Amir’s protesting cry was drowned out by the horrified gasps of those in the office with them. Vanya stood, hands pressed flat against the top of his desk as he stared at the mess of scar tissue carved into Amir’s skin that peeked out from beneath a veil sewn into his chest. The play of magic was difficult for his eye to hold, but it didn’t matter, not when the truth cut so deep.
The House of Vikandir had been compromised.
Six
TERILYN
Calhames in summer was hotter than New Haven, a temperature change that made Terilyn glad for the Solarian robes she wore rather than the closely tailored design of Daijalan fashion. She did not look out of place amidst the staff that scurried around the House of Kimathi’s estate, though she was by no means employed by Joelle. Terilyn took her role as oversight seriously and so remained in Joelle’s office despite Artyom’s clear desire to have her elsewhere.
“What do youmeanthey’ve uncovered therionetka?” Joelle hissed into the telephone receiver.
Terilyn cocked her head to the side, straining to hear the voice on the other end of the call. They’d been in the midst of a meeting when one of Joelle’s handmaidens had interrupted to send the call through to Joelle’s telephone. Thevezirseemed displeased by whatever news had been relayed.
She mentally ticked through the problems it could be and ultimately decided it wasn’t about any of Eimarille’s orders. They didn’t haverionetkasoperating in the Imperial court. They’d pulled the handful from other areas of government after the destruction of the laboratory in the quarry and the Imperial general’s attempts at uncovering them.
“Are they suspicious of you?” Joelle asked. “Good. See that they continue to be ignorant of your place. I will notify you through the usual measures when my plan is in motion.”
She ended the call by dropping the receiver into the cradle, dark eyes snapping with anger. Terilyn studied the old woman. “Bad news,vezir?”
Joelle’s gaze cut toward her, mouth twisting. “I have been reliably informed that therionetkatheKlovodrecently made for me has been discovered.”
“The star priestess?”
“No. Those are still within our control.”
“Someone of the Houses, then? The Conclave is still ongoing. Who have you sought to control?”
The sour expression on Joelle’s face told Terilyn she’d guessed correctly. Solarian politics weren’t her politics, but that didn’t mean Terilyn wasn’t a student regardless. Words were just as sharp as the bladed weapons she carried on her person, and she’d learned that lesson well when standing by Eimarille’s side at the Daijal court.
“I sought to mitigate our social losses after the Dawn Star’s appearance. It seems my efforts have been cut short.”
“Can it be traced back to you?”
Artyom curled his lip. “If it can, then the blame will be placed on theKlovod.”
Terilyn smiled, lips cutting against her teeth. “I doubt that. The choice in target falls to you. If you missed in that area, it is no fault of theKlovod.”
“We—”
“My queen allowed for theKlovodto come south to aid your attempts at keeping everyone’s attentionhere, in your capital, rather than the border that separates our countries. Do not mistake allowance for ownership. TheKlovodgives aid on our orders, not yours.”
Artyom snapped his teeth together at a glare from his mother. A pity. If the man had continued on his chosen topic, Terilyn would have opted to take offense in Eimarille’s name and dealt with such insult by carving a line through his throat.
Joelle still had a daughter, angry as Karima was at being replaced. Artyom was less malleable than Karima, but Terilyn played with the cards dealt her. She turned to face Joelle in a motion meant to dismiss Artyom without fully putting her back to the man.
“We allowed theKlovodto come and replace therionetkasyou inelegantly lost searching for your great-granddaughter, who recently returned to the capital despite your best efforts to catch her,” Terilyn continued. “We never condoned using him to take a member of a House.”
It wasn’t because Eimarille thought the Houses were impossible to infiltrate, merely that they were difficult to control. Unlike most other foreign ranks of nobility, the Houses could split any which way, with loyalty breaking and reforming along all manner of social and political lines that could change on a whim and end in death. The Houses weren’t anchored to one way of thinking, even amongst those who claimed the title ofvezir. Loyalty was currency, and the Houses spent it every which way they could.
Ultimately, the Houses preferred dealing with power exchanges through murder, and Eimarille was loath to risk therionetkasthey used for political gains that could not be guaranteed. Aside from that, the social bathing culture in Solaria meant such scars therionetkascarried would be nearly impossible to hide, even if they could afford to dole out veils for everyrionetkamade.
Eimarille had been forced to infiltrate Solaria in other ways, though Terilyn was beginning to think the outreach to the House of Kimathi wasn’t worth the headache. But her queen still found Joelle useful.
For now.
“It was necessary.”
Terilyn arched an eyebrow. “Was it?”
