Sapient Salvation 1: The Selection (Sapient Salvation Series)

by Jayne Faith

  So this was Lord Toric’s brother. That’s where I’d seen those eyes before. Jeric bore a vague resemblance to the Lord, though in my observation he did not have the same regal, magnetic quality. But it couldn’t hurt my chances to try to ingratiate myself to someone so close to the Calistan Lord.

  “And do you have any other siblings?” I asked.

  “Yes, a sister. Her name is Cassiopeia.” He scanned the room and then nodded. “There, see the woman in pink with dark hair? That’s Cassi.”

  She was too far away for me to discern whether she looked like her brothers, but I made a mental note of who she was.

  “Do you have siblings?” he asked.

  I glanced up at him, surprised that he would bring up the topic of the family I’d been ripped away from—that the traditions of his people had ripped me away from. For a split second, I bristled. Then I told myself that the smarter reaction was to assume that he was sincerely interested, possibly even sympathetic.

  “I have a twin,” I said. “Her name is Lana.” I tried to keep a pleasant expression, but felt my smile faltering.

  “A twin . . . two of you,” he said, his tone oddly wondrous. The intent look on his face was disconcerting, and I shifted in my seat. “You must miss her terribly.”

  “I do, more than I could ever describe.” My throat welled, cutting off any more words. I stared down into the cup I held.

  I felt him watching me. He leaned closer, and when I turned to him, I couldn’t help a little flinch. His face loomed only inches over mine.

  “I believe I could find a way for you to contact her,” he said. His eyes gleamed. “But you can’t tell anyone. If you tell, the consequences for both of us will be extremely grave, and you’ll surely never speak to Lana again.”

  My heart leapt, but a wisp of skepticism followed. I gave him a sharp look. “Obligates are not allowed to communicate with anyone on Earthenfell.”

  “We call you Offered, not Obligates. Obligates is the Earthen term,” he said absently. His focus seemed to have shifted to something across the room.

  I frowned in confusion at his abrupt change of subject. Before I could formulate a question about how I would get to speak to Lana, Jeric muttered under his breath, clearly irritated about something. A second later, two Calistan men towered over us. My pulse jumped at their sudden appearance.

  They were giving Jeric nearly identical flinty looks. “Clear out,” one of them said. “By the order of the Lord.”

  Jeric’s eyes darkened as his expression transitioned from irritated to angry. He glared at each man in turn, and then slowly rose from his seat. He straightened the front of his shirt with a sharp tug and then turned to me.

  With a smile that failed to touch his eyes, he bent over me in a formal bow, grasped the fingers of my right hand, and planted a kiss just behind my knuckles. “It was my pleasure to make your acquaintance, Maya. I regret that I must leave you now, but our paths will surely cross again.”

  Then, with his back blocking the view of the two guards, he gave me a secretive little smile. “I will come for you so you can speak to Lana,” he said at barely a whisper. He let go of my hand and touched the side of his index finger to his lips. “Remember—do not breathe a word to anyone.”

  I wanted nothing more than to shrink back from his gaze, which bored into me. His demeanor was gallant, but something about his manner felt threatening.

  With wide eyes I nodded, unable to come up with any appropriate response before he disappeared around one of the curtains.

  As soon as Jeric was gone, another tall figure appeared in front of me. For a second I thought Jeric had returned, but when I looked up, Lord Toric’s blue-green gaze—so similar to his brother’s and yet so very different—seemed to pin me to my chair and still my breath. The alien Lord did not look happy.

  Just behind Lord Toric’s left shoulder, Akantha’s slitted eyes glared down at me.

  The Calistan woman who stood with Akantha in the throne room—the Priestess—was at Lord Toric’s other side, her face unrevealing.

  My mouth went dry as I stared up at them.

  14

  Toric

  I ENTERED THE ballroom with the Priestess, both of us walking behind Calvin and Palovich and a handful of Calistan nobles trailing behind us. I immediately sensed Maya among the swirl of energetic auras of the Earthens in attendance. She was somewhere midway back, near the left wall.

