by TR Cameron
He sent assent over the channel that connected them and she rose to her feet. “I’ll let Fyre know if there’s any trouble and he can pass it on. But I really do believe it’ll be fine. At worst, she’ll kick me out of town and make me swim home.”
Tanyith shook his head. “At worst, you’ll be fish food. Be careful.”
“Definitely.” She tapped her bracelets against each other. “You do the same.”
She arrived with five minutes to spare, having spent part of the trip in a rather undignified jog. It w don’t do to be late to meet the woman behind the curtain. She collected herself as she approached the giant double doors that gaped open between the armored guards and their tridents. Damn, I hate those things.
The sentinels nodded as she approached but made no move to intercept her. She’d been stopped briefly at the ring street but no one had interfered with her progress since then. As she crossed the threshold, a woman in something that looked like a cross between a gown and uniform stepped forward. “Miss Caliste Leblanc. Welcome to the palace. I am Gwyn, the Empress’s seneschal.”
She smiled at the woman. “Thank you. I am here as requested.”
The seneschal frowned a little. “Our Empress does not request, she requires. It is an important distinction.” She gestured toward the back of the room and began to walk. Cali matched her stride and gazed at the opulent chamber with its high columns and windowed ceiling.
When they passed through to the hallway, she slowed involuntarily as she took in the grand murals on either wall. “Those are amazing.”
Gwyn sounded like she’d probably explained the images before. “They are from the time the palace was built centuries ago. Each pigment and object that comprise them was gathered as New Atlantis was constructed and retained for this purpose.”
“Impressive.”
“Indeed.” She stopped at the end of the corridor before another set of large doors embossed with the royal seal she’d seen on the back of the envelope that had summoned her there. “Inside, you will find the Empress and her guests. As you have not been here before, allow me to mention a few important points. First, you do not meet the Empress’s eyes until she gives you permission to do so. Second, as one of the nine, you are not required to kneel but should nonetheless convey respect to the Empress in every way possible. Third, no violence is permitted in the throne room. The penalty for anyone breaking that rule is death. Weapons are allowed by tradition. Using them is not.”
Cali nodded. “I understand. Thanks for the information.” The doors swung open ahead of them and she had her first look at the throne room. The expected enormous chair dominated the space and appeared to be made of coral. It stood on a dais atop nine stairs. A long red carpet led to the base. Above, ornamental chandeliers hung throughout the space and flickering candles provided an ever-shifting illumination. She jerked her gaze down to avoid meeting the Empress’s eyes as her view crossed the throne.
A number of very well-dressed individuals milled about at floor level. They numbered eight—five men and three women—and were clearly the other matriarchs and patriarchs. They looked to be as young as thirty to perhaps as old as seventy if Atlanteans aged the way the people she knew in New Orleans did. They were grouped without any clear connection, deep in conversation.
If this is what competition looks like, cooperation must be a total love fest.
She took several tentative steps forward and headed to the nearest group, then froze at the sound of a strong, feminine voice that rang over the crowd. “Caliste Leblanc, welcome to my throne room. Please approach the stairs.”
Cali swallowed hard and did as she’d been instructed, and the surrounding conversations faded rapidly into silence. She hadn’t explicitly been told she could look at the Empress, so she kept her gaze down, fearful that she might be lured into some kind of rules-based trap. She stopped at the bottom.
The Empress’s next comment held amusement. “You have my permission to look up, Caliste.”
She obliged and met the woman’s eyes. The ruler was beautiful with sharp features and hair that reminded her uncomfortably of the octopus she’d seen all too recently. She wore an opulent gown and a heavy necklace of gold. “Please, call me Cali.”
Her lips twisted into a grin. “Very well. Let’s get the formal part over with.” She stood and descended the stairs but stopped one level above the floor. Looking over her guest’s head, she announced, “Caliste Leblanc has petitioned to be named matriarch of House Leblanc. As she is the eldest remaining scion of that family, we are pleased to grant her request.” She extended a hand and a servant strode forward quickly. He bore a pillow with a thick ring on it, adorned with the seal of her house.
The Empress took the ring and held it out to her. She considered extending a particular finger to receive it but instead, cupped her hands. The other woman smiled like she knew what she was thinking and dropped it into her palm. “I proclaim that Caliste Leblanc is now the head of House Leblanc.”
Applause sounded from the others, and the Empress winked at her. “Mingle. After a short time, they will leave and you and I can have a discussion about topics of mutual interest.” The woman turned and mounted the stairs again, then sat in her coral chair and stared into the distance. She looked more like a statue than the flesh and blood person who had just been near her.
With a sigh, Cali slipped the ring onto her finger and went to greet the leaders of the other Houses.
The Empress’s prediction had been correct. It took less than half an hour before the last of the other people left. The ruler rose from her seat and said, “Gwyn will show you to the sitting room. I’ll join you shortly.” The seneschal bustled forward and led Cali to a different chamber that was filled with couches, chairs, and tables. The walls held paintings and other works of art.
