A Promise of Fire

by Amanda Bouchet

  Sweating and prickly hot from what I’ve already heard, I start a third trip through the swarm of guests, weaving toward people I didn’t come across on the first two circuits. Once again, I hear private conversations and nobles lying to one another for no good reason, providing me with an increasingly pounding headache and instant, indisputable truths.

  “They have so little education,” a woman sniffs. Truth: Alpha Sinta and her sisters are more well-read than I am!

  “And all these healing centers everywhere. Can you imagine? It’s unthinkable!” her companion replies with disdain. Truth: If I’d thought of that, and actually done it, maybe the Hoi Polloi who live around me would have lifted a bucket to help me when my house burned down last summer.

  I move on.

  An older woman scoffs. “Beta Sinta did not kill a Dragon?” Truth: Beta Sinta killed a Dragon! He killed a Dragon!

  The man next to her turns to look at Griffin. “I heard Beta Sinta has a powerful Magoi woman working for him. Maybe she killed the Dragon.” His face pinches. “He can’t possibly be doing all this on his own. Not like I could.” Truth: I could never do this on my own. I need the woman. Can I take her? Buy her? Seduce her? Use her? What would I do with her?

  I snort. Silently, of course.

  The woman, who must be his mother, grabs his arm. “I know you. Don’t get any ideas. Beta Sinta. The Magoi woman. Whoever. They cut down the previous royal family. They killed a Dragon. You’re no match for them.” Truth.

  The man looks irritated. “Of course I am. He’s only Hoi Polloi.” Truth: What if Beta Sinta’s not just Hoi Polloi? Who is this Magoi woman? Mother’s right. I’m no match for them.

  I move toward people of more consequence and magic. People I recognize, if only from descriptions.

  Calandra of Mylos catches my eye, not only because she’s young and beautiful, but because of the way she’s watching Griffin. She was watching him earlier, when he was prowling around the room looking ten feet tall and every inch the conqueror he is, and she’s doing it again now while he speaks with a group of guests near an open window. Her eyes are as hot as the reception room. “It was the woman who melted the Tarvans. I heard it came from her mouth, so it must have been Dragon’s Breath.”

  “But that’s rare, and creature magic. How could she possibly have that?” the man by her side asks. He’s her husband, but her magic is stronger. I know it, and I can also feel it.

  Calandra shrugs. “Does it matter? She’s working for Beta Sinta, which means Beta Sinta has Dragon’s Breath.”

  “And who knows what else,” the husband mutters.

  Calandra answers, even though it wasn’t much of a question. “He’s impervious to magic. He walked right into the castle and seized it. No one could touch him, not with their power, and not with a sword.”

  Her tone matches her eyes, and her husband finally notices Calandra’s patent fascination.

  Scowling, the man snaps, “I don’t know what everyone is talking about. Beta Sinta doesn’t look that terrifying or impressive to me.” Truth: Gods! He’s huge! If that man looks at me the wrong way, I’ll wet myself.

  “No,” Calandra agrees. Truth: He’s gorgeous. I want him in my bed. I wonder if he’d whip me? Chain me? Hold me down? Make me beg?

  I grimace, disgusted, annoyed, and irrationally jealous all at once.

  “The Magoi woman might turn on him,” the husband says. “Why would a Magoi even work for a Hoi Polloi?”

  “No self-respecting Magoi would,” Calandra replies haughtily. Truth: If he looks at me the right way, I’ll do anything for him.

  The need to publicly stake my claim to Griffin burning in my currently invisible chest, I continue circulating. A handsome middle-aged man draws my attention, and I follow him into a secluded alcove where he joins a private conversation. When I see who’s talking there and recognize the people from physical descriptions, I wish I’d found them sooner.

  These are people I know—or at least know of. Agatone and Urania are the parents, older, but still extremely powerful and without a doubt the most influential nobles in all of Sinta. Oreste, their only son, is clearly the man who just joined them. I had to brush up on a few Sintan nobles myself before the realm dinner. These Magoi weren’t among them. You don’t forget people who try to buy you for their adult son when you’re only ten. They never saw me. It was all done by messenger, and Andromeda’s response was to send the messenger back without any limbs.

