by T. A. White
The crowd parted to allow a tall, graceful woman to approach.
Amber eyes that marked her as Silva peered at Tate with amusement. Wavy hair that was a mixture of blond and brown flowed freely to the middle of her back in a style that wasn’t often seen in Aurelia, where women tended to pull their hair into braids or complicated hairdos.
Tate was one of the few who kept her hair short, preferring to let it do whatever it wanted rather than go through the trouble of trying to tame it.
The woman’s hair wasn’t the only thing that set her apart from the rest of the gathering. Her outfit was much more revealing than that of the humans present. The gauzy material of her dress gathered at each shoulder, the neckline plunging between her breasts. A thin chain belt wrapped around her waist. Her skirt fluttered as she moved.
Tala Fireday, former doyenne to her clan, now the newest to assume the mantle of Harridan, leader of the Silva.
Tate hadn’t been sure how Tala would feel about her now that the dust had settled, since Tate held some culpability for dethroning the last Harridan. In their society, it was common for an incumbent to challenge the current ruler. Only things hadn’t exactly worked like that.
The previous Harridan was well loved by her subjects. It made them reluctant to take such action. It was only when their enemies used the last Harridan’s madness against her that things changed. The Harridan died, but not before she redeemed herself with one final act of sacrifice.
“I see you won the challenges,” Tate said.
Even as the former Harridan’s successor, Tala’s assumption of power wasn’t easy. She’d had to endure numerous challenges over the last few months.
It was only recently that the challenge period ended.
Tala inclined her chin. There was a fierceness in her eyes now. A confidence that said she’d been blooded in battle.
Tate didn’t know how many she’d had to kill to keep her rank, but she could see the toll it had taken. Tala had always held an intangible authority that was hard to define but now it was more apparent. She gave off the same energy as the emperor. As if she was born to this position and no amount of struggle could drag her off her throne.
Tate’s attention moved to the two who had accompanied Tala.
Gabriella winked at her when she noticed her glance. Tall, with amber eyes and curls even more multicolored than Tala’s, Gabriella held a wild beauty that you didn’t often see. She had a feral, untamed look that said she’d happily rip your throat out before licking the blood off her hands.
Mia brought up the rear, her focus already on Night though he pretended not to see her. “Sir Night, it’s good to see you again.”
Tate and Dewdrop watched with rapt attention. As far as the two of them knew, this was the first meeting between the Veles since the testimony that had won them their sentient status.
Mia had returned to the Silva territory shortly after to help Tala assume power. She hadn’t been back since.
Whatever Tate and Dewdrop expected to see, they were disappointed.
After the greeting, the Veles fell silent. Dewdrop and Tate shared a crestfallen look, the meeting falling far short of their expectations.
There would be nothing to tease Night over later.
“I didn’t expect to see you here,” Tate said when the silence had stretched uncomfortably.
“It would have been a shame to miss seeing you in this environment,” Tala said. “I can hardly wait to see what fun you stir up.”
Tate narrowed her eyes as Gabriella snickered, not even trying to hide her amusement. “You have a very odd view of me.”
Tala bared her teeth in a sharp smile. “It’s based on experience.”
Tate didn’t have a response for that. She turned to Daisy. “If I were you, I’d escape to the refreshment table. Wait any longer and you’re likely to get caught up in this nonsense.”
Daisy sent a hesitant glance at the Silva. Like most humans born and raised in Aurelia, this was probably her first time seeing one. The Silva tended to remain within the borders of their territory unless they were in the military.
“What about you?”
“Save yourself.” Even if Tate tried to escape the center of attention, the likelihood of any of those gathered leaving her alone was small.
Tate was the circus act meant to draw their interest. No amount of evasion on her part would change that.
Dewdrop caught Daisy’s hands and tugged her in his wake. “Come on. If she says she’ll be fine, it’s best not to second guess or you’ll end up caught in whatever whirlpool she lands in.”
Tate looked down at Night. “Go with them, please.”
He blinked lazily at her, his expression saying he wasn’t a nursemaid. Tate blinked back, reminding him of the two adorable terrors currently destroying her home.
He chuffed but rose to pad after Dewdrop and Daisy.
“I will accompany you,” Mia said, falling into step with him.
Ah, so the Veles woman wasn’t as uninterested in Night as she pretended. Smooth.
“Shall we take a turn of the ballroom?” Tala asked.
“I don’t see why not.”
Tate and Tala started their circuit, moving along the edge of the crowd as Roslyn and Gabriella shadowed them.
Small cliques had formed in the short time since the ceremony’s end. Tate was willing to bet the clumps of people represented the different interests and alliances of those belonging to the emperor’s court.
Every powerful person she’d ever met was gathered in one place. From the Silva Harridan standing right beside her to the Kairi Shodon on the opposite side to the Lord Provost standing guard where the emperor held court in the middle of the room.
It was a veritable who’s who in the empire. Many of them people Tate had already offended in one way or another.
She could feel a headache brewing at the thought.
