperine economic relations with the Empire.”
“It is clear your reach extends beyond the loom, and you weave far more than thread.”
“My Ritual mother cast the deciding vote in favor of the Solstice Summit,” Lio told Cassia. “We have her to thank for bringing us all together tonight.”
“You have my gratitude,” Cassia said.
The way Kassandra looked at Cassia, Lio wondered if this was one of those moments when his Ritual mother saw more than the rest of them. He ought to ask her as soon as he had a chance.
But he wouldn’t. What if he didn’t want to hear what she had to say?
He banished the thought. He and Cassia were building their own future, and it was looking brighter with each passing hour she was in Orthros. His plan was a success. Why else would Kassandra have voted in favor of it?
Kassandra patted Cassia’s hand. “I so enjoyed our evening together during the Vigil of the Gift. I hope you will come to my pavilion again.”
“Ah.” Cassia covered her puzzlement well with a polite expression. “I beg your pardon?”
Lio cleared his throat. “The Vigil of the Gift is the fifth night of Winter Solstice celebrations, some weeks from now.”
“Oh, I see. I would be delighted, certainly, Elder Firstblood.”
The ripples of hostility in the room were the mages making their way down the line.
“And now the two of you will go and enjoy the rest of your evening,” Kassandra said.
Lio looked with worry from his Ritual mother to the approaching Cordians. She cast her all-seeing gaze upon the mages, and the smile she gave them could have frozen Anthros’s pyre.
She definitely did not require the youngest bloodborn to mediate her encounter with the Order that had taken her son from her. Was this very moment one of the reasons she had voted for the Summit? Lio could not begin to fathom the long strategy she always had in hand.
Lio excused himself and Cassia. As they left the greeting line, she shot him an inquiring look.
This was not the time or place to reveal that Orthros had an oracle, a secret of which the Orders remained ignorant. “Perhaps I can tell you more about my Ritual mother when we take a walk on the grounds. For now, may I offer you some refreshment, Lady Cassia?”
“No, thank you, Ambassador.”
While Sir Benedict’s gaze darted watchfully behind her, Cassia rolled her eyes for Lio alone to see.
“Perhaps only some refreshment for your eyes, then.” He turned to face the way they had come.
Cassia followed suit, and her gaze ascended above the entrance to fix on the rose window. The glow from the bay filled the many intricate panes that comprised each of the flower’s petals. The Harbor Light, turned crimson through Hespera’s Rose, shone upon Cassia’s uplifted face.
She gave the window a knowing smile. “Ambassador, you must tell me
what Hesperine master is responsible for this marvel.”
“Not a master, I’m afraid, nor even a glassmaker of full rank, but a mere initiate. He has failed to progress in his craft of late, for he has devoted all his time to his service as an ambassador.”
“Do you mean to say you are the artist?” She feigned surprise.
“I applied for the commission to earn my initiation, envisioning a day when the window would welcome guests to Orthros for diplomatic occasions such as this. In my own small way, I hoped to contribute to the already great and ancient beauty of our harbor.”
“It is not small,” she observed.
“No,” he admitted. “It’s rather unapologetically ostentatious, isn’t it?”
Behind Lio’s back, Sir Benedict and Eudias were surreptitiously signing little glyphs of Anthros upon themselves, as if Lio could not feel the fizz of the apprentice’s magic. Eudias’s spell puffed in the cool air of the hall and faded under the rich, dark weight of the firstbloods’ power.
“We should always strive to be modest,” said Lio, “but Hespera need not be.”
Cassia’s gaze followed the words upon the rose’s center. Longing rose in her aura, a longing he recognized—the thirst to understand. “Those symbols inside the flower are writing, aren’t they? Writing in Divine.”
“Yes, it is a passage from a sacred text, one so ancient we no longer know who wrote the words. They might be the Goddess’s own. They are known as ‘Hespera’s Invitation.’”
“Will you tell me what they mean?”
Lio looked at Cassia and quoted the words, which his work on the window had crafted indelibly upon his mind.
Come unto me,
to my certain embrace
under my wing of darkness,
where you shall find shelter,
against my heart,
where you shall find strength,
in the light of my eyes,
which shine with joy
in my endless sky,
where you shall be free.
The Sanctuary's Keeper
The beautiful faces and Divine names were dizzying, but Cassia gathered each and every one to her like a treasure. All the firstbloods Lio introduced as Ritual tributaries of Blood Komnena invited her to visit their homes. Couples spoke of how blessed they felt to have Solaced an Eriphite child.