  I stare at Oreste, shocked by how healthy and attractive he is. He’s a good deal older than I am, of course, but there’s not even a mean downturn to his mouth, or a pinched look around his eyes. He looks perfectly normal and agreeable, and if Mother wasn’t such a snob, he could have been my fate.

  “Well?” Urania asks.

  “She’s fine,” Oreste answers. “Resting. She’ll be down later.”

  I don’t know who Oreste is talking about. I don’t know of any sister, so maybe he took a wife?

  “I didn’t expect to be, but I’m impressed,” Urania says, glancing over her son’s shoulder to take in the buzzing, crowded room. Truth.

  Agatone arches a grizzled brow. “Sinta’s in a weak position for the Power Bid with a Hoi Polloi family on the throne.” Truth. At least in his opinion.

  “I’m not sure…” his wife answers pensively. “If the rumors circulating are true, maybe we’re better off.” Truth.

  “How so?” Oreste asks. He looks distracted. He’s watching the stairs for someone.

  “These are unpredictable times. Tarvan royals are obviously up to something. And even though no one has laid the blame for the attack at Ios at their feet, I’m certain it was them.”

  Definitely my top theory as well. I think they’ve been behind both attacks since I’ve been with Griffin. They have the money to buy mercenaries. And having Hoi Polloi on the throne next door is practically an invitation to invade. But we thwarted them when they sent the Giant after Griffin, and we beat them again at Ios. Unfortunately, officially blaming the Tarvan royals is also more or less a declaration of war, so it’s best to avoid that—for now.

  “A few men and one woman massacred every last Tarvan sent to Ios to kill the new Sintan royals,” Urania continues. “That doesn’t happen unless there’s a lot more to them than we know.”

  “Makes me wonder what else they’ve got up their sleeves,” Agatone says, looking to where Griffin, Piers, and Egeria seem to be regaling a group of people with a story we’re too far away to hear. Agatone’s voice conveys curiosity, and maybe even respect. The biting, jealous, condescending tones I’ve been hearing around the room are absent here in this corner where I imagined they’d be the worst.

  “Everyone knows there was a great flash of lightning and then a deafening clap of thunder over Ios after the battle,” Oreste adds. “What if Zeus got involved to keep Beta Sinta alive?”

  My mouth drops open in shock. In the haze and fatigue, that flash, the boom, that great, terrible voice in my head that I’d never heard before and didn’t recognize… It all got lost in the pleats of my memory, all those days without consciousness or thought. Zeus. It was Zeus!

  Urania’s almost-clear green eyes narrow. “Gods. Powerful magic. There are things at play here. Things we should land on the right side of if we value our lives.” Truth.

  “But Gods backing Hoi Polloi?” Oreste asks, seeming more surprised and interested than inherently bothered by the notion.

  “It’s not impossible. Don’t forget, they have the mysterious Magoi woman already,” his father reminds him. “Fisan, I heard, which is something in itself. She must see something in them, or at least in Beta Sinta. And never underestimate Hoi Polloi when they decide to fight for something they want. They may be mongrels, but mongrels can be vicious.”

  Griffin? A mongrel? And I was starting to like these people. They didn’t fry me once with lies t
o each other during their whole conversation.

  “Sinta will be stronger with all these projects for new roads, schools, and healing centers. Not to mention a growing and loyal Hoi Polloi army, and royals who actually care about defending the realm and not just about themselves.” Urania’s eyes stray to Griffin. Everyone is looking at Griffin. All the time. He’s that magnetic. “Just look at him. This Power Bid won’t be like any other. Maybe Tarva should be worried about Sinta this time, and not the other way around.”

  I shift uncomfortably in my sandals. All this talk of invasion, whichever way around, makes me feel like I’m about to pop out with hives.

  “And Fisa?” Oreste asks.

  Both his parents shrug. Then Agatone says, “Alpha Fisa is a viper. She’ll only strike if you get too close.”