If she’d known back then that she’d one day have to venture into this pool of carnivorous fishes, she would still probably have done everything exactly the same.
She wasn’t prone to regretting her choices.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were acting like a matchmaker,” Tate said, conscious of the many eyes on them as they moved through the room.
“You sound disapproving.”
Tate made a noncommittal sound. “Rather than disapproving, I’d say cautious. Night loved his mate dearly. It’s going to take a lot to get him to open his heart again.”
He’d never told her exactly what happened, but from what Tate had gleaned it had been traumatizing, for him more so than Pax and Willa. The twins barely remembered their mother. They didn’t know what they’d lost. Night didn’t have that luxury.
It was difficult enough waking up from the long sleep and then realizing how much time had passed. That everyone you once knew was dead and gone, becoming memories that faded more and more as time passed. The world they’d known no longer existed and they were left to find their own way in a place and time they didn’t always understand.
There was also the fact Tate didn’t like the feeling that the only reason Mia was interested in Night was because he was a Veles. Their species wasn’t exactly numerous, and Tate could all too easily see Mia wanting Night for his reproductive capabilities.
He deserved so much more than that.
“One cannot always exist in the past,” Tala said.
Tate stopped, giving the other woman a sweet smile that hid the dragon inside. “One should make their own decisions in such things rather than having others step in.”
It was a warning and a threat.
Tate had no problem with Tala creating opportunities for Mia to interact with Night. She understood loneliness and wanting to be near another. But that was as far as it went.
The moment Night indicated he was done, that was the moment Tate would stand as an immovable obstacle to ensure his wishes were heard and enforced.
Dewdrop and she might tease but they’d never truly tr
espass against their friend’s desires. So far, Night had seemed amenable to the situation—in his own stubborn, obstinate way.
The fact he hadn’t tried to take a swipe out of the other Veles told Tate as much as she needed to know.
“You’re as protective of him as Gabriella told me you’d be,” Tala said, not sounding insulted.
“It seems like we understand each other.”
“Yes, it does, doesn’t it?”
Losing interest with the conversation, Tate scanned the crowd near them, most of whom were paying far too much attention to her and Tala for comfort.
One man in particular caught her attention. Dressed head to toe in a black outfit that reminded Tate of a uniform, the man watched her with the same intensity a snake would a mouse. Not exactly hostile but she wouldn’t call it warm either.
It left Tate feeling uncomfortable and wanting to leave his vicinity immediately.
Seeing where Tate was looking, Tala raised an eyebrow. “The new Obsidian Lord of the Black Order. He was the one to take up the title after the old lord was ousted for his part in the tunnel crimes.”
Another thing that could be laid at Tate’s feet.
The Black Order’s involvement was a scandal that had nearly toppled their organization. The man standing not far from her was the one responsible for saving it. He’d lost a third of his force but many still saw his order as a beacon of protection against the sleepers and those like Tate and her friends.
They sought purity in the human race and considered any whose ancestors were part of the Creators’ experiments to be corrupt, ripe for culling.
His eyes lingered on her for a moment longer before he dipped his head to listen to the person next to him.
“I’d keep your distance if I was you. My people tell me he’s less rigid in his beliefs than the last lord, but I doubt that means he’d be merciful to people like us. Their organization was founded as a watchdog against the Creators’ influence, after all.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Not that Tate had ever considered an alternative. He was part of the Black Order. One could say he was a natural born enemy for a person like Tate.
SIX
Ilith stirred. For a brief moment, Tate saw double. Her balance wobbled as a wave of vertigo took over her.
I won’t let us be easy prey. Eat them before they can eat us!
Tate clamped down on the dragon, pushing Ilith back into the space in her consciousness her dragon normally occupied.
Tate inhaled softly, steadying herself. Face planting on the floor with this many people watching wasn’t what she considered a good time.
How about we wait until they give us cause for the eating? Tate considered reminding her dragon, once again, that there would be no eating of sentient creatures but quickly gave it up as a lost cause.
At least if they waited, Tate could claim self-defense.
Ilith’s disgruntlement trickled through their bond. My way would be more fun.
A soft snicker left Tate as she started moving, leaving Tala behind as one of the other guests stopped the Silva’s Harridan to exchange inane chitchat. Roslyn kept to the background as she shadowed Tate unobtrusively.
Ilith had a point. Unfortunately, such an action would mark her as possibly insane and definitely dangerous. As powerful as Ilith was, even she would be vulnerable to the threat that came with a mob of people crying for her blood.
There was also the fact that those closest to Tate weren’t as invulnerable. Maybe if it was just her, she would consider eliminating those threats before they could ever develop. But then again, probably not.
Something Jax had said in his last message to her made her think she’d done exactly that once upon a time. They all knew how that had ended up. Tate, betrayed, and left to sleep away the centuries.
Rather than repeat her old mistakes, Tate would prefer to make new ones.
Which was why there would be no preemptive killing. Ilith could wait until this new Obsidian Lord acted against them. Then the dragon could go rip and rend to her heart’s content.
