Who on earth is this woman? A fairy godmother?
Vera’s almost done with the tattoo on Hojo’s back. Tanaka watches me with more interest than I’d like. Her gaze lingers on me.
I open my senses and reach towards her. The turmoil of emotions greets me. It’s not uncommon for fae to be this chaotic, but she’s…irritated, anxious and…guilty. Fearful.
I close my senses off. I’ll need to keep my eye on her. I’m not sure she’s happy that Vera brought me here.
“There. All done,” Vera says, putting down the needle.
She dampens a clean cloth with foul-smelling clear liquid that burns my nostrils even from where I stand and wipes the fresh tattoo.
“If you care for it well, it’ll be healed in less than a month.”
Hojo gets on her feet. I avert my gaze to give her some privacy because she’s not in a rush to put on any clothing.
“Thank you, Vera,” Hojo says.
From the corner of my eye I see her reach for Vera’s hands and kiss the backs of her palms. It’s fascinating, the way of Caetras. I know so little of them, I can’t help but be curious about their weird hierarchy and rituals.
“Is dinner ready?” Vera asks as she tidies up the little table with tools and ink.
“Yes,” Hel says. “Whenever you’re ready, we can eat.”
Vera glances at me and then turns to Tanaka. “I’ll do yours after dinner.” Tanaka nods. She looks at me. “We have to talk business. Let’s do that over food.”
I and the rest follow Vera back to the main room. The dining table is set with plates full of food. The whole space smells amazing. My stomach growls.
Vera settles at the head of the table. I take a seat next to her. Tanaka, Hojo, Bart, and Hel take seats on the opposite end of the table, away from us.
We pack our plates with freshly made warm food, and I’m so happy when I take my first bite of grilled asparagus that I want to cry.
“Tell me, how much do you know aboutVal’taz Ezkairin?”
I look up at Vera from my food. “I know that all the participants will fight until death. The survivor is the winner. And that it’s an ancient tradition here in Ekios.”
Vera takes another bite of her grilled veggies. “Oh, I see we’ve got more work to do than I thought.”
Bristling, I grind my teeth.
Before I can muster a response, Vera says, “Alright, alright. I can see the steam coming out of your ears. No need to get offended, sweetheart. I just need to know what to expect from you so I can prepare you for the trials.”
I put my fork down. “How is a Caetra going to train an Ezkai to win the trials?”
Vera puts down her cutlery and leans back in her chair. “I’m a Caetra, an entertainer of arts. Just like you were trained in the art of war, I—we—were trained in the art of love and entertainment. I may not know how to kill, but I do know how to charm. How to bend people’s wills. I also happen to be the most famous Caetra in Ekios, which comes with many perks, such as access to House Dzuni.”
It takes me a minute to digest the meaning of her words.
“I understand. But charming the nobles won’t win me the trials, will it?”
“You’re right. It won’t. That’s why I’m working on finding you a mentor who will hone your Decarios skills, too.”
I nod. “Thank you.”
That sounds like something that can help me win. Other Ezkai in the trials have been training for longer than I have. While I’m good, they’re better, purely because they’ve been through more, and experienced things I haven’t yet.
We eat for a while in silence. I’m lost in thought. Frowning, I ask, “Why is winning over nobles important to win the trials? I thought it’s about strength.”
Vera says, “You see, in Ekios, people are a bit superstitious. It’s believed that the candidate with the most support from common people and nobles, the one with the largest crowd rooting for them duringVal’taz Ezkairin, will win. Fae believe the amount of support a contestant can gather means the spirits of the gods themselves approve of their reign.”
