“I'm guessing the magic is why you didn't get stopped by security,” Rose said, picking up the thread my thoughts were following. “That's handy for you, but a pretty big security risk for Fialla. I'll have to talk to Dad about that.”
“It's not something you have to worry about,” I assured her. “The magic Mother placed on my blade isn't something that can just be produced on a whim. It takes much more than a master mage's power to create such a powerful protection charm.”
Rose glanced at my satchel. “You're sure about that?”
“It's not on the same level as… as the spirit blade, but it's close.” I forced a casual shrug as I spoke. “Besides, the way the magic works, no one else would be able to draw out its power if they used it to strike with ill intent. It exists to protect me, and only me.”
“Still, though.”
“Yes, I know. Other, more sinister magic might slip through. Your father should be told. Will the Council listen to him?”
“Maybe, though a lot of current Council members don't see magic as much of a threat. Most of them aren't old enough to have fought in the Forge War, and human magic seems quaint, old-fashioned, outdated. The weakening of Fiallan ley lines is viewed as an advantage against a magical invasion.”
My eyes widened in surprise. “That's rank foolishness.”
“It's politics.”
“My comment still stands,” I remarked sourly. “Ley lines aren't the only source of mana. If the Imperial Court approves a holy crusade against Fialla, they'll bring with them enough aetherium to fuel war-spells capable of destroying entire cities.”
“Yeah, I know that, you know that, and Dad knows that. That's why the Merope family is supporting anti-government groups in the Empire, giving them funds and weapons and matériel so they can keep the Celestial Prophecy's attention turned inward.” Her expression was both thoughtful and grim. “And who knows? Maybe the rebels will win, defang the Church, topple the monarchy and maybe things will get better for everyone who isn't highborn Solarian.”
From the way our eyes met as Rose spoke, I knew neither of us thought that was very likely.
I turned toward my satchel and picked it up. A whisper-current of magic flowed out of my body and into the bag, manipulating the spell it held in order to alter its physical appearance. The well-worn leather travel sack shrank down—at least, on the outside—and the material transmuted from leather into silk, darkening until it resembled a star-studded, velvety night sky.
“Cute trick,” Rose quipped.
“We've nattered on long enough about how dangerous everything is.” I sighed and held a hand out and up, which Rose took without hesitation. “Let's go get something to eat. We're supposed to be on vacation.”
*
The restaurant Rose had chosen was small and intimate, apparently having been designed with romantic evenings in mind. Our serving girl brought us through the main lobby and into a secluded back room for VIP guests, which I suppose Rose was, being Cassius Merope's daughter and all.
As we made our way through the crowded dining room, I noticed how many people stared. At first I felt uncomfortable, because I was used to stares, but I realized after a moment that they were not scandalized by the presence of a half-breed, but marveling at the beautiful couple that passed through.
I suppose it helped that I looked more miinari than Solarian, and that put me closer to the Fiallan standard than anyone else from my birthplace. My skin was a bit darker than Mother's, but still pale compared to most Fiallans. While I'd never seen Eiri before in person, I suspected that she and I shared a similar complexion. I had to have inherited my fiery curls from her, after all, as every other Alcyone possessed straight, smooth brown or black hair.
We were seated at a table near voluminous bolts of cloth draping the walls, intended to absorb the sound of conversation and maintain some degree of privacy. In the Empire, the tables would have simply had voids of silence cast between them, but this mundane solution seemed to work just as well.
“How do you feel?” Rose asked as we sat down, the din of conversation around us muted by the draped fabric. She didn't even have to raise her voice at all, and I was glad that we'd be able to have an intimate conversation even in this crowded establishment.
“Like I'm in a dream.”
Her grin was impish. “Don't wake up, then, or you'll find out that you're dozing off in the middle of one of Master Ghora's arcane theory lectures.”
I made a very sour face. “Don't even joke about that. I can scarcely believe this is happening to me at all in the first place.”
“Sorry.”
I reached over the table and placed my hand upon hers. “You are real, aren't you? This isn't a dream, right?”
“It's not a dream, Lily.”
The corner of my mouth twitched slightly. “How can I be sure, though?”
“I'll prove it to you.”
Feeling Rose's lips brush against mine sent electric currents through my whole body. A part of me wondered at what point I would stop reacting this way to her kisses. The rest of me hoped it would be never.
When she drew back, a satisfied sort of catlike smile on her face, I just found myself wishing she hadn't stopped. I could have stayed there in that moment for centuries and been content. It was clear she could see the expressions working their way across my face, because she squeezed my hand gently.
“I don't know if I'll be able to keep my hands off of you after the new term starts,” Rose said, idly twirling the tip of her bound hair between thumb and forefinger. There was a hot, aching need in her gaze that affected me physically more than I thought possible. I felt lighter than a cloud, drifting lazily across the sky.
I wagged a finger at her. “You better figure out a way. If we get caught in the act by the wrong person, we're not going to graduate.”
“Well, they can't censure us for what they don't know, right? So… we just spend some time at a cozy little Naara inn on the weekends.” Rose winked at me and I rolled my eyes. Then her voice became low and much more serious. “And even if we are expelled, I promise it won't affect your magical training or mine. Dad will make sure we never lack for competent instruction.”
