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My breath hitches in my throat, but I force my face to remain impassive.
Kato shifts beside me, his weight shifting from one foot to the other. “Messy or not, it’s dead,” he mutters under his breath.
Rhaya leans forward slightly, shooting a warning look in his direction, and then her hand brushes the back of mine, loosening a held breath from my lungs.
“And there have been reports of a whirlwind. Did you witness such a phenomenon?” the queen adds.
The air in the room seems to still, as if each councilor is waiting with bated breath for the answer.
“With respect, Your Majesty, Councilor Kyrios,” Lyxander says, “the city was in chaos. It’s easy for the mind to make mistakes when fear is involved.”
“So you saw nothing?” she presses.
“We saw chimera. And we saw to it that they died. Silas, Cynna, and I were all using our theïkós. Between my lightning and the fire from the chimera, the air was certainly turbulent. I struck the final blows myself.”
Lyxander says it all with such calm assuredness that if I weren’t privy to the truth, I’d believe him. The councilors certainly appear to as they nod in acceptance and murmur among themselves. It’s a plausible explanation. A comforting one.
But the queen seems dissatisfied with his account.
She sits perfectly still. Her gaze slides from Lyxander to me. Her look is cold, dissecting, peeling back my layers until I feel naked and exposed. She knows. Maybe not exactly what happened, but she knows we are lying. And she knows that Lyxander is shielding me.
“Katonis, Rhaya,” the queen says, “you both attest to the same?”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Kato and Rhaya reply.
Despite the situation, it takes effort not to turn and arch a brow at the reveal of Kato’s full name. My gaze flicks toward him, and for a brief moment, his eyes meet mine. A grin tugs at his lips before it vanishes behind a mask of severity.
“Very well,” Queen Khione says finally.
“There is still the matter of how they entered,” the young woman says. “The wards have deterred chimera for centuries. Why have a pack of them simply wandered into the city now?”
“We encountered a leonai caught in a poacher’s trap beyond the ward line recently. If these traps are being laid throughout the lower mountains, the chimera might be migrating higher to avoid them,” Lyxander says.
My heart wrenches as Ares’s pain-filled eyes flash through my mind. I swallow hard, trying to stem the rush of guilt as it flows through me.
The councilors exchange uneasy glances. The idea of hunting traps being so close to their protected borders clearly disturbs them more than the reports of a whirlwind that they can’t explain.
“How far from the wards?” Councilor Kyrios says.
“About twelve miles south,” Lyxander says.
The queen waves a hand. “Silas and Cynna will investigate the perimeter. Remove these traps if they exist. We cannot have beasts driven into our homes.”
Silas clears his throat. “I’m returning to Kosmos today. So you will need to assign someone else to assist Cynna.”
Queen Khione’s lips thin into a severe line, and the temperature in the room plummets.
“Since we have the benefit of our Northern liaison’s presence,” Councilor Kyrios says, “perhaps he could enlighten us. What news is there from our esteemed allies?”
The words drip with disdain, and whether or not Silas is expected to claim the queen’s throne, it seems strange for a councilor to speak to him with such little regard. I look to Silas, who stands unflinching.
“Tensions have been high since the new king of Eretria was crowned,” Silas says, his voice measured and restrained. “He has been taking liberty with the borders of the kingdoms over the past weeks.” He pauses, his gaze sweeping across the council. “The Empyrieos Games are also imminent, and King Xerxes is preparing for the worst possible outcome. He believes war is inevitable. For both reasons, trade may be scarce over the coming months.”
“Games and conflict.” The older woman on the council scoffs. “What is the point of an alliance with those who waste their resources and time on such trivialities?”
Silas stiffens. “Don’t forget, Councilor Lykaos, that Aerilos is part of Arkhadia whether you wish it or not. If my king engages in conflict, he does so to protect his borders and all within them.”
“Even if this upstart king were to conquer the North, we are safe here,” Councilor Kyrios says.
