“Tarvans,” she answers. “They’re up to something.”
“Aren’t they always?”
“It’s just…” She frowns, much of her attention on her baby. “They’re going about it wrong.”
I cant my head. “What do you mean?”
“Beta Sinta started the Power Bid. Delta Tarva has always been ambitious—serpent charmers often are. She should be making her play for the Tarvan throne. Besides that one murderous blast to northern Kitros, no one ever sees Alpha Tarva using his magic. Maybe he can’t control it. Maybe it comes and goes. And his children are still young, with immature powers. But instead of attacking her brother and his kids, Delta Tarva is sending out discreet delegations to visit Sintan nobles. One came to our house, talking about alliances and coveted positions at court. It would appear she’s trying to gain support and undermine the new Sintan royals from within.”
“And you heard this conversation yourself?” I ask sharply.
She nods. “Three men came to speak to Agatone and Urania. As their heir, Oreste was included in the conversation. I was left out.”
“But you listened at the door?”
“Naturally.” Helen slants me an arch look. “They gave no answer for Delta Tarva at the time, and after the recent realm dinner, I think your Beta Sinta has seduced them with the strength of his ideas. Alpha Sinta was a surprise, too. They haveplans.” She snorts, a surprised sound rather than derisive. “Any but the most idiotic and prejudiced of Magoi will see that these are good moves. Things that will help bring Sinta out from under the shadow of the other realms.”
“Did we derail Delta Tarva’s efforts?” I ask.
Helen shrugs. “Fundamentally, we’re all crafted from our own land—made from the dust, and ice, and magic. I may live in Sinta now, and prefer my life here, but I am Fisan. I will always be Fisan. Acantha Tarva will always be Tarvan. I doubt Sintan Magoi would ever truly accept her as their Alpha, and Sintan Hoi Polloi would hate it.”
I press my lips together. Herein lies a problem for us, as well. If we succeed in reuniting the realms, will the people across Thalyria accept Griffin and me as their Alphas? At least between us, we’ve got two of the three kingdoms covered.
“What if Delta Tarva’s brother supports her?” I ask. “What if he gives her an army to get her out of his hair? If she wins the Sintan throne, Alpha Tarva gains an ally next door. Together, they more than rival Fisa.”
Helen glances away, motherhood pulling her by its intangible thread. “It’s possible. I suggest you prepare for battle either way.”
A chill slips down my spine.Bodies strewn about me. Realms destroyed.“Acantha and her Drakons are coming for us, aren’t they?”
Helen shakes her head. She doesn’t know. “If they are, I don’t think it’s imminent. Delta Tarva is still sneaking delegations around Sinta, and the Tarvan royals have the upcoming Agon Games to prepare. As the hosts, I doubt they can make a move until the competition is over. The Games are too huge and popular to ignore.”
In other words, we have sufficient time to prepare. “Thank you for the warning.”
“What will you do?” she asks, poised to walk away.
I flash a ruthless smile that must remind Helen of the bad old days. “Watch out for snakes.”
CHAPTER 6
“DOES YOUR COUSIN REALLY THINKDELTATARVA IS GOINGto attack us instead of making a bid for her brother’s throne?”
Piers brings an abrupt end to the usual fun of the family dinner. The brother between Griffin and Carver has permanent ink stains on his hands. He sometimes squints in the evenings because he reads so much. With his height, his black hair, and his slate-colored eyes, Piers would look a lot like Griffin if he gained muscle weight and was out in the sun more. To be fair, Piers takes his Gamma Team on patrol around Sinta City often enough, and he gets involved in training the soldiers from the barracks. He’s fit, he knows how to handle a sword and ride a horse, and he’s even second in command of the army under Griffin, but he’s essentially a scholar.
The others around the table—Griffin and his parents and siblings—all pause in their eating and talking to listen to my answer.
“It makes sense,” I say. “Tarvan mercenaries attacked us in the south with a hired Giant, which means spending a lot of gold. And someone tried again at Ios with an entire Tarvan tribe. That takes influence and deep pockets. Acantha Tarva has both. And now she’s trying to win over Sintan nobles, according to Helen. If that’s true, which I think it is, the realm dinner didn’t come a day too soon. The Magoi elite got to see you all in person and understand your goals and what you’re like. I think you gained significant support.”Thank the Gods.“That said, her plotting is still a problem.”
Griffin nods his agreement. We hardly had time to greet each other before we were summoned to dinner, and he’s still rumpled from two days of travel. He and Carver accompanied Helen and her family home, their escort proving a clear desire for further cooperation between the two families. For Agatone and Urania to throw their lot in with Delta Tarva after the new Sintan royals showed them such a sign of favor would be surprising and stupid. They’re not stupid.
“There’s a good chance Acantha is gathering her forces while she tries to weaken our position from the inside. If she hits us with a Tarvan army, her own Magoi,and ours, we’ll buckle.” Griffin balls his hand into a fist on the table. “My army is spread out protecting the realm. I lost hundreds of soldiers in a war we just won. You’re all vulnerable to magic, even if Cat and I aren’t.” He looks around the table, his expression shuttered. His ambition has never been selfish, but I sometimes wonder if he ever regrets bringing his family to this point. If it were me, I’d throw half of Sinta under a Cyclops to save the people around this table, but Griffin doesn’t think that way.
“Aren’t you recruiting?” I ask Piers. Last I heard, he’d amassed a significant number of soldiers, mostly Hoi Polloi eager for the opportunities of advancement and employment available in a newly structured realm.
He nods. “I go to Velos and Kaplos next week. Skathos after that. Then I’ll move farther south.”
“Having soldiers doesn’t make an army,” Griffin says in frustration. “Not a good one, anyway. They’ll need to be armed, trained, dispatched…”
Piers stiffens. “I know. We talked about this. I have plans. You approved them.”
