“Want me when you’re sober,” he amended.“When you can remember all the things you say and do the next day.”
Kai let him go, although the air quaked and ice crystals flurried past River.“And – you want me, right?”
“OfcourseI – ” River groaned, hating how pathetic he sounded.“This whole fucking time, I…”
Time stilled, save for the faint dusting of hoarfrost creeping across the floorboards.“I’ll remember,” Kai whispered.“Tomorrow.I’ll remember.And you’d better – ”
“I will.”River lingered at the doorway.“This time, I will.”
Kai hugged his arms, wretched in the jacket he’d borrowed from Etan, too big for him.He opened his mouth, closed it, staring at River like the distance between them caused him pain.
River tore himself away.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, then,” he said, leaving Kai alone in the dark.
Kai did not need dragging out of his room the following day, which would’ve been a blessing if it wasn’t vaguely worrying.River searched for him amongst Caelos’s endless halls and reception rooms, all thick with a tense, unsettled energy – and droves of people River didn’t recognise.Not just soldiers or crewmembers from the Mahina ships, but more priests from other shrines; high-ranking friends and followers of Saros; merchants lugging boxes of food and supplies; blacksmiths, healers, cooks.River noted their faces as he passed, dazed, but not so much that he didn’t realise what was happening.
Caelos was being used as a garrison, and whatever Saros planned for his war did not bode well for anyone not invited to stay here.
He spotted Kai across the banquet hall, out on a wide, open balcony overlooking the sea.The stench of alcohol hanging about the hall hit River like a tonne of bricks; he held his breath as he hurried through, not bothering to stop and feign interest in Nalu as he barked orders at a slew of fresh-faced recruits to clear the place up.
The grey autumn sunlight made River’s head throb as he stepped out onto the balcony.Closer, he saw that Kai was hanging halfway over the stone balustrade, shivering; River called his name, cautiously, like he was waking a bear.
Perhaps less a bear and more a very sick rat.Kai flinched at the sound of his name and forced himself upright, his face pale.“Hey,” he said, wiping his mouth with a shaking hand.“It’s your fault I’m sober, right?”
His pulse fluttering, River squinted at him through the light, scanning for evidence that Kai recalled anything from yesterday.Nothing.Kai looked agitated, his face coloured by a patchy shadow of stubble, his shirt buttoned incorrectly.“I wouldn’t call this sober,” River said, relaxing somewhat.There was comfort in this kind of disappointment.A familiarity.“But you’re getting there.”
Kai nodded, and then groaned, like he regretted moving his head.“I found my hoard of wine bottles all smashed this morning,” he muttered, looking perplexed and then grateful when River rebuttoned his shirt.“So whatever you said to make me think that was smart, thank you and fuck you.”
“You’re welcome, and fuck you, too.”
Kai smiled, frail but sweet.He faced the sea again, elbows resting on the balustrade, and motioned for River to join him.
A perfect row of ships docked out at the bay far below them, the Leviathos, the Tannos, and now the Cetos and the rest of the smaller ships in the Mahina clan’s fleet, all hidden from the rest of the mainland by an extension of the mountain into the sea.People walked up and down the docks like lines of ants, carrying boxes, ushering in visitors, or dragging rattled horses back onto solid land.
“This is… much more than I expected,” Kai mused.“I thought that woman was just bringing in a couple ships.Da didn’t havethismany followers.”He nudged River’s shoulder.“You seen the harpy yet?”
“Not yet.”River glanced at Kai’s hand, close enough to touch.His wedding band glinted, distracting him.
Part of the deal, Kai had said of it one night, scoffing.Don’t think about it.We all know anyhow if Lina walked in here right now, Ione would throw me out a window to be rid of me.
River had accepted that, had let that make wanting Kai more palatable.But guilt sloshed through him to see the ring in broad daylight, without the haze of alcohol.
“Ah,” Kai said, his tone darkening as the click-clack of heeled boots on flagstones approached them.“Speak, and she will appear.”
Admiral Malia marched through the hall, Etan and Hilo on one side of her and Saros, a small cylinder curled under one arm, on the other.Kai’s mother smiled, eyes on her youngest son, and as she flitted out into the light River saw that she had dressed the part of Mother of God, seed pearls and abalone jewellery dazzling against a dress of exquisite black silk embellished with ocean waves.
Malia’s smile faltered as she neared Kai.She and Hilo swapped chagrined glances (Hilo shrugged), and as she came to stand before Kai and River, she sent Saros, surprisingly, a final cool look.
“Imagine the pleasure of hearing that the gods themselves had blessed my family,” she began, and Kai shifted, vexed, the temperature around him dropping.“And yet, as Hilo had mentioned, my son really does not look well.”
Saros chortled, his irritation concealed to all but River.“Given his meteoric rise, I allowed him this past week to settle into his new life.Stretch his legs, so to speak, while the last of our stragglers arrived to Caelos.”His gaze slid to Kai, sharp and hungry.“I’m afraid he’s… overindulged.I did ask Etan this morning to lock the liquor away – donated graciously by Hilo, as you know – until after we win this war, when we will certainly want to celebrate.”
Malia raised a brow, unconvinced.
Etan patted her shoulder.“Just a bender, Mam.You know Kai.”
“Yeah,” Kai said.“Kai’s an idiot.”