She made a slow transit of the space while she awaited the arrival of the Empress. She wasn’t an art lover by any means but could still see the beauty in the pieces. Her review was interrupted by her hostess’ entrance. A servant came with her and soon, they were both seated with drinks. Cali requested fruit juice when asked for her preference.
The Empress had chosen a large chair, and she was perched on the edge of the couch across from her. She had no idea what to expect but what still surprised when the woman laughed. “Ah, Cali, you’ll cause the others no end of irritation.”
She frowned. “Why do you say that? Empress? Er…Majesty? Your Honor?”
Another laugh sounded, this time at her inability to choose a title. “Empress will do, and it’s not necessary to use it in an informal setting, which this is.” Cali nodded. “The noble houses are somewhat stodgy, as you might have noticed. Even the younger members have been brought up to basically imitate walking statues in public. They show no emotion at all. Of course, behind the scenes, they rage at each other, which is one of the reasons I wanted to talk to you.”
Cali sipped at her drink and tried to control her own feelings, which had now spiked with a flood of worry that bordered on panic. “Oh? Why is that?”
“I’ve heard the stories about your adventures in New Orleans,” the other woman said. “To be honest, I would have stopped the attacks the moment I became aware of them but one of the gang members is within her rights to pursue it. It is something involving your parents. I don’t recall the details but I am not permitted to intervene as long as they follow the rules.”
She wanted to argue but sensed it would be pointless. It was true or it was false and either way, the Empress had said she wouldn’t get involved. Cali nodded. “Okay.”
“But as you know, the assault by the Kraken and the subsequent invasion of New Orleans by an Atlantean faction was not part of that group’s activities. No, that was one of the nine. The Malniet.”
That wasn’t entirely unexpected but it still felt weird to hear it. “Why would they attack the city and the Zatoras? What’s the point?”
The woman shook her head. “Neither was the true target of those att
acks. They were meant to draw you out as the last surviving member of the Leblanc family. The Malniets are trying to end your line and do so close enough to the rules that I cannot stop them either. Truly, my role is quite limited when it comes to power struggles between the families.”
It sounds unlikely, but if you say so. Her mind raced as she struggled to come up with an intelligent question. “So, how do I make them stop?”
The Empress grinned. “By invoking ancient custom—within the laws, of course. If you do so, I shall certainly support your claim. But there’s another reason why you will want to take them on.”
She frowned. “Why is that?”
“They know the secret to restoring your brother. And if you defeat them completely, they can be compelled to reveal it.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Cali’s walk home passed by in a blur of nothingness. The Empress’s words had shocked her to the core. Confirmation that her brother was alive—or could be made alive or whatever—filled her with both hope and fear. She noticed only that it was dark, more so than it had been the last time she was outside.
The front door opened at her approach and she stumbled through the entrance. She’d expected and even hoped that Tanyith and Fyre would be there to greet her, but the entryway was empty. “Hey, is anyone home?” she called. Her voice echoed but no response came. “Jenkins, where are they?”
“Master Tanyith was contacted shortly after you left. He and the Draksa departed moments later.” She sent a message to Fyre asking him if he was safe, and he returned calmness and reassurance.
Well, that’s something, anyway. I’m the only one in freak-out mode.
“Okay. Good. That’s good.” She gazed around the place and sighed. “Get a hold of yourself, Cali.” She walked with renewed purpose toward the stairs and climbed to the second floor. Carefully, she peeled the gown off and set it on top of a dresser, then kicked the boots off. Moments later, she was dressed in her jeans and t-shirt. Barefoot, she headed to the library and the staircase it held.
She sat in the comfortable chair and spoke the words to fill the basin as she inserted the rod. Her mother’s figure appeared immediately. She gazed at the frozen picture and noted the strong lines of the face that were present in her own as well, the main contribution she’d made to her child’s appearance. “Mother?”
The image seamlessly shifted from stillness to motion. “Caliste. How are you?”
She laughed. “I am now the recognized matriarch of House Leblanc. Go me.”
Her mother echoed her laughter. “You were always destined to be so. Do not trust any of them, however. None of the other eight, and certainly not the Empress or Emperor.”
“Why?” It seemed like that was everyone’s default position but no one had really explained why.
“Think of the noble houses as squabbling siblings, all vying for their parents’ legacy. If they chose to share, there would be enough for everyone to live well. But each believes they are entitled to more and some that they are entitled to everything. If an opportunity to gain an advantage presents itself, do not doubt that they will strike with all the power at their command.”
She frowned. “That may be happening now. The Empress says house Malniet has us in their sights because I am the last living heir. Except for Atreo, who she says can be 'restored,’ whatever that means. I assumed it was better to pretend I knew what she was talking about than ask for clarification.”
Her mother sighed and an expression of sadness swept over her face. “Once, we were a normal family—well, as normal as any of the nine, anyway. Your father and I, like those in the several generations before us, were content with the status quo.”
“Willing to share with the others, you mean.”
