by M. J. Scott
"You want to ask Domina Francis what happens if Eloisa has to depose Domina Skey?" That seemed unwise. Would a domina even be willing to consider such a thing? Let alone encourage someone on such a path? "Temple law here will be different anyway."
"Once upon a time, they were the same. Domina Gerrard told me that the temple at the palace has archives. Records. We had the same laws once, the same beliefs. They will know what has changed.
"They know what has changed here. Not at home."
"We know the temple banned water magic in Anglion. We know they've changed the marriage bonds. But they always tell us that the rituals haven't changed for a long time. If they are determined to maintain the status quo, I can't imagine they have changed the laws. Or that any of the monarchs would allow a change that would let the temple attack them. King Stefan wasn't under Domina Skey's control for a start."
"No," Cameron agreed. Stefan had been civil to the temple, and he had taken part in the rites and rituals as his duty dictated he needed to, but he hadn't been particularly devout.
And he was firm in his grip on power. There had been clashes with the temple at times over resources and other minor matters. Damage to temples when the Red Guard had been settling disputes and such. Stefan had paid for the damage—or made those who had caused the disputes to do so—but he hadn't given into any of the temple's more excessive demands for recompense and retribution.
Cameron's father had told stories of spirited discussions between the domina—and her predecessor—and the king. He'd used them as lessons in politics for Liam but didn't spare Cameron and Alec either.
They were expected to know what was happening at court, to understand power. They were tools for the erl to use as he wanted, and if Cameron was honest with himself, he imagined the erl had wanted to be sure that if anything had happened to Liam that either of his other two sons would be able to step into the role of the heir—and the erl eventually—with the appropriate skills they would need to continue the Mackenzie's legacy.
How exactly his father had thought he could control what they would do once he was dead was something of a puzzle, but the erl had never been a man who had considered his way could be anything but the right way. Or that he wouldn't live forever, possibly. The explosion that had killed him was not something that he would have imagined a possibility. No one had expected an attack on the court.
Other than those who had planned it, of course.
He stilled a moment. That was something they hadn't thought about. Domina Skey was a problem, and perhaps Sophie was correct and the domina was wielding some sort of influence over Eloisa, but she wasn't the only one. Sophie had felt the presence of water magic after the attack. Someone had supplied the scriptii to trigger the attack on the palace. Someone had sent Sevan to kidnap or kill Sophie if she didn't agree to return and provided him with the means to summon a sanctii.
Whoever that was, they had some access to Illvyan magic. If he had still been in Anglion, Cameron would have assumed it was the emperor, but now he knew better. The emperor could take Anglion if he wanted it. He didn't need to scheme and plot. He could send his armies over the ocean to overwhelm Anglion with sheer numbers whenever he wanted.
"I think—" he started to say, but the door wards began to chime.
Chapter 15
Sophie walked into Henri's office feeling both nervous about the bonding to come and relieved to have an interruption from her conversation with Cameron. She needed time to think. Willem's arrival at their apartment door with a note from Henri had been a welcome distraction.
Tok made a small grumbling noise as they walked into the room but stayed where he was perched on her shoulder.
Mestier Allyn stood near to Henri's desk. He peered at Tok and grunted something that might be approval rather than saying anything. Madame Simsa was seated by the fireplace, watching Venable Ettier, one of the earth witches who taught Sophie's classes, lifting coals from the fire into a wide iron brazier that rested on three tall, thin legs. Henri had been sitting at his desk, but he rose as Sophie and Cameron entered, murmuring a greeting. She braced herself for him to say something about Chloe, but he didn't. She didn't know whether that was worse.
But she pushed away the guilt. Time enough for guilt later. She had to focus now, make sure she did everything in this ritual correctly.
The four Academe staff wore their robes, glittering as rainbowed black as Tok's wings in the lamplight. Sophie had chosen to wear hers because its padded shoulder offered the most comfortable way to carry Tok. If he got much bigger—which he was going to do—she'd have to look at ways to reinforce all her clothing or she would need a wardrobe allowance far beyond what they could afford.
