“Lieutenant I—” she started.
“Please, my lady. Let us enjoy the gardens in silence,” he said, refusing to meet her eyes.
A knock on the sunroom door came before she could formulate her response.
“Come in,” she called, still investigating the silent soldier.
“Lady Tethys, thank the gods you’re alright!” Jaide cried, flying in from the hall and embracing her friend.
“Jaide, please keep your voice down! The staff don’t know the truth of what happened!” Tethys whispered, returning the embrace.
“Sorry! Sorry, my lady. I’m just so relieved you’re okay.I heard what happened with those rebels. I shouldn’t have left you. I’m so sorry, please forgive me,” she said, tears now running down her cheeks.
“It’s alright. I’m safe. We both had our own matters to attend to, I would have slipped away regardless. The only ones to be blamed are those bastards, and they won’t be a problem any longer,” Tethys said, cupping her oldest friend’s cheeks in her hands. Jaide’s eyes glittered with tear drops yet to streak down her face.
“But I left you,” she whispered, leaning into Tethys’s touch. Her skin was warm against the coolness of the goddess’s palm.
“I told you to.” Tethys smiled softly and placed a hand on Jaide’s knee. “I’m okay. Really.” She nodded once more in reassurance and hugged her friend again.
“I’m still sorry,” Jaide said into her ear.
“I know.”
Araes, who had come to sit beside the lady-in-waiting, cleared his throat. Tethys wasn’t sure just how much of the truth to share of last night’s escapades. The orb, now nestled safely in her pocket, haunted her more than the rebels.
“I returned to Lord Ophis’s this morning, my lady. He assured me his shades were on damage control. As far as all of the other guests know, an Antarean woman had a bit too much to drink and was escorted out by her husband,” Jaide said, throwing Araes a pointed look. He remained silent still.
“Thank you. If word were to get back to the king…” Tethys trailed off, shivering at the thought. She’d somehow managed to rein in Procyon’s rage before, but if he’d thought she’d been unfaithful, in a pleasure house no less, he’d very well kill her. She cleared that hypothetical away like a cobweb and smiled at her oldest friend.
“Jaide, I hate to cut our meeting short, but I have a few errands to run before this afternoon’s council meeting.”Tethys sipped her coffee and rose from her seat. She’d canceled her lesson with Euda this morning, claiming she preferred to brush up on her ancient languages alone in the city archives. It wasn’t entirely a lie, her chariot already awaited her outside to take her across the city. Polaris most certainly would leave her message unread, so she’d decided to research the ancient runes herself. Although the Venian archives weren’t nearly as vast, their section on ancient dialects and folklore might prove to be useful.
“I won’t hold you then,” Jaide said, rising to her feet. Although Tethys assured her lady-in-waiting she was alright, her mask felt as transparent as ever. The two women had been friends since adolescence and Jaide could read her like an open book.
“I promise you I’m okay,” Tethys said, grasping Jaide’s hand.
She replied with a slight smile and kissed the back of the goddess’s hand. “You’re the strongest woman I know,” Jaide whispered, her voice cracking with a suppressed sob. “Sometimes it’s okay to let those that love you be strong for you, though.”
The sincerity in Jaide’s voice must have struck something within him, because Araes shifted in his seat. Tethys glanced over her shoulder at him, but he’d fixed his gaze on the floor.
“I couldn’t possibly ask you to bear that burden. My demons are mine alone,” Tethys replied.
Chapter 24
The archives were housed in a fairly small building constructed of pristine white walls, like most Venian judicial or city offices. A straight row of carved columns erected from the foundation, creating an exterior rotunda that burrowed underground into narrow corridors lined with stacks housing ledgers and tomes alike.
“Only the Venian nobility are allowed past the front entrance, but I’m hoping the copyist on duty will make an exception. Just...don’t touch anything. Don’t even look at anything, in fact,” Tethys said as she and Araes ascended the small set of steps leading to the Archive’s entrance.
“Understood,” Araes replied, his massive chest rigid and straight. Tethys knew he’d be uncomfortable here, in the presence of the Venian copyists. They were a group selected based on the highest marks on the final Seminar exams, responsible for maintaining and upholding not only the written history of the eastern realm, but also the artifacts of old. The copyists that worked in the lowest sections of the archives, where the most sacred of texts andartifacts were stored, each swore a vow of silence. Their tongues were sliced from their mouths before taking their first steps into that secure space. It was another archaic practice that would’ve been better left in time, but mortals and their sickening obsession with tradition...
“We’re going to the eighth floor,” Tethys said to the woman manning a simple oak desk at the center of the rotunda. The interior, just as bleached white as its outer walls, carried sunlight through the air. Araes glanced at his boots as the copyist scanned him, her piercing blue eyes narrowed and scrutinizing.
“You’ll need this to access the lower level, my queen,” the woman said, handing Tethys a narrow golden key. Tethys slid its fringed red lanyard across her wrist and secured it in place. The archives were organized by a color system. Each level, having only one door in and out, remained locked at all times. Green marked the ground level floor, where information deemed safe enough to share with the public was housed. Yellow, for the two subterranean floors below. Orange for the floors below that. And finally, red, for the deepest level. While most of the archive staff had personal copies of the green, yellow, and orange keys, only one copy of the red key existed.
“We won’t be more than a few hours,” Tethys said, nodding at the copyist. Araes trailed closely as she passed the reception desk and disappeared down the spiraling steps into the musty levels below. Down they went, following the curve of the steps, passing copyists eyeing their every move. Tethys drew in a long breath as they passed the final orange marked door.
“Remember, Lieutenant—” she started, her hands trembling at her sides.
“Don’t touch anything or even look at anything,” he said, his voice a harsh echo through the quiet landing.