  They’ve secluded themselves for too long already, and sensing curious looks from the other guests, the family moves back into the main part of the room. I very much doubt they’ll say anything of interest to the other nobles, at least not tonight, so I leave and come back without turning invisible this time, having already heard enough.

  Griffin spots me almost immediately and brings me to Jocasta, handing me a glass of chilled wine. As the three of us circulate, they introduce me as Jocasta’s friend, but from the way Griffin keeps a possessive hand on my lower back, it’s clear I’m more. At Griffin’s side, I draw more attention than I’ve ever wanted, and whispers of “Fisan” and “Magoi” and “power” blanket the air, suffocating me.

  After a while, Griffin maneuvers me into an alcove much like the one I was in earlier and leans close to my ear. “Have you picked up anything about Ios?”

  I nod, accidentally sending shooting pains through my aching head. “Confirmation of what we already thought. It’s probably the Tarvan royals who sent that tribe to attack.”

  Griffin looks back up. “Who thinks that?”

  I shift my gaze to the right. “Most notably, the white-haired Water Mage over there, Agatone, and his wife, Urania. She’s the snake charmer.”

  “And poison master.”

  I nod just a little this time. Griffin’s studying is paying off.

  “They’re intrigued. And impressed. They didn’t say it in so many words, but if the Power Bid heats up, I think you have their support.”

  “They’d fight with me?” Griffin asks, seeming surprised.

  “Well, they wouldn’t fight against you, and that’s already something.”

  His eyes glint with satisfaction. “They’re key players. Others will follow their lead.”

  “Cultivating their goodwill is important,” I agree. “And they seem reasonable and intelligent, which is a good start.”

  “What else?” Griffin asks.

  “Calandra of Mylos. Smile at her, say jump, and she’ll ask how high,” I say sourly.

  Griffin lifts his eyebrows at my tone.

  “She’s the important one in her couple,” I continue, “with both the money and the magic. Her husband married up. She has a weakness for pretty men and, apparently, strange and violent sexual encounters.” I make a face, wishing I hadn’t gotten a vivid taste of that truth. “He gives her what she wants, and he gets a high-ranking position in return.” I glance at Griffin. “She took one look at you and decided everything was great. I guess she thinks you’re pretty.”

  “Gods forbid,” Griffin mutters.

  I smile weakly. I have a headache the size of Zeus’s ego, and I’m burning up. I touch my fingers to my forehead, finding it clammy. “She’s not the most powerful Magoi here, but she’s rich, and she’s protected by her city’s defenses.”

  “Mylos has the knowledge scrolls, and every temple containing them has its own company of guards. Altogether, there’s practically an army there, and the commander listens to local nobles like Calandra. She’d make a strong ally, and a potentially difficult enemy. I’ll have to make sure she stays on my side,” Griffin says, finding the statuesque blonde with his eyes.

  My voice sours further. “Yes, but without any weird sex.”

  The corners of his mouth twitch at my jealous tone. I could swear his chest puffs out. “Anything else?”

  “Lots of things, but nothing to worry about. You have everyone thoroughly terrified and impressed with the way you so easily disposed of the previous royal family. The news has traveled from Fisa that someone in Sinta killed Sybaris, and they assume it was you, or at least something to do with you. Then there are the melted Tarvans.” And a possible intervention from Zeus. “And, of course, there’s also the mysterious and powerful Magoi working for you—the one drawing nearly as much attention as you are,” I say unhappily.

  “Or more,” Griffin says, not helping my nerves. “What about the projects and responsibilities we announced earlier?” he asks.

  I shrug. “More surprise than real resistance. Interest, really. Some people, like Agatone and Urania, seem to think the ideas are good and that Sinta will be stronger for them.”

  “And here you thought the nobles would all have internal fits when Egeria said they were to spearhead opening healing centers in their areas.”

  “They did. Sort of. They got over it faster than I thought they would.”

  “What about my requirement that they begin taking more responsibility for shoring up the defenses of their local towns and cities?”