Before long, Tate once again found her path obstructed. This time by a man wearing the robes of a guardian.
“Grandmaster Keel.” Tate’s voice wasn’t exactly welcoming, but it wasn’t hostile either.
To say her relationship with the guardians was ambiguous and poorly defined was an understatement. In truth, you could say she was the reason they existed. Without her, the Saviors may never have stepped up to protect the rest. That much she had been able to piece together from her fragmented memories.
Not that most of civilization would ever know, nor did she want them to.
Keel knew because he had access to records not available to any but the most highly trusted among them. The man standing next to him, Vale, a fellow guardian in Keel’s order, probably suspected but he was smart enough to keep such suspicions to himself.
“Lady Winters,” Keel said formally.
The grandmaster had a face that inspired trust. Silver dusted his hair making him seem wise yet stern.
Tate didn’t immediately respond, her gaze moving over his shoulder to land on Vale who watched Tate with a neutral expression.
At first glance Vale appeared average in every way. His face was plain, his hair and eyes a nondescript brown. Loose robes made it impossible to tell whether he was fit or out of shape.
If he ever committed a crime, people would have a hard time describing him because of how average he looked.
Only his eyes hinted at the sharp intellect behind his bland appearance. He was an observant little bastard. A fact Tate wished she’d known much earlier in their acquaintance.
Keel had been smart to assign him to accompany Tate to Silvain. Now, his disciple knew much more than he should without Keel ever having to break his promise to keep her connection to the Saviors a secret. She couldn’t even blame Keel because it was her actions that had guided his enlightenment.
It was a reminder that Keel hadn’t climbed to his position by playing nice with others. He was every bit the political animal as anyone else in the emperor’s court.
She’d do well to remember that.
“I was wondering if you could spare me a little time this evening. The garden at night is beautiful.” Keel gestured toward the row of open doorways that led out onto the balcony.
Cool air drifted through the opening, a reminder that it wasn’t the season for gazing at flowers. Temperatures that were bearable during the day dropped when the sun disappeared.
Still, Tate couldn’t stem her curiosity. Until now, Keel had asked very little of her, content to let her come to him under her own terms.
“Sure. Why not?”
Might as well figure out what he wanted. She’d been planning a visit soon anyway; he’d just beaten her to the punch.
The trio headed onto the balcony, Roslyn once again trailing. The other woman stopped at the doors as the rest of them continued on, the chilly air embracing them the moment they stepped outside. Tate shivered, grateful her outfit provided her a moderate bit of warmth.
If she’d worn something similar to Tala’s dress, she would have frozen long before Keel got to his point.
Although chilly, the night was beautiful. The sky clear and bright with the planet’s three moons shining. One of the moons was full while the others were waning, no more than crescents in this part of the month.
Tate’s gaze dropped from the night sky to the garden where a carpet of flowers blossomed in neat rows, glistening under the moonlight. Under these circumstances the flowers looked white. Tate was curious if she got closer whether she would find some color in those petals. Either way, they left a feeling of tranquility and stillness.
“Those flowers are called the emperor’s serenity,” Keel explained.
“It’s a little early for flowers, isn’t it?”
Even the earliest of bloomers weren’t up yet.
“These bloom whenever there is a full moon. Man
y people consider this garden one of the ten gems of the palace.”
It wasn’t difficult to see why. The garden was exceptionally beautiful even in a palace filled with amazing sights.
That still didn’t explain why he’d brought her here.
Tate glanced at Vale. “I didn’t expect you back in the city so soon. I thought studying the discovery in the Harridan’s city would take you a lot longer.”
Months, perhaps years.
You could even say she was counting on it, hoping the puzzle would distract Vale from anything he’d discovered while with her.
Vale’s smile was brief. “I thought so too. However, the find has proven to be quite stubborn about giving up its secrets.”
Tate considered his words, looking for a deeper meaning. After discovering the pocket realm Jax had built, she’d turned the find over to the Silva with the understanding they would let the guardians and Black Order participate in its research.
Unfortunately for them, Tate was certain that no matter what they did they would never be able to open that realm again.
Jax’s avatar had told her as much.
It was a subterfuge on her part—but a necessary one.
“I did warn you that it might not meet expectations.” Tate’s expression didn’t change. For someone who hated being lied to, she was surprisingly good at it herself.
Vale’s eyes flickered as if Tate’s words had confirmed something for him.
She paused, reviewing everything she’d said. Nothing should have given what she’d done away. Right?
This was why she wanted to keep a distance between her and the guardians; some were too smart for her own peace of mind.
“I look forward to furthering our acquaintance,” Vale said with a calm expression.
Tate frowned. “My schedule is very busy for the foreseeable future. I’m afraid you won’t be furthering anything.”
Let’s see how you respond to that.
Vale finally smiled. “You never know what there is in store for each of us.”
Tate scowled. That sounded like the sort of vague saying meant to enlighten people to some deeper understanding. Tate just found it highly annoying and wanted to retreat as far as she could from the guardian.