  I’d intended to make my way slowly around the room, but something shadowy bristled through Maya’s energy like a ghostly intruder, driving me to move straight to her instead of taking my time.

  Calistans bowed as I passed, and the young Offered gaped at me with widened eyes before sinking into bows and curtsies. The nobles who’d entered with me dispersed to find the Offered men who were assigned to them for the evening, as a test of their skills of service. But I was only partially aware of these things as I sought out Maya.

  The one thing that did distract me from Maya was Akantha, when she spotted me and left her table to join my little entourage. It was an unfortunate rule of the Tournament proceedings that she and High Priestess Lunaria were required to be in attendance when I interacted with the Offered men and women in events that figured into the rankings, even the ones that weren’t formal Tournament challenges. The company of the Priestess I appreciated, but Akantha was a splinter in my thumb that had worked itself too deep for extraction.

  When I came into view of Maya and I saw my snake of a brother sitting next to her, his body curved toward her and his eyes locked on her face, a searing wave of anger pulsed through me. My hands clenched, and I took a step forward but then stopped myself. It was not the time or place for a confrontation with Jeric, not with so many eyes watching.

  “Get rid of him,” I said through gritted teeth to my guards.

  Akantha let loose a string of curses under her breath, and I shot her a glance over my shoulder and felt a little welling of satisfaction at her aggravation. By the look on her face, she was nearly as unhappy to see Jeric with Maya as I was. Akantha would likely make my brother pay for it later, but I had no sympathy for him.

  When Jeric rose and then kissed Maya’s hand, my anger flared again. Every muscle in my body strung tight. He shot me a smug, heavy-lidded look as he passed, and it was all I could do to stay where I stood.

  “She’s very special,” he said to me, smiling darkly.

  I managed to not give him the satisfaction of a reaction, but anxiety stirred through my anger. Of all the Earthen women, he’d singled out Maya and it gave me a deep feeling of unease.

  I turned to Maya, who had not spotted me yet. Her eyes were huge, and she looked around dazedly, obviously agitated.

  Jeric. He’d done or said something to her.

  I swallowed back my fury and forced the tension from my muscles. It wouldn’t calm her agitation if I seemed irate.

  The flash of alarm in her eyes when she looked up at me suggested that I hadn’t masked my ire toward Jeric well enough.

  She stared in surprise for only a moment before she composed herself, rose, and sank into a deep curtsy. Her energy signature washed over me like a seductively fragrant evening breeze.

  As much as I wanted to hide away with her among the curtains, I needed to put her at ease. I darted a furtive glance to each side, looking for something suitable. Four of the palace’s most talented musicians were set up near the piano, waiting for someone—Kalindi, I recognized—to finish the piece she was playing.

  “Please rise,” I said to Maya. “I would very much like for you to accompany me, the Priestess, and the Mistress of Tournament to listen to the royal quartet.”

  Maya’s eyes flitted nervously to Akantha, but then Maya smiled at me, and my heart seemed to falter for a second under her blue-eyed gaze. “Yes, of course it would be my honor, my Lord.”

  She still seemed a bit rattled from the last few minutes’ events, but I thought I read genuine gratitude in her eyes. Part of me was thankful that e
tiquette dictated she walk a step behind my left elbow. If she were beside me, I surely would have made a fool of myself staring at her. But another part of me hated that she was out of my line of sight, even if only slightly. Jeric had moved off into a group of nobles, but his presence still aggravated me and made me want to surround Maya with a wall of guards.

  Rows of chairs had been set up in a curve around the music area. I went to the empty front row, which was always reserved for me, and gestured with an open hand at a chair. She stood in front of it, but did not sit until I did. So far, despite her nerves, she’d remembered her guide’s etiquette instructions well.

