by E A Hooper
“That’s sick. Your father’s a twisted man. You know that, right?”
“But his sickness results from knowing the fate of Ter’al. I’m sure it’s driven him halfway to madness. He has the weight of Ter’al on his shoulders.”
“Then why are you helping me learn metamorphosis? If I get that power, and your father tries anything suspicious, I’ll kill him.”
“It won’t come to that. It’ll all work out. You might even come to think of him as your father-in-law one day.”
“That’ll never happen. It’s much more likely that I raze Castle Titanweir to the ground.”
“Don’t do that. I wanted to get married at home.”
“Gods dammit, we’re not—” Valx paused and coughed. He hit his chest and cleared his throat. “I’m tired of arguing with you. Why haven’t you gotten tired of me like Roz and Mil?”
A sad expression fell over Lilan’s face. “Because I really love you. Unlike them.”
“Gods, you’re mad. You’re as sick in the head as Reaper.”
Valx heard a whisper and turned as Jocy appeared. The tall, long-haired woman handed two bottles of wine to Lilan.
“It looked like the Westerners raided Wyvern’s wine cellar. Normally, I wouldn’t bring you such low-quality wine, but it’s apparent they took all the good bottles. I’m sure one of those will be worth drinking, Miss Lilan.”
“Thanks, Jocy,” Lilan said. “I’m sure they’ll be fine.”
“I hope you two aren’t planning to drink both of them,” Jocy replied.
“It’s for training,” Lilan said. “This will help Valx let go. Can you bring us quilts and pillows? If I drink a little too much, I know I’ll want to sleep under the stars like I did sometimes back home.”
Jocy nodded and then vanished again.
Lilan took one bottle and held her wrist over it. A line of hardened blood poked from her wrist and into the cork. She pulled the cork out and drank from the bottle. “Try it.”
Valx grabbed the bottle and took a swig. “Not bad.”
“It’s actually rather bland.”
“Well, you don’t need it. It’s to help me achieve metamorphosis, right?”
Lilan used her power to open a second bottle. “Doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy any. I haven’t had anything to drink in months. Might be nice to relax and stargaze.”
Valx gulped down more wine. “No, let’s focus on training. I’m not going to stargaze with you. I mean, the damn walls on both sides of the garden block ninety percent of the sky anyways.”
Jocy reappeared with quilts over her shoulder and pillows under one arm. She laid them on the ground and then looked at Lilan. “Is there anything else you need?”
“No, you can leave us for the night,” Lilan answered.
“But ma’am,” Jocy replied.
“I’ll be fine,” Lilan interrupted. “You can find yourself a pillow and sleep outside the door if you’re worried.”
Jocy nodded and vanished with the sound of a whisper.
Valx took another gulp and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. He felt a lightheadedness wash over him, so he flexed his fingers, sending aether rippling through them. He stared as the power pulsated across his hand. “It does feel like my power is coming to me with little effort. Like it was waiting to get out.”
“See,” Lilan said, taking another sip. “Try to finish that bottle quickly.”
“I probably shouldn’t. I’m not a strong drinker.”
“It’ll help you unlock metamorphosis. I promise.”
Valx looked at the pretty, blonde woman, and she flashed him a smile. He smiled in reply and took another gulp.
Chapter 18
Pyre followed Tachios through the halls of Castle Titanweir. They reached the eastern wing of the castle, which looked almost like a second, smaller castle