"Are you ready to begin?" Henri asked and Sophie started.
"Yes, Maistre," she said hastily, hoping she had covered her distraction.
Henri turned to Mestier Allyn. "And you, Master of Ravens, do you judge this bonding to be what the bird wants?"
Tok couldn't speak for himself so it seemed fair that he was to be allocated a voice.
Mestier Allyn nodded, the wrinkles around his dark eyes deepening as he smiled. "Yes, Maistre. He has made his choice clear for some time now."
"Then let us begin." Henri nodded and gestured at the brazier. Mestier Allyn and Venable Ettier grasped it by the legs and moved it to stand in the center of the room with careful movements. "If you would step forward please, Sophie."
She did so, Tok's claws pricking her as the bird shifted his stance to keep his balance. Cameron moved too and the others formed a rough circle around them.
"We are here to witness a binding of a witch and her petty familiar," Henri said, his voice measured, the Illvyan words hitting Sophie's ear at a different cadence, almost as though Henri was singing them rather speaking them. "Does anyone have any objections to this binding?"
No one spoke.
"Sophie, could you hold out your arm please?"
She extended her arm and Henri produced a small silver knife. The blade caught the light from the coals and the lamps around the room, a shimmer of gold and red and blue dancing along the edge. She took the flashing gleam as testament to its sharpness and turned her hand palm up, determined not to flinch. There hadn't been much time, but she'd managed to read the LivreTerre's pages on the ritual.
The binding required blood. Not common, in earth magic, but blood carried magic, and it made sense to use something to enhance the magic when binding a human and an animal.
The bite of the blade was quick and bright. Sophie caught her breath against the sting as she turned her hand over and held the wound steady over the coals. Madame Simsa caught several drops of the blood in a dish that gleamed as brightly as the knife before moving back. Sophie's hand continued to drip blood slowly, the drops hitting the coals with a sizzle and a flare of burned salt and copper.
"Do you know the words?" Henri asked.
Sophie nodded. "Yes." She'd tried to commit them to memory. It wasn't a long spell, but she was tired and reveilé or no, memorizing written Illvyan was still a strain. Hopefully her memory wouldn't fail her.
[I remember,] Elarus said suddenly in her head.
Sophie's hand jerked. [Are you here?] There had been no mention of bringing the sanctii to the ceremony, and if Martius or Belarus were in the room, they were keeping themselves as unseen as Elarus.
[Might need help. With bond.]
[You said we wouldn't.]
No answer was forthcoming. She bit her lip.
"Sophie?" Henri said. "Is something wrong?"
"No." She shook her head, turning her mind back to the task at hand. She had no way to force Elarus to leave. To be honest, she didn't particularly want her to leave. The sanctii was right. This bonding could be more complicated than others. Besides, neither Martius nor Belarus had raised any alarm so perhaps there was nothing objectionable to Elarus being there.
"Mestier Allyn, will you take Tok please?"
The master stepped forward and held out a gloved ha
nd. "Tok, come here."
Tok squawked indignantly and his claws curled deeper into Sophie's shoulder, as though he was reluctant to give up his perch.
"It's only for a short time," she said, trying to sound soothing. "Go along or we can't do this. You don't want me to have to bond some other raven because you wouldn't follow instructions at this point, do you?"
The answering squawk was extra loud and extra annoyed. But Tok leaped and landed on the master's outstretched arm, shaking out ruffled feathers.
"Good boy," Mestier Allyn said and moved his arm over the brazier until Tok was level with Sophie's hand, the smoke moving over both of them.
Henri took the plate from Madame Simsa and dipped his thumb into the blood, pressing it first against Tok's head and then onto the wound on Sophie's hand. Sophie closed her hand into a fist, closed her eyes, and began to recite the ritual.
As she said the last word, Tok stepped from Mestier Allyn's hand to hers as if drawn there by a leash, and she felt a flare of power, a sensation akin to something within snapping into place. Nothing of the strength she had felt with Cameron or Elarus, but the feeling had familiar echoes.
