“Fuck you,” Kazia mutters with a poisonous glare.
Sei points at Lucien. “I agree with the imprisoned Silaisan. Does anyone want tea?” He looks around. “Is there even a tea set in this parlor?”
There isn’t a tea set. Marek and Sei sit together, Sei nearly on top of Marek though there’s plenty of room—even if the lacy sofa looks like doll furniture beneath Marek. Kazia takes the sofa across from them, perching tense on the edge.
Part of Lucien wants to call this whole thing off. Kazia is so clearly miserable. Instead, Lucien crouches in front of him. “Hey.” His back is to Marek and Sei, but he’ll risk an attack from behind. Reassuring Kazia is more important. “You can stop whenever you want.”
Pale and terrified, Kazia is the bravest and most beautiful man Lucien has ever met. All he says is, “Remember what you promised.”
Lucien squeezes Kazia’s hand, then pulls reluctantly away. He stands to Kazia’s left where he can keep an eye on everyone. “Just so we’re on the same page, Wing-Marshal, Kazia has ordered me to kill you if you get near him. I would recommend staying seated.”
Marek just stares at the threat. Then he asks Kazia, “Is that earring fake?”
Kazia tosses his hair. His mood appears improved. “One way to find out.”
“Let’s not ruin the nice couches,” Sei says hopefully. “I already fear just sitting on them will tear the lace.”
“The lace is stupid.” Kazia glances at Lucien, who takes a moment to realize Kazia wants his reassurance again. Only when Lucien nods does Kazia take a deep breath and begin.
He doesn’t start where Lucien expects.
“Aliza has always wanted power.” Kazia’s nails dig into the lace. “She’s more dedicated to House Dire than Imrik is, and she’s always been innovative.”
“That’s one word for it,” Marek mutters.
Kazia shrugs. “When she became pregnant, she wanted to make her child the most powerful Dire mage of all time. The birth guides and enchanters told her there was no way to safely influence magic in the womb. Either she didn’t believe them, or she didn’t care. She ate scalestone throughout her pregnancy.”
“She what?” Marek demands.
Lucien can’t have heard that right. “Is she fucking insane?”
Scalestone is powerful and strange enough already. Lucien is barely getting used to just being in its presence every day. He can’t imagine consuming it.
“She had her pet enchanter grind it up into an elixir.” Kazia smiles without mirth. “Liquid scalestone was a genius invention, but of course Aliza used it for the stupidest thing possible.”
Sei leans forward. “Was that Radovan?”
“No, this was before Radovan. Aliza had this one killed after it turned out…” Kazia looks at Lucien with clear desperation.
Ignoring Marek and Sei, Lucien moves to the sofa and takes Kazia’s hand. Kazia’s thin bones nearly vibrate from tension, until he relaxes in Lucien’s grip. The gesture reveals far too much, but Lucien is too overwhelmed that Kazia is willing to ask for help. From anyone, much less him. He’ll deal with the angry older brother later.
“Maybe if I’d had Dire magic, the scalestone would have worked how she wanted,” Kazia continues. “Or maybe I would have turned out worse. But I wasn’t a mage. I was a grail.”
Lucien turns his attention outward again, to see Marek and Sei’s reactions. Sei looks soft, hesitant. “I sort of thought you might be. I still don’t understand why it was a secret.”
“Because that’s not all, is it?” Marek says, his violet eyes intense.
Kazia is rigid again. Lucien wants to carry him away from here. To burn the castle to ashes in their wake.
“The scalestone made me… wrong.” Kazia swallows hard, then ducks his head. “Can you say the rest, Lucien? I don’t think I can.”
Lucien rubs circles in Kazia’s palm, regardless of Marek’s attention. “Typical, making me do all the work.”
Kazia rewards him with a tiny twitch. Almost a smile.
Lucien looks Marek in the eye. “Kazia’s power is accessed through pain, and only pain. To use his magic, a mage has to hurt him.”
Sei understands first, covering his mouth.
