“Be seated,” Gayl said, taking his own seat at the head of the table. Daye sat in the only open spot next to him, across from Larkand the other architects. At once, servants filed in, each carrying a silver platter with a domed lid. The scent of savory spices hit me as they took their spot behind each seated guest.
Gayl flicked his wrist, and the servants set the platters down before us, removing the lids in synchronization.
“Please,” Gayl said, motioning to the food, “Enjoy the evening. It’s for you, after all. Completing the first trial in the Decemvirate is quite a feat. Celebrate it while you can.” His eyes met mine, and I immediately looked down, my stomach churning.
I wanted to forget about our meeting, forget about his past and his note and his offer. I wanted to put aside the guilt I bore for lying to Leo and the promise I’d made to continue searching for answers. But they were like a dozen weeds poking through the soil in my mind, refusing to die, refusing to lay dormant.
The first course was a delicious roasted garlic soup with potatoes, followed by herb-crusted chicken on a bed of wild rice. It was all far more elegant than any food we had back in Feywood, with the fancy garnishes and drizzled sauces. The meat practically melted on my tongue and kept my mouth occupied while I listened in on the conversations around me.
“So, Alaric,” Callista began, twirling her fork in the air at the man. “How did you find yourself here for a second time?”
“Are you the best they had to offer?” Arowyn added, and I grinned around a bite of chicken.
Alaric laughed along with the others. I had to admit, he was surprisingly good-natured despite being on the receiving end of many snide remarks. Most of which had to do with his age or the fact that he lost the last Decemvirate.
“Suffice it to say, I have a personal score to settle,” he answered with a smile, but I didn’t miss the shadows that pooled at our feet before dissipating.
Callum leaned back in his chair. “Speaking of which, Geoffrey said to tell you hello for him, old man.” He smirked, and I had the sudden urge to plunge my fork into his eye. Or somewhere lower.
Alaric stiffened, his grin faltering for a split second. GeoffreyBardelou, the Iluze challenger whom Alaric had lost to ten years ago, was a common household name, given the dramatic nature of their feud and how it had continued between Tenebra and Iluze for so many months after the fact.
My resentment toward Alaric eased a fraction. He carried himself confidently, and he was no doubt one of the most powerful beings here, but I hadn’t considered how this past decade might have been for him. Tenebra was notoriously one of the most aggressive and unstable of the provinces, and I can’t imagine they were veryforgivingwhen Alaric failed to secure the title of champion last time.
This Decemvirate meant more to him than a mere win. It was a redemption. I couldn’t fault him for doing what it took to best me.
I stabbed my fork into the chicken. Perhaps I could still be alittlemad.
“I may be old, boy, but I still managed to surpass you, if I recall correctly.” Alaric bore his jovial smile, although it looked more like bared teeth.
“My, the masculinity in this room smells like sweaty balls and mediocrity,” Arowyn said as she took a bite of her dinner roll, her wine glass in the other hand. “I bet you boys wouldn’t last five minutes against the three of us.” She motioned to Callista and myself. Her tone was casual, indifferent, but her eyes sparked with challenge.
Scoffing, Callum said, “What, the Strider, Lightbender, and Alchemist? You do realize you’re the three weakest provinces, right?”
I bit my tongue, fighting the urge to make some snappy retort, but Nox beat me to it. “A Strider who’s currently at the top of the rankings and an Alchemist who incapacitated you in front of the entire hall,” he said into his glass. “Might want to be careful there.”
Callista propped her elbow on the table and rested her chin on her fist. “Hmm,interesting,” she purred. “I wouldn’t mind putting such confidence to the test.”
“This feels like an apt time to remind you that thereare no inter-challenger duels between trials,” Lark called dryly from her seat next to Gayl.
My eyes shifted from Lark to Gayl while the others continued talking, and I found his expression to be as bored as if we were talking about the weather. He saw me staring and his lips fell into a thin line. Holding my gaze, he tipped his glass toward the rest of the challengers and quirked an eyebrow. I could practically hear him say, “Thisis the cream of the crop?”
I pursed my lips together and looked down at my food, but I knew he caught my little smirk.
Conversation began to break off into smaller sections of the table; the architects on one end were fascinated by Callista and Callum’s stories of their provinces, and it seemed they were attempting to outdo one another in their wild tales of magic. Nox was trying desperately to get Arowyn to laugh at his ridiculous jokes, but she merely rolled her eyes and shot him down each time.
To my annoyance, Alaric twisted to face me. “Look, Rose, I really am sorry for how things turned out there at the mausoleum. It’s the way of the tournament; you know how it goes.”
I sighed. His words might be nonchalant, bordering on arrogant, but his eyes told of his regret. I knew he’d do it again, if put in that situation, but I also could tell he wished he didn’t have to. I supposed we were all in the same position.
“I imagine you would’ve done the same thing to Uncle Ragnar, if he’d been in my place,” I conceded.
“Ah, Ragnar,” he said, his light green eyes growing distant with nostalgia. “That old fellow would have hunted me down if I’d done that to him. I’d have a few more broken bones added to the list.”
“Don’t give me any ideas,” I muttered.
“If you’re anything like the rest of your family, I wouldn’t put it past you,” Alaric said, chortling. “Like I said, I knew your parents, too. Your mother was a natural with her charms. And Hamilton…Hamilton was something else entirely. Don’t tell Ragnar this, but if your father was still alive, it would behimin the Decemvirate thisyear.” He shook his head. “Never seen someone perform magic the way he could. Aside from our emperor, of course.”
As he finished talking, his brow furrowed slightly, and he twisted his neck to look over at Gayl. But before he could start putting any pieces together, Lark stood to get everyone’s attention.
