“Grandmother,” I whispered so no one would overhear. “We’re here to look pious. Stop staring at that man like you’re envisioning wringing his neck.”
“I’m sorry, hafid,” she said, blinking and straightening up as she forced herself to look away from him. “I just can’t help but be appalled at how easily they were bought. Men who claim to live the difficult life of the holy, who dedicate their lives to divinity, acting like common mercenaries and plump politicians.”
“It’s only for today,” I reminded her. “We simply need to keep tensions from boiling over in the city for a few days, just until all of this can die down.”
She hesitated but nodded a moment later.
The Vipers entered within a few minutes, all banded together with their heads held high and expressions determined. The priests practically fell all over each other to welcome Cosmo to their services, shaking his hand and nearly bowing at his presence. I just turned back to face the front so I wouldn’t have to watch.
I tried to listen to the priest that strode up to the front and started droning on and on about the will of the Geist, their mercy and supposed kindness. I kept forcing myself to refocus on his message of service and the importance of maintaining the sanctity of the Trials as well as the Culling. That part seemed to be directed at Cosmo. That is, until he pivoted and explained how sometimes difficult choices had to be made to ensure the Geist had their victims or, in his words, their Culled. How Imanaged to listen to his entire sermon without imploding will never cease to amaze me but I did. By the end, however, I was ready to leap over the pews just to get to the door before I had to hear another word about the Geist’s holiness. Still, I maintained my composure as I took my grandmother’s arm to help her into the aisle, Isla following demurely behind us.
I was trying to avoid him. Cosmo and I would have to speak eventually, likely sooner rather than later, but I needed more information before we did. I knew now that his knowledge of what was happening in Sanctuary far exceeded my own. I wouldn’t enter into any sort of discussion with him regarding the future of our city before I had that same understanding. But he found me anyway. In fact, he intentionally sought me out, grinning like a feral cat as he made his way across the aisle to us before we could escape.
“Milo,” he called out with false friendliness. “I’ve been meaning to offer you my congratulations on your wedding. That beautiful gem of a wife you have was worth the wait, I’m sure. The gods truly knew what they were doing pairing the two of you together.”
All eyes were upon us now. Those further back in the temple who’d turned to leave at the culmination of the priest’s sermon stopped their exit to turn back and watch the interaction between the Patriarch of House Viper and the Heir of House Avus, whispering to one another as they did. So I put on a warm smile and wished I could actually kill him with kindness.
“Thank you, Cosmo,” I replied. “I hadn’t realized what I’d been missing before Isla was brave enough to bind herself to me.”
“A good woman behind him is what every powerful man needs,” Cosmo said, still grinning. “And the gods could have picked no one finer.”
His gaze flicked down to her chest and he stilled, every muscle in his body locking for only a moment, merely a split second,but I saw. I followed his gaze to find the amulet glowing softly against my wife’s breast. She’d worn the necklace and, somehow, Cosmo of House Viper had recognized it. Our family heirloom which hadn’t seen the light of day in decades, the amulet which held the voice of a so-called god, was familiar to him. Even though he blinked a moment later and his wicked grin returned with the same ease of movement he’d displayed before, I’d seen that brief moment of shock. Concern and curiosity gnawed at me in equal measure because of it.
“May your marriage be as fruitful as it is happy,” he said a moment later, as if nothing had happened at all. “I’m sure she’s already with child. Avus never wastes any time on that front. May the Geist bless you as you expand your family. May Lemnus himself help to guide the next generation. We could all use a bit more of their Blessings now, couldn’t we?”
He dipped his head in a motion of goodbye and then strode out of his pew toward the exit, his family following close behind him, but I wasn’t watching him anymore.
Brows knitted with confusion, I looked back to Isla who had the same expression on her face. A blessing invoking the Geist wasn’t uncommon when wishing someone well on their nuptials, especially for the high houses which prioritized child rearing above everything else. But he hadn’t invoked the name of Deimos or Callidora or Kleio or any of the other Geist I’d grown up learning the names of since before I could speak. He’d called upon Lemnus, and that was a name I’d never heard before.
Cosmo didn’t make mistakes. At least, not where the gods were concerned. Whatever name he said was the one he meant, but Lemnos wasn’t a god I could remember ever learning about as a child or even reading about in my endless searches through the library for the true answers to the mysteries of the universe. He’d mentioned that name because he’d wanted me to know it, I was sure of it. So I had another topic to research later thisevening when I could get away to do so. Now, I simply needed to get myself and my family out of this temple before one of us said something that would blow our religious cover.
However, when I turned toward my grandmother to encourage her to step forward again, I found her standing with eyes wide and skin pale.
“Grandmother?” I asked, concern lacing my tone at once. “Are you well?”
“He…he said…” she stumbled over her words.
I realized she was still staring at where Cosmo had been, where he’d stood when he’d spoken to us only moments ago.
“Lemnus,” I finished for her, hope blossoming in my chest and taking hold of me. If Nascha knew who that was, I could avoid several hours or perhaps days spent in search of the name myself. “Do you know who that is?”
“I do.”
I glanced over her shoulder to Isla who was frowning, concerned. Before I could ask any further questions, Nascha answered them all for me with a simple statement delivered in a stunned whisper.
“Cosmo is speaking to the old gods.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Olympia
The House of Harlowe didn’t look so impressive from up high. Perhaps that’s why my ancestors placed themselves so far above everyone else. It was easy to convince yourself you were better than them if you were above them.
But we weren’t better.
That was becoming increasingly obvious to me the longer time went on. Adrian had come from the lower rings and defeated all ten Trials. Harrison was a Third Ringer who’d annoyingly proved to be both incredibly brave and stronger in his convictions than most of us up here. Meanwhile, Cosmo was beating his own grandson and murdering innocents, Raghnall was scheming for the best way to get one over on everyone else while it all fell apart around him, and Nascha remained firmly prejudicial despite her claim to be otherwise. Maybe it was her age that made her that way. Maybe it was her gods.
“I didn’t ask for company,” I grumbled aloud when the footsteps I’d heard approaching died down and I sensed his presence beside me.