"It is done, I think," she managed.
Tok cawed, a triumphant sound that Sophie both heard and felt inside her head and then launched into the air, circling the room and cawing triumphantly. He swooped exuberantly and Sophie laughed at the happiness she could feel in a small corner of her mind. She'd done something good today. She could hold onto that.
"Tok," she called, and he changed course so fast it was a wonder that he managed to stay in the air. He streaked back to Sophie and landed on her shoulder with a thump and a rustle of settling wings.
"Sophie," he croaked distinctly.
She was so surprised she almost dislodged him craning her neck to see him.
"Sophie," he croaked again.
"He spoke," she said.
Henri and Mestier Allyn smiled in unison.
"Oh yes," Henri said. "The smarter ones can learn to over time. Those who are bonded usually develop quite good vocabularies."
In Anglion she'd heard of parrots who could talk but the birds weren't common, and she'd never actually seen one.
Madame Simsa cleared her throat and smiled. "You should have chosen a monkey, my dear. They can't offer commentary."
"Rikki makes quite enough noise," Venable Ettier said with a smile. "At least Sophie will be able to understand Tok."
"Sophie!" Tok repeated. Sophie couldn't see his face, and she wasn't sure if a raven could actually look smug, but he definitely sounded smug.
"Silly bird," she said, but she was delighted. "Do I need to teach him words?"
"If you want him to say certain things it can be a good idea to practice with him," Mestier Allyn said. "He will learn some things he hears regardless. You need to watch what you say if you don't want him to pick up less...desirable phrases."
"Are you suggesting I say unsavory things?" Sophie asked with a grin.
Henri shrugged. "We all say things we don't intend at times. There was a court case once where a man was arrested because his raven kept saying 'you killed me' after his wife disappeared. The truth seekers said the bird was telling the truth. His master went to prison."
"I'll be sure to make sure Tok isn't in the room if I ever plot murder," Sophie said. She didn't know if it was Tok's happiness infecting her, but she was feeling distinctly giddy. "Where will he stay now? Will he still sleep in the tower with the others?"
"That is usual while you are here. He may not want to for a time while you both adjust to the bond, but it is best for him to still spend time with other ravens. I've asked for a traveling cage to be brought to your rooms. He can sleep in that. We can talk about the rest of his care in the morning. The hour grows late, and I must settle the rest of my charges for the night." He bowed in Sophie's direction. "Congratulations, my lady. I wish you many years together."
The phrase was echoed by the others and still rang in Sophie's ears as she and Cameron returned to their apartment with Tok flying sentry above her. Many years. She hoped there would be, but part of her was afraid that she might be forced to choices that might cut them short.
"Now, you have to behave," Sophie said to Tok as the carriage turned into the forecourt of the palace temple the next morning.
Tok made a protesting noise, and she wagged a finger at him. "Don't pretend to be innocent. Look at the fuss you made when I tried to leave you behind."
The raven was perched on the sill of the carriage window, wings spread slightly against the jolting of the ride. He gave her a look through one beady eye that clearly suggested that leaving him behind had been a stupid idea, and he had merely pointed that out. Madame Simsa and the Master of Ravens had been correct. Tok had shown no desire to let her out of his sight in the ten hours that had passed since they had completed the bonding ceremony.
So much so that he had perched on the end of her bath earlier. She hadn't attempted breakfast in the dining room. Petty fams weren't supposed to go in there, and besides, she was in no mood for idle conversation.
Not when there had been a note from Domina Francis, reiterating the domina's request to speak to Sophie that morning. She had made no mention of Cameron, but he, like Tok, had refused to be left behind.
"You're going to have to learn to let her go some places without you," Cameron said to the bird, breaking the silence of their journey. "You can't sleep at the foot of the bed like a dog. Nor, I imagine, will the emperor want feathers in his ballroom."
"Sophie!" Tok said indignantly.
