My jaw tightened, and his hands pushed against me, reminding me he could crush me.
“You also failed to put a baby in her belly.” He licked his lips. “Now that’s our job. And what about you? Any luck with Naria yet? Her breasts seem as pert as ever. Not a good sign.”
“I’ve been away,” I seethed, staring ahead. “I’ve been here, and she only recently arrived with Ka Batavia.”
Now Kane was dancing with Lyr again. For a moment, she looked sick to her stomach. But then she smiled, this one almost believable, and she began to move her hips, undulating towards the Arkturion. Her eyes closed, her face revealing her embarrassment and anger. What was going on? I knew Lyr. She was never one to follow orders if she didn’t agree with them. Even if they came from an Imperator. Especially not an Imperator. She knew how to play the game, to be amongst the nobles and follow the rules. But I’d always seen the disdain in her face when she disagreed with a request.
She continued dancing, and every step she took revealed the full expanse of her leg and hip in that Godsdamned excuse for a dress. Whose idea had that been? Devon Hart’s? Fuck. I needed to get her out of there. But then what? If I could prove she wasn’t with Kane’s child, and I could take her away from Hart, from the North, what then? Hand her over to another Imperator? One who was just as manipulative, just as monstrous, if only more polished?
The music stopped playing and everyone turned to the Emperor. The merriment of the ball’s attendees was still palpable, but in the silence I could better sense how many remained on edge.
Auriel appeared at the top of the stairs. Not actually Auriel, but a soturion dressed like him. His entire body was covered in golden armor, and a green cloak. A green mask covered half of his face, concealing his identity. Short golden curls that I suspected came from a wig peaked out from his helmet. There was no clue as to who he might be, or which country he’d hailed from.
“Ah,” Imperator Kormac said, finally taking his hands off me. He grabbed a fresh glass of wine and began to sip slowly. “The presentation of the Guardians for tomorrow’s final battle. Exciting.”
I nodded numbly.
Asherah was next on the stairs. She wore a red mask, and a golden helmet. Her hair spilled from it in wild, loose waves, a bright red that matched her soturion cloak. At the bottom of the stairs, she took Auriel’s hand. Next was another masked soturion wearing orange. Ereshya. Followed by an incredibly large and muscled soldier in a yellow mask, and cloak. Shiviel. He wore golden cuffs around his wrists that reached his elbows, with yellow crystals embedded down the center representing the yellow shard of the Valalumir.
My heart began to pound.Too much yellow. Too much yellow.It was what the vorakh had said that night—when she’d looked at me. Suddenly, I was back in the Villa. My father alive. Swords cutting through the room.
I blinked the images away.
Cassarya appeared next, and then Hava, arriving in blue and violet cloaks.
“Only one more,” Imperator Kormac said. “Moriel. The soturion sentenced to die tomorrow.”
“Yes,” I said, my voice hoarse.
He appeared at the top of the stairs, his features blurry behind the bright flickering lights of the ball. Then the soturion playing Moriel began his descent, his dark face covered by his indigo mask. Indigo colored crystals were alight in his arm cuffs. He had a familiar gait as he descended, and then I felt an aura, one I’d known for years, reach out into the room.
My heart stopped.
The soturi split apart, walking to either side of the dais.
“Does he look familiar to you?” Imperator Kormac asked.
No. No!
The herald shouted, “Your Guardians who will reenact the War of Light in tomorrow’s Valabellum. But we honor them tonight on the eve of Asherah’s Feast Day, as we commemorate our history and remember that we survived. That we are still here despite the Gods’ fall. Tomorrow in the arena, you will see the epic battle play out between Auriel and Asherah as they join forces with Cassarya and Hava. Together they will face off against Shiviel, Ereshya, and then … in the Nutavian Katurium, as is tradition, we shall all witness the fall of Moriel.”
“You said he was safe!” I said, my hand shaking so badly, my wine spilled. “You said that he was disqualified.” Fuck. Fuck!
“Hmmm,” Imperator Kormac said. “With the masks and helmets, it’s difficult to say for sure who is who. Their identities, you know, are kept top secret from the public. Until the morning when they shall be revealed before all of Lumeria. Once that reveal happens, it cannot be undone. Unless, someone were to interrupt the proceedings between now and then. Remove a Guardian from their post. Replace them with another. Quickly.”
The Guardians were stepping forward now. One by one they bowed and curtseyed to the Emperor, falling to their knees in supplication.
“What the hell am I supposed to do?” I asked. “Run across the room, grab their hands and drag them over here? Imperator Hart is right there!”
The Guardians were moving so fast. Each one stepped aside for the next, until Galen was on his knees before the Emperor. He looked up, and the crowd hushed as he called out, his voice booming. “Hail Your Majesty, Emperor Theotis, High Lord of Lumeria Nutavia.” He rose to his feet. “I am about to die, with honor and respect, reminding us all of Moriel’s demise, and our success on this most auspicious Asherah’s Feast Day. I salute you.”
Emperor Theotis’s thick white eyebrows lifted in amusement, and he extended his hand, his signet ring catching the light. “I accept your salute, and your bravery, and your sacrifice.”
The Emperor’s consort clapped.
Galen stepped up onto the dais, his knees bent as he lowered himself to kiss Emperor Theotis’s ring.
I couldn’t watch. Couldn’t bear it. Imperator Kormac had cornered me, was forcing me to act. To again betray myself. No matter what, I’d lose someone else before this was over.