  She sat to my right, radiating that complex signature of energy that was uniquely hers. Akantha stepped ahead of the Priestess to take the seat to my left, where Akantha sat rigidly, clearly still seething over Jeric’s attention to Maya. Not far away, my brother was studiously avoiding the darting glares Akantha kept shooting his way.

  Kalindi finished her piece, and I joined in the small crowd’s polite applause. She rose gracefully from the piano bench and placed one had on the edge of the piano to give a little curtsy. When she looked up and noticed me in the audience, she blushed prettily and gave me a deeper curtsy.

  Though she did not affect me in the unique way Maya did, I could not help but admire Kalindi’s training and natural grace. Her every movement and expression were nearly perfectly formed. I couldn’t deny that even now she matched or even surpassed many of the women in my harem.

  I felt Maya’s eyes flitting to me and then away, and I turned to her. “How are you enjoying the celebration so far?” I asked. It took all of my willpower to resist staring at her, examining her every feature greedily.

  “The food is wonderful, and the ballroom is breathtaking,” she said. She shook her head and blinked a couple of times. “It’s like a dream.” Despite her enthusiastic words, her expression clouded. But she quickly recovered with a serene smile.

  She looked up into my face, and my breath caught. The play of light emphasized the angles of her face, creating shadows over her eyes and darkening the slight hollows below her cheekbones, and it was if I’d caught a glimpse of what she would look like eight or ten years from now. After she’d discovered the dark, bold parts of herself that I’d sensed when I’d first seen her from my balcony.

  She swallowed and licked her lips. “Will you be staying to enjoy yourself for the rest of the evening, or will your duties take you away early?” Her eyes flicked down to my waist and seemed to linger there for a moment.

  I gave myself a mental shake. I should not be staring at her dumbly, expecting her to carry the conversation.

  “This is the only thing on my agenda for the rest of the night,” I assured her.

  Her lips parted as if to respond, but then she hesitated for a moment. “My Lord, may I—may I ask you about the belt you wear?” she said, clearly uncertain about her query.

  “Please.” I tilted my head in interest. I couldn’t imagine what she might have to say about my clothing.

  “Did it come from Earthenfell?”

  My brows rose a fraction. She was treading close to a taboo subject—the Offered were not supposed to inquire about Earthenfell. But her inquiry was not really about her home, not exactly.

  “In fact, it did,” I said. “And now you have me curious. How did you know?”

  “I believe my sister may have been the weaver,” she said. The warmth in her voice was steeped in sadness, betraying her deep feelings for her sister.

  My mind reeled as sympathy poured through me. Dark memories of being taken from my family when I was a boy mixed with the heady sensation of Maya’s energy in such close proximity, and for a moment I felt too light-headed to respond.

  I blinked hard, pulling myself into the present moment. “If so, she is very talented. I own many similar pieces that were clearly made by skilled hands.” A slow, warm smile spread over my face. For reasons I couldn’t explain, the idea that I’d been wearing belts made by Maya’s sister for years before I’d learned of Maya’s existence delighted me.

  The sadness melted from Maya’s eyes, and her smile seemed to echo mine. “She is indeed talented.” She gave a pleased little laugh. Then she looked up at me ruefully. “It is my misfortune that although my sister and I are identical twins, she seems to have ended up with the larger share of talents.”

  Her eyes widened, and she inhaled sharply through her nose, obviously regretting that she’d let that bit of self-criticism slip out. It wasn’t a glaring misstep, but neither was it the elusive blend of humility and self-assurance that were the ideal for harem women.

  Akantha let out an exasperated sigh at Maya’s comment, but I couldn’t help a soft chuckle. Maya was not following a script or taking on any affectation, and it was refreshing.

  I tried to reassure her with both my eyes and my words. “You are currently second in the rank of favor, which certainly demonstrates that you possess talent.”

  It was a compliment, and certainly meant as one, but her face and energy darkened suddenly. The muscles of her jaw tightened as she fought to hold the smile on her face even as her eyes hardened. Her posture became wooden, and she turned her gaze away.