Sophie smiled, amused and relieved that Cameron was talking to the bird. He was right, but the raven's reluctance to be parted from her was oddly charming. Though she suspected the charm would wear off eventually. She hoped that Mestier Allyn had been right and that Tok wouldn't always need to be her shadow.
She had—with the help of a platter of fresh meat—managed to coax him into the cage Mestier Allyn had provided. There had been squawks of outrage when she'd closed the door, but she'd draped the cage as per the instructions that had accompanied it, and he had settled eventually.
Unlike her. She'd lain awake half the night, alternating between fighting tears and trying to figure out a way to rescue her family that didn't involve going along with Aristides’s plans. She failed utterly in coming up with an alternative.
Cameron had slept as little as she. He'd lain still and silent, but his breathing hadn't sounded like he'd been sleeping. As much as she'd wanted to reach out for his comfort, the fact that he hadn't reached first stopped her. Maybe they'd finally reached a point where he wouldn't be able to forgive her for what she'd done to his life. Or his family. Maybe he should return to Anglion without her. But she suspected that was no longer an option. If he returned without her, it seemed likely he would only be seized as well to try and increase the pressure on her.
Eloisa was unlikely to believe him if he disavowed Sophie. The queen wouldn't have bothered to try and undermine their marriage on their wedding day if she hadn't been jealous of the affection between Sophie and Cameron. And, if by some chance of the goddess, the queen did believe him, it was highly likely that Domina Skey would step in and declare that he should be punished for being married to a water mage.
So, no. They were both out of options. Apparently Cameron was finding that as difficult to cope with as she was.
He'd been silent over breakfast, and as much as she'd wanted to believe it was only that he was not yet quite awake, she didn't. Relief had flooded her when he'd said he was coming with her when the domina's note arrived. Even if he was furious with her, apparently he was still keeping his oaths.
She didn't think he'd take kindly to her offering to release him from those oaths. He'd made his position on their marriage clear. He was sticking to her, sanctii and ravens and emperors be damned.
Perhaps he was crazy, but then again, if he was crazy, so was she. Perhaps a degree of insanity would be needed if they were to sur
vive.
Tok pecked the window, making the glass rattle and Sophie realized the carriage had stopped moving. The door opened and Tok swooped out before she could stop him.
Cameron followed Tok, turning to offer Sophie his hand.
She climbed down and stopped to stare.
Unlike the temple in Isle de Angelique, there was nothing ordinary about this structure. It, like the palace, was designed to awe. It was a marvel of domes and columns punctuated by stained glass. The walls were the same dazzling white marble as the palace, but the domes and the many slopes of the roof were bronze, judging by their green-gold shade. The largest of the domes dwarfed the others, a plume of smoke rising from its apex. Presumably it sat over the main offering fire, but the shape and size of the many-layered building made it impossible to judge where exactly within the walls that may be.
The forecourt was planted with oak trees, massive gnarled things that had to be ancient. The broad paths between the trees were tiled in a pattern of soft greens and white. The mosaics didn't form the quartered circle outright, but they definitely suggested it.
"Shall we?" Cameron said, offering Sophie an arm.
"I guess we shall." She tucked her hand around his elbow, and they began to walk. A prior in pristine brown robes approached them as they neared the building.
"Good morning. Goddess shade you both. May I assist you?" the man asked, smiling at them. His hair was a reddish shade of blond and the shaggy eyebrows above deepest blue eyes much the same color. His deep brown robes were similar to the ones Domina Gerrard had worn. More tailored than the robes worn by the Anglion priors but similar enough that Sophie could tell the man's rank without asking.
Tok swooped in from above and settled on Sophie's shoulder. The prior's smile didn't falter though his eyes flicked to the raven.
Sophie ignored Tok. "I am Lady Scardale and this is my husband, Lord Scardale. Domina Francis is expecting me, I believe."
The man's eyebrows rose, but he nodded. "I will send word that you are here." He lifted a hand and waved one of the devouts standing near the temple doors over, bending to whisper a few quick words in the woman's ear. She hurried off.
