“Yes, terrible times, these.”Saros sighed.“The plan was, of course, to move us all to Caelos.A rough journey to and from Lodestone, perhaps, but a larger territory and a much safer location, were it better protected.This unprompted attack has thwarted that, to say the least.”
Unpromptedwasn’t exactly accurate, but Kai wasn’t stupid enough to say so.
Saros cleared his throat and turned his attention to Hilo.“Your men are taking charge of the repairs, yes?You’ve received my specifications?”
“We have, aye.I’m heading up there after this to – ”
“Good lad.”He nudged a young man beside him who barely moved and did not smile.A seleneschal, Kai gathered: one of Saros’s personal guards.“We need all the help we can get, right, son?”
Unlike the other priests who regarded them with nods and pleasantries, the seleneschal stood tall and proud, as though he was a cadet in Etan’s fleet.Also unlike the priests, he was not wrapped in moon-white robes, and instead wore a fine indigo tunic and set of leather pauldrons decorated with the moon’s phases.A rapier glinted from the belt at his hip; his offhand rested on its hilt, and the way he glowered at Kai plainly said he was fantasising about running him through.
He looked tough in the sort of way that would be fun to break,handsome and sharklike, his skin dark and hair cut into a mop of coils.He stared with open disapproval at Kai; Kai smiled stupidly back, gratified when the man’s eye twitched with repulsion.
“We’ll move on ahead, then.”Saros clasped his hands together.“I should like our Kai to set up shop, as they say, first.But you’ll stay after for dinner, Malia?Hilo?”
Unfortunately, they would.
The trek through Oseidos was short and sweet, with Saros babbling about this garden here or that old altar there.Snowy peacocks and doves dotted the paths between whitewashed, blue-rooved buildings; one building of interest was a small library, thank the gods.Kai was only able to bring one trunk of clothes and two books.
Night had fallen by now and as they neared the main altarhouse, the lower priests broke away from their group to finish their duties or return home, until all that remained was Kai and his family, Saros, and the still-sulking seleneschal.
“And there’s the acolytes’ building,” Saros was saying.“We’ve most of the survivors from Caelos stationed there, down in the undercroft.Not many rooms left in the flats upstairs, see.We secured one for you, though, lad.”The old man unleashed a winning smile.“Don’t be offended if I admit it was once a storage room.”To the seleneschal, then, “You cleared it out as I asked, River?”
The seleneschal – River – faltered a step, astonishment flitting across his features.Evidently he did not know he was clearing the storeroom for Kai’s arrival.
Saros released a ragged laugh.“We can’t put our esteemed guest in the undercroft with the rest of them.”He leaned in to River; whatever he said next was in low tones, but Kai at least caught, “Be hospitable.You can’t have that wing to yourself forever.”
River said nothing in response, merely straightening and sparing Kai one short glance.And if looks could kill, Kai would’ve been immolated.
Kai buried the urge to grin.To be the person he was raised to be, deep in the belly of his family’s meanest ships.He loved fighting – andgods, River looked like he knew how to fight – but he couldn’t be that person here.
Here, he was a warden.Cool and controlled.He’d hold his own against Saros’s guard in other ways.
“Here we are.”
The altarhouse.Kai scanned the ornate building, frost-white against the wooded peak behind it, its domed roof painted blue and silver.The front entrance hung open to let in the night air, letting an arc of yolky light splay out onto the path from within.
“You’ll need a prominent location to lay your wardstone, correct?”Saros threw open his arms,Ta-da.“This is the centre of Oseidos, where all our high priests and their families live, and where all our ceremonies are performed.I’ve just the place for your handiwork, lad.Come!”
They passed first through a little courtyard wrapping around a wide, turquoise cooling pond; then through a labyrinth of altar rooms and passageways, all tiles and mosaics in an opalescent array of whites and blues, pinks and greys.It was all very pretty and nice until Kai bashed his shoulder into a column, resulting in a laugh from Hilo and a smirk from River.Fucking sea legs.
At the end of a long set of stairs stood a narrow, single door.“This,” Saros breathed, rummaging through his pockets for something – a long brass key.“was the Great Sage Llyr’s quarters.Uninhabited now, naturally, although we maintain it just the way it was when he passed – ”
He clicked his tongue: the door was already unlocked.Almost inaudibly, River sighed.
Saros thrust the door open.Indeed, the chandelier in the room beyond was lit.“Ione,out.”
Beside him, Hilo’s breath caught, which was so pathetic Kai felt sorry for him.But there she was: Ione Artem, Goddess Apparent, curled up in a nightgown at the bay window, a book on her lap and magnifying glass in one hand.As Hilo had said, she was remarkably white, with long, wavy ivory hair and grey eyes; she reached behind her for something that looked like a tiny telescope and peered at them all through it.
She was pretty, Kai gave Hilo that.
“Ah,” she said mildly.“You’re doing this here.”
“Yes,” Saros said, doing his damnedest to sound unbothered, but the effort produced a short coughing fit.
“Take a lozenge, Saros,” Ione said, bored.“Anyway, you left the door unlocked.”
“I most – most certainly didnot,” Saros managed.“Read elsewhere.”
