That caught Reece’s attention, and he inclined his head my way. "It’s a nice change to see you eat, rather than just play with your food.”
"I'm all about change these days," I said with a smile, hoping to keep the mood light.
He didn’t answer, but thankfully I felt no anger from him either. Which for us was definitely a win.
The music picked up as we continued to eat our way through the many dishes. I tried their broth—made from all the parts of thejuniferplant, which grew multiple berries and had edible roots—along with somebutleroast, which was a meaty dish from their only domesticated livestock bred specifically for food consumption. Most residents of this world did not eat meat, but for the ones who did, butle was their only option.
"Delicious," Mera said with a groan, a slice of the tender roast in her hand. "Tastes like prime rib, and damn, I've missed a good cut of steak."
Len laughed. “You might not be a shifter any longer, but you still eat like one.”
Mera shrugged because what could she say? Girl liked her meat. In all ways.
When I was full, I decided to push my luck and see how far this amicability between Reece and me would stretch. "When you were out today, did you discover anything in relation to who is disturbing the sacred lands?" I asked him.
If my question took Reece by surprise, he showed no signs of it. "Yemin turned out to be fine, once we questioned them further, so Shadow and I focused on Rohami. For the reasons we discussed. There’s an undercurrent in my land. Rohami and… maybe Guardians.”
It wasn’t surprising that those were the two suspect dynasties. Both close to the Delfora. Both infused with extra power. “Tsuma stopped by the tent today looking for you,” I told him. “She was a little… off. Do you think she knows anything?"
Reece's eyes glittered in the arcs of light that reflected off the ochre detailing around us. "She found me too, and I declined her offer to dance with Zena.”
Pretending I didn’t care about that, I didn’t even comment on it. “Did you not notice anything else odd about her? It’s just… she hugged me, and Mera might have eased us into this touching thing, but it still struck me asunusual.”
Reece shook his head. “I think Tsuma is doing her usual matchmaking, but other than that, she’s been uninterested in politics for many years.”
She’d mentioned as much, but the niggle of unease inside me wouldn’t ease. Maybe that was the whole Zena thing, though. “Okay, so back to Rohami. Which families do you suspect?”
“Tattliner and Jorts,” he said, lowering his voice. “They’ve both recently changed leadership, their elders aging out, and they want more power. They want to live forever and utilize the sands. They have means, motive, and opportunity with this gathering.”
From what I knew, both of those families were midrange in the power hierarchy.
“Their elders’ deaths would have created a power void they’ll be hoping to fill,” I said, thinking it over. “Are you saying both elders died at the same time?”
Blue eyes met mine. "Yes, which is exactly why those two clans are at the top of my list.”
“And Guardians… You suspect them because they’re so close to Delfora, able to move freely in the flats?"
He nodded, drawing in a deep breath as he stared across the tented area. “The ritual to raise the gods,” his voice grew lower, “would require a massive burst of energy to get moving. Then someone would have to make it along the valley of the dead to cast a ritual upon the pillars that seal that land. It would take beings closely bonded to the Delfora.”
Right, and if you couldn’t have Reece for that job, someone from Guardians was the obvious next choice.
“Why are you already feeling unease in the Delfora if they’ve not yet started the ritual?” I asked, leaning in even closer as a few Crani crossed behind us, heading toward the dance floor.
“The ritual is not complete, but it could have started,” he murmured, eyes nearly glowing. “I sense they have been in the Delfora prepping the area for this plan. Since I’m rarely here, they never expected anyone would know or feel, but I’ve grown more powerful… my connection stronger.”
"They're not going to like that you've returned here," I whispered. "If what you suspect is true, you need to watch your back because you might be the only being who can stop them."
The smile that slowly spread across his face was not a nice one. It promised death on swift desert storms to whomever was disturbing the peace of this world. "They should fear me. I will get to the bottom of this, and I will stop them from whatever they're planning. When I'm done with them, not only will they not have the eternal life they’re hoping for, they won’t have any life."
Len leaned in from my left side, clearly listening in. “This is the best time to flush them out,” he said. “Maybe we can just split up, create a sense of vulnerability among our numbers, and see who really wants to put a knife in Reece’s spine.”
“Other than Angel, you mean?” Reece shot back quickly.
I tsked. “You know I prefer the throat. You’ll always see me coming.”
He laughed, and the sound tore through my chest, leaving me wondering if I was actually bleeding out on the dinner table. “Touché, Lale. You don’t need to deceive to be feared.”
I tried to laugh with him, but there was so little breath in my lungs I settled for a smile.
