Voices resounded from the cramped stairwell – Kai’s, loud as ever, and River’s, weary – and Ione gritted her teeth and hastened to gather the waterdrops into what she’d planned to be an impressive row of spikes.She’d formed three, lumpy and pathetic, by the time the warden sauntered in.
“See?”He reached to shove River, who grabbed his wrist and threw it back.“Told you.”
Sighing, Ione let the rest of the water return to the rockpools.“Our break was fun while it lasted, I suppose.”She tilted her head at Lina when she didn’t respond.“Right?”
Lina was still hugging her arms, her expression faraway.
Frowning, Ione stepped closer.“Lina?”
At the touch of her fingertips against Lina’s sleeve – damp, Ione registered, contrite; it was cold in here – Lina flinched.Released a shallow, startled breath.“Sorry,” she mustered, retreating a step.“I was… daydreaming.”She lowered her head, her shoulders hunching a little as Kai and River neared.“Actually, I – I’d love to have a look at the wall.The mosaics, I mean.”
Ione had scarcely uttered anI’ll come with youby the time Lina excused herself and hurried away.
From her.
Ione stared after her, her shoulders falling.Had jokingly asking if Lina was actually a spellcaster hurt her feelings?Ione chewed her lip, chilled.This was far from the first time she had accidentally upset someone, and while she was keenly aware of the differences in their stations, Lina was kind and patient and the last thing Ione wanted was for her to feel belittled.
Friendship was difficult.Ione wished she was better at it.
River reached her first, sending an irritated look back at Kai, who was batting moonglows away like they were toys.“Sorry,” he said.“I made the mistake of suggesting he was afraid of caves.”
“How dare you,” Ione returned, humourless.She nodded to Lina in the distance, making a show of inspecting the grimy mother-of-pearl tiles.“Walk with her, please.The floor is slippery there.”
River hesitated, glancing back and forth between Ione and Lina – especially as Kai ambled up to them.He pointed at Kai and snapped something in the gods’ tongue, a warning, Ione guessed, to be good.
“Yes, Mother,” Kai shot back, laughing as River sighed and skulked after Lina.As soon as River was out of earshot, he blew out a breath.“Gods, that man’s a ride.”
“Eugh.”
He started, like he wasn’t aware he’d said that out loud.And then, recovering, “Ah, don’t be jealous,” he said, nudging her.“You’re a ride, too.”
Ione sent him a withering look that he didn’t even have the decency to notice.“What a comfort it is that both River and I are in danger of you.”
He ignored that, too.“Your one’s being cagey today,” he said, jutting his chin at Lina at the end of the cavern.“You really ought to consider keeping better company.”
“Agreed.And yet, here you still are.”
Kai chuckled, although his eyes were mirthless; his face, gaunt in the light of the moonglows.From what Ione had heard, the warden still wasn’t sleeping at night and had made that River’s problem.“You don’t trust her, either,” he noted.“If you did, you’d’ve told her who you are.”
“Most of Oseidos doesn’t know, and if you’re smart, you’ll keep your mouth shut about it as well.”
“Saros told only those he trusted about your… predicament.”He said this delicately, as though her divinity was a disease.He further pushed his luck by brushing her hair off her shoulder, fingering the strand his ice had cut short a few weeks prior.“My offer still stands.”He grinned, wolfish.“Just say the word and we can bring the world to its knees.Artem and Mahina; goddess and weapon.”
Ione yawned.“You’d be better suited to preaching.You do like to hear yourself talk.”
He flashed her a smile.“Like me or not, I’ve proven myself trustworthy.”
“To Saros.Not to me.”She slapped his hand away from her.“I’m not blind – don’t youdarelaugh – I see well enough that all you do is for that man and whatever he’s promised you.”
Kai popped open his pocket watch and read the time.“You’re close.Everything I do is for me.”He twirled the chain, the silver gleaming in a blur.“I know my chain of command.The Archpriest is the Archpriest, but you’re apparently a god.”
Ione sighed, grateful to finally hear River’s footsteps – and Lina’s, close behind.
“Warden,” River cautioned, and Kai stepped back.
“Swords,” Kai returned genially, hands up.“Don’t fret, Ineen’s after saying we can share.”
“My hopes and dreams,” River said flatly, “finally come true.”