  We had started to build a connection, and just like that, the invisible bridge between us vanished, and she felt as remote from me as the farthest star.

  My heart lurched in my chest, and I searched for something to say that would close the gap that had suddenly expanded between us, but my mind remained stubbornly blank. And then the quartet started up, and I lost my chance to speak.

  Sitting through the first piece with Maya stone-like next to me was torture. When it finally ended and the musicians took a break to re-tune their instruments, I turned to her. But before I could speak, Akantha’s voice scraped across my eardrums.

  “My Lord,” Akantha said, her tone dripping with undisguised annoyance. “Don’t you think it best to move on now and converse with the other ones? You’ve already devoted an inordinate amount of time to this one.”

  “Soon.” I turned and drilled her with an unfiltered glare, but kept my voice mild so as not to alarm Maya. “Right now I would like Maya’s continued company while we sample the food and drink.”

  Akantha’s eyes flashed darkly, and her cheeks flushed in splotchy patches. “As you wish.” She all but spat the words at me.

  Her lack of respect was growing more blatant, and I would need to do something about it. But I needed to focus on Maya.

  Passing through the bows and curtsies from the attendees, I led Maya to the largest buffet table. She was handling herself well, I thought, considering that nearly everyone in the room was watching us.

  “My Lord, I have a message for you,” a business-like voice said behind me, and I turned in surprise. “Your presence is required in the war room. The presence of the Priestess as well.”

  Catching the tone of urgency behind the messenger’s summons, my pulse quickened.

  Stifling a sigh of regret, I looked down at Maya. “I apologize that I must depart to attend to some unexpected business. But please, continue to enjoy yourself.” As much as I hated the idea of leaving her, especially with Jeric in the room, I had to go.

  Maya’s lips parted in a little O of surprise. “I regret that you must depart, too, my Lord.” She hastily placed her plate on the edge of the buffet table and curtsied.

  I turned to the messenger. “Go to the master of the guard and have him send one of my elite guards to meet me at the war room immediately.” I was supposed to have two elite guards with me at all times, but I couldn’t bring myself to leave Maya with Jeric. Perhaps it was petty of me, and maybe an overreaction, but Calvin was going to stay right here with her.

  I walked a few paces with Calvin and Palovich right on my heels, waiting until we were out of Akantha’s earshot. I turned to Calvin. “Stay here and make sure my brother does not bother Maya again tonight. And escort her back to her room at the end of the evening. I instructed the messe
nger to send a second guard for me right away.”

  I could tell that Calvin wanted to protest my leaving the ballroom with only Palovich—Calvin was a stickler for following the law, especially when it came to my protection—but I turned on my heel before he had the chance.

  With the Priestess drifting along beside me like a spirit in her pale robes and Palovich striding behind us, we quickly moved through the corridors.

  “What do you think it could be?” I asked the Priestess. I’d known her since before she was ordained, long before she rose to High Priestess in the Temple of the Mother Earth. Her name used to be Laurel before she surrendered her identity to her calling.

  “I believe the tide is turning in our battles,” she said quietly.

  I nearly stumbled over my own feet as I gave her a sharp look, wondering how she could make such a guess. She did not say if the tide was turning for better or worse, but either way it was a momentous statement. We’d been battling for Earthenfell for many hundreds of years, and though there were small victories and defeats along the way, it had been centuries since there was a major shift in the momentum of the war.

  My heart raced at the possibilities. By the time we reached the war room, I was literally breathless with anticipation.

  Palovich stayed outside the door as the Priestess and I went in. The main feature of the circular war room was a large round table that could seat two dozen. But there were only four people who stood waiting for us—my mother, Master of War Xavier, Xavier’s first in command, and the Head of Council.

  The three men greeted me with a chorus of “My Lord” and nearly identical half-bows.

  The largest wall monitor was already illuminated. It displayed a familiar graphic, one which reported the status of every battle in the war by location. A section that had been red for many months—indicating that we were losing ground—was now white. In fact, several sections that had long been red were now white.