  “Same reaction. Mostly surprise. They’ve never been asked to do anything before except pay their taxes and sit around being superior.” I worry my bottom lip, contemplating the possible outcomes we’ve been discussing for days. “I still think letting them build up their own forces is a risk. They might turn into rebellious city-states. They could become too powerful.”

  “And I told you, I’ll give them incentives to stay loyal: gold, privileges, my ear so they’ll know their voices matter.” Griffin looks beyond me, surveying the crowd. “Everyone showed up tonight. No one has done anything offensive. You haven’t uncovered any plots to murder or overthrow us. They just want to maintain their status. Otherwise they would have done something by now.”

  He’s probably right. “At least Mylos doesn’t need extra protection.”

  “No, but it needs a healing center.” He winks. “I’ll personally ask Calandra to be in charge of it.”

  I snort. “She’ll love that.”

  “She’ll love having a say and getting to push healers around. Most of these people are just bored. It’s up to me to get them doing something useful rather than something destructive.”

  My temples are throbbing, but I find a smile for him. “And that is why you’re a wise ruler.”

  Griffin draws me farther into the alcove, saying quietly, “But beyond all this, we can’t just sit on our hands if Alpha Tarva is preparing to move against us. We only delayed his plans at Ios. Galen Tarva won’t give up that easily.”

  “What if it’s not Alpha Tarva? What if it’s his sister, Acantha? She might have planned it all.”

  “You have a theory?” he asks.

  I always have a theory. “She eliminates all of you and then sets herself up as Alpha Sinta. That way, she doesn’t have to kill her brother or her nephews, which could prove difficult, she ends up with allies next door, and she still gets her own throne, which is all she really wants.”

  Griffin frowns. “Alpha Fisa won’t want two realms allied against her. Would she attack?”

  I’m having trouble thinking over my excruciating headache. I take a deep breath, but it doesn’t help. “She’d strengthen her border, but I don’t think she’d attack. She’d probably think no one would dare invade Fisa, and not be too worried if they did. Fisans are pretty convinced of their own superiority.”

  “You don’t say?” Griffin drawls.

  I give him the evil eye. It doesn’t feel very evil. “Magic is strongest in Fisa. It has the biggest chunk of the Ice Plains, and the Fis
an royals are the only ones still blood-related to the Origin.”

  “The Origin? You mean the first king of Thalyria?”

  “He was a God, remember. Zeus’s son. Half-Olympian, half-Titan. A combination of the old Gods and the new. Zeus created Thalyria for him.”

  Griffin curses. “Does that mean Andromeda has God-like power?”

  I shake my head. “She’s very powerful, but the line is too diluted for that. It’s been thousands of years. Gods are immortal, not unkillable. The Origin’s demigod offspring, two sons and a daughter, turned on him. They beheaded him and then fell into war with each other, eventually splitting their father’s kingdom into three realms: Sinta, Tarva, and Fisa.”

  “And Andromeda is the only living descendant of the Origin?”

  “Andromeda…and her children.”

  His lip curls in distaste. I think I turn a shade whiter, but I was probably pretty pasty to begin with.

  “Does she hold Zeus’s favor?”

  I swallow, my chest tightening with indefinable emotion, the echo of a booming voice swelling in my head. “I don’t think so.”

  “Why not?” Griffin asks. “She’s his blood relation.”

  She’s not the only one…

  Griffin is so capable that I sometimes forget we come from completely different backgrounds. In the south, people learn to fight and survive, farm and build, make and trade. Everything is like the climate, gritty and real. Ancient history is irrelevant, and Gods are worshipped, not studied. “Zeus hates infanticide because he was almost swallowed whole by his own father. In my opinion, Andromeda has brought about the death of too many of her own children to hold Zeus’s favor,” I explain.

  Griffin looks out over the crowd, his eyes cool and assessing, his bearing confident and proud. People watch us curiously, but no one dares approach our private alcove. The guests here aren’t stupid enough to bother the Alpha wolf in his den. “The Power Bid is in motion. There’s no turning back.” Griffin shifts his gaze back to me. “So let’s do it our way.”