I blinked, taken aback. “He would do that for me?”
“Well, he'd do it for me,” she hedged, lips twisting into an impish smirk, “but I would make it clear it's in his best interests to extend the same courtesy to his daughter's girlfriend.”
Judging by the annoyed glance Rose gave me, I must've looked dubious. “To do that, I would have to… to defect, to swear allegiance to Fialla.”
“Yeah, but I'm pretty sure you'd get approved. And by 'pretty sure' I mean 'absolutely positive,' because the Ministry of State will do what Dad wants.”
I shook my head. “That's not the problem.”
“What is, then?”
“I would have to relinquish any claim to the Alcyone name.”
“Haven't you already, though? Isn't everything that's happening with your family drama going to result in you being disowned? If your great-uncle hates your mom that much for who she fell in love with, wouldn't it follow that he'd hate the result of that union even more?”
Hearing it said out loud pulled a grimace out of me. “Yes, but that's a legal process that I could fight. If Lord Cyrus attempted to petition for separation, I could challenge it.”
“Could you, really?” Rose pressed.
“Of course I—”
“No, Lily, that's not what I mean. I mean, you would be permitted to appeal, sure, but would you ever have even the slightest chance of winning that appeal?”
I stiffened. She was right, of course. No magistrate in the Empire would find in my favor. Seven Holy Stars, my great-uncle could probably put a dagger through my heart right in the middle of the Victory Square in Solaris itself, and never spend even so much as a day in prison.
“I don't—I mean…”
“Shh. You don't need to think about this too hard right now.”
Rose smiled and gave a little wave to the serving girl as she returned with a tray laden with various small plates. “Now it's time to stuff our faces.”
“But we didn't order yet,” I objected.
“I called ahead. How do you think we got this table? Besides, would you have even known what to order in the first place?”
Chapter 18
Girl of the Void
My first taste of Fiallan cuisine was an experience I'd never, ever forget. Everything was delicious beyond compare. It appeared as if Rose had just asked them to prepare a little bit of everything, because the serving girl returned a few times with additional trays bearing a seemingly-endless procession of dishes that had my mouth watering.
After eating only about a third of what Rose had consumed, I felt sated. The fiery burn of the omnipresent Fiallan sauce made from pickled chilies was curbed by garlicky yogurt and clean, tart sips of more of that pink fizzy drink I'd had at Rose's apartment.
Rose leaned back in her chair, taking healthy swigs from her tall glass of bitter dark ale. I could smell the hop-heavy scent as a cloud that hung around our table. While I wasn't a fan of the beverage myself, the smell mingled with Rose's own scent in such a natural way.
“This is the best meal I've ever had in my life,” I murmured.
“Not surprised. Your family's people don't know how to cook worth a shit.”
I favored Rose with an adoring smile. “Thank you.”
“Don't thank me yet. There's more to come.”
“I couldn't eat another bite if I tried,” I objected.
“Oh, I wasn't talking about more food, but about our third dinner guest. They should be here… ah, there they are now.”
An androgynous-seeming young man—or at least I suspected he was a man—of obvious Far Eastern descent slipped through the restaurant. Effortlessly he worked his way back to the VIP area, his movements fluid and graceful. I found him pleasing to watch as he moved through the crowds.
The man offered us a shy smile and a bow that was rather different than those I'd been taught growing up in Solaria. I recalled that the Eastern nations were also big on bowing as a culture, and I stood up to return his gesture. This seemed to please him.
“I should have known you would schedule this meeting at a fancy restaurant with a beautiful girl on your arm,” the newcomer said to Rose with an amused half-smile. “Is this who I think it is?”
“I'm Lily Alcyone,” I said, joining Rose's nod.
“Shion Aoki, though I could also be considered a ward of the Merope family, as well.” The newcomer flashed a toothy grin and gestured toward the third chair at our table. “My apologies for interrupting your romantic dinner, but there are things we need to talk about.”
Rose laughed. “I told you to meet us here.”
“You didn't tell me I'd be interrupting couple-time, though,” Shion remarked. He glanced at me and shook his head apologetically. “Your girlfriend doesn't seem to be terribly thrilled about my presence, here, either.”
“I-I'm fine,” I stammered.
“Lily, they're a member of a particular organization. You know, the one we're supposed to meet with so you can learn certain things. That one.”
My eyes widened and I stared at Shion. “Oh! I'm terribly sorry, Mister—”
“Not 'mister,'” Rose corrected. “Shion is not a man.”
“Nor am I a woman,” Shion added with a smile. “I'm both and neither.”
I felt my cheeks grow hot and apparently my expression was rather alarmed, because Shion started to laugh. I had forgotten that Fiallan culture viewed gender very differently than the Empire, where it was strictly defined as two binary categories, male and female, assigned in respect to reproductive roles. Logically I knew that other cultures considered the concept to be more nuanced and complex than a mere method of breeding categorization, but it was something entirely different to experience this difference in person.
“Seven Holy Stars, I'm so sorry,” I blurted, feeling mortified.
“You shouldn't be sorry. If anything, it's us who ought to apologize.” Shion jerked a thumb at my rather suspicious-looking partner. “I just wanted to test you a little bit. Solarians are so fucking uptight, filled up with holier-than-thou nonsense. I wanted to see how you'd react without time to prepare. She agreed to it because she thought it'd be funny.”
I fixed an annoyed glare on Rose.
“Let me guess—she always teases you?” The Easterner laughed at my red-faced nod, but their expression became a great deal more genuine. “Good. She teases people she loves, and the more she teases, the more she loves.”
“Rose must love me a lot, then,” I grumbled. “She never seems to stop teasing me.”
My girlfriend nodded solemnly. “It's true.”
“While I'd love nothing more than to continue this friendly banter,” Shion said, apparently attempting to steer the conversation back on course, “I did come here for a reason. Rose told me some of the situation concerning your particular abilities. My masters also spoke with Cassius, and all of the details have been handled.”
I frowned. “Which means?”
“We can teach you the basics while you're in Fialla. Not enough, in my opinion, not nearly enough, but what you'll learn from the masters should keep you out of trouble when you return to the Academy.”
“You don't sound very confident,” I observed.
“I'm not.” Shion grimaced and picked up a glass of chilled water from the table, taking a long swallow that drained half the vessel. “There isn't enough time to make me confident, but any training is better than none. Without our help, it'll only be a matter of time before the masters of the Academy take notice.”
I didn't respond to that. Shion was right; I knew it as surely as I knew my own name. The rate at which my Aspect was evolving had increased sharply after I obtained Eiri's spirit blade. I could feel the miinari relic's power even through the layers of reality-fabric that separated me from its pocket dimension.
“I don't know if it'll be enough,” Rose said, picking up the thread of conversation, “which is why I suggested what I did earlier. I still think it would be a better option, but I know why you can't make that decision.”
“I can't.”
“I know. You have your mom to worry about.”
I bit my lower lip and avoided Rose's gaze. “It's not just that, but… what Willow said, what your father said. I've been thinking about all of that.” I didn't want to talk about it openly in this public place, even buried back here in the VIP area where it would be unlikely for anyone to hear. I would be very surprised if there were no spies on IPSB's payroll within Fialla.
There was no need to explain. Rose understood, and apparently so did Shion, because neither of them attempted to argue. Too many Solarian mages in the Imperial Court, especially those families heavily involved in the Church, were pushing for more aggressive action against Fialla. They wanted a holy war, a crusade to force the unfaithful barbarians of this country to bow before the image of the god they worshiped.
The rumors of the existence of miinari refugee settlements in Fialla only drove the Solarian hawks harder. If those were confirmed, it would be even easier for the Church and the highborn Houses to convince the citizens that war was not only inevitable but necessary. The Celestial Prophecy demanded its faithful to rid the world of dark magic, to cleanse the impurity within all mortal souls. Miinari were fey, creatures of magic, and the church taught that their very existence was an affront to all that was good in the world. I knew it wouldn't end with them if the Church was successful.
After the silence began to grow increasingly uncomfortable, Shion cleared their throat and fixed me with a steady gaze. “I don't want to rush you, but time is short. I would like it if you could meet with the masters tonight.”
I blinked. “That quickly?”
“I don't anticipate we'll start your training right away,” Shion conceded, “but it would be good for you to present yourself t
o them so they can decide how to proceed.”
Rose and I shared a meaningful look for just a moment before I turned back to Shion and nodded wordlessly.
*
I entered the nondescript building from the front, with Shion and Rose at my side. Through the glass double-doors, the interior lobby looked unassuming and unremarkable. There was nothing to indicate this building's true purpose; from the outside and in, it appeared to be nothing but another office building in the Eastgate district of Fialla's capital city.
The interior of the lobby was warm and pleasant, if a little small, with several chairs and a divan set around the room for the comfort of those who waited to be seen. A security desk dominated the northern wall and disrupted access to a long corridor that stretched out behind the bored-looking young woman receptionist.
We hadn't bothered to return to Rose's apartment to change clothing, as the Cabal headquarters was not far from the restaurant. I felt a little out of place in the star-studded cocktail dress and heels, but this was just a courtesy call on the masters. I wouldn't be expected to begin my training this very night.
Rose plopped down on one of the overstuffed chairs and dug her multicom out of a pocket. She glanced up at me and shrugged. “I'll wait out here until the two of you finish up.”
I frowned. “You're not coming with us?”
“I'm not going to be with you, either,” Shion explained. “At least, not after I escort you through security. Meeting the masters is something you have to do on your own, and the presence of other mages could interfere with their appraisal of your abilities.”
“I understand.”
Shion approached the reception desk and spoke with the woman in tones low enough that I couldn't catch what they were discussing. A curious sensation ran through me when the receptionist arched an eyebrow at me, her gaze even and cool but respectful.
“You're cleared through the outer ring,” the receptionist said, now speaking loudly enough for me to hear. “Adept Aoki will guide you to Master Shimizu's office. You will meet with her alone.”
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