She nodded. “Exactly that. We sought no advantage, but neither did we accept any disadvantage. Small issues popped up here and there, but nothing dramatic until you and your brother were born. Then, several houses began to increase the number and severity of their subtle machinations against us.”
“Why?”
The woman shrugged. “When I created this remembrance for you, I didn’t know. But it culminated in an attack, one against the rules that govern our society. The only way such an effort can succeed is if the entire house is wiped out, at which time, the attacking family claims there is no one left to take offense and thus no crime has been committed. It has happened more than once in the history of Atlantis.”
“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“Ah, you are exactly as I imagined you would be.” Her mother laughed. “Yes, it truly is. But words can often be as viciously effective as swords, my daughter.”
So much time had passed since she’d heard her call her that. Tears threatened again, and she took a moment to calm herself. “So the attack is what caused us to leave New Atlantis? And without my brother?”
She nodded. “He was gravely injured when he was struck by a poisoned blade. The magical venom targeted the mind, rather than the body. It would have killed him, so we did the only thing we could do and used magic to suppress his consciousness. In other houses, such an intervention would not have been possible. But we have long been healers in House Leblanc, and the techniques have been passed down and improved from generation to generation. Without the fuel of his thoughts, we believed the venom would remain inert.”
The news was both better and worse than she’d feared. On the one hand, he still existed. On the other, he was doomed to never regain true life unless something changed. “Where is he now?”
Her mother shrugged. “Within this house in a special chamber that is protected from hostile magic and draws upon the essence of the city to keep him from waking and prevent the poison from taking him.” She looked upward. “Jenkins?”
The man’s voice was full of respect. “Yes, Miss Elisinia?”
“Caliste is to now have access to the room that holds Atreo. You are released to show her where it is.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“So, why didn’t you come back and take out the house that had attacked us?” Cali asked.
The woman shook her head. “Three reasons. First, the attack made it look as if we were vulnerable. While that wasn’t entirely true, that belief would attract more attacks, and more after those, until we were destroyed. We had to maintain a low profile until we were ready to act. Second, we needed time to plan our retribution. We imagined it would happen once you were an adult and could assist and long after we’d been discounted by the others. But the third reason was probably the most powerful. After seeing one of our children struck, we were afraid.” She smiled sadly at her. “We were afraid to lose our daughter.”
Cali sniffed and fought more tears. “So you went to New Orleans. Why?”
The woman paused and a small frown gathered between her brows. “That’s the last event I remember—the discussion over what to do and where to go. Your father and I argued. He wanted to find other family and stay with them. I believed we would merely bring danger to anyone we brought into it. An existing route connected to New Orleans from the lower city and we bought our way onto a ship. Leaving Atreo was”—her voice broke—“the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do but it was the only option to keep him safe. To keep you safe.”
She swiped at her blurry eyes. “I understand. For what it’s worth, I think you did the right thing.” After a pause to collect herself, she asked, “What has to be done to bring Atreo back?”
“There are two parts to that. In order to preserve his life once he’s released from the magic, an antidote will need to be created. That can’t even be begun until we find out what poison was used.” Her use of the inclusive term gave Cali hope that there would be information on how to craft the solution to save her brother. “The second part should be easier.”
“That’s good to hear. What is it?”
“In order to protect him, the protective shield can only be released by the House Sword. We took it with us when we left, and
I know we planned to hide it somewhere safe for you to find if something happened to us.”
Cali’s momentary optimism crashed and exploded into flame. “Is it silver with runes written in the language of the noble houses? A normal-length weapon with an extended hilt?
Her mother smiled. “So you’ve seen it.”
She sighed. “Not exactly.”
Logically, the memory of her mother didn’t have any idea what had happened to the sword after it left New Atlantis. All Cali knew was that she had a piece or maybe a couple of pieces of it but definitely not the whole thing. Fortunately, Atreo remained safe in the meantime.
She’d removed the rod after bidding her mother goodbye and asked Jenkins to show her where her brother was. He had led her through the house with a bobbing sphere of light and on another day, she might have found it cheerful. On this day, it failed to penetrate the weight that had settled on her. As she walked, she cataloged her challenges.
So, I’m still fighting the Atlantean gang. I have to deal with the Malniets. Tanyith’s situation could go in any direction, so that’s a fun wildcard. Oh, and the Empress certainly has her own agenda, which may or may not continue to involve helping me. She shook her head. When did my life become so complicated?
She caught sight of her reflection as they passed a mirror in the hall and stopped to stare at herself. The forlorn expression on her face made anger surge inside. “Okay, Cali, quit whining and get your ass in gear. You’re not only representing yourself anymore, but you’re also representing the noble House Leblanc.” She gave her identical twin an aloof look and laughed at how stupid she looked.
The light had progressed without her and she scrambled ahead to catch up and found it in one of the bedrooms she’d examined earlier. She turned in a circle with a frown. “All right, Jenkins, what’s the deal? You haven’t suddenly developed the ability to play games with me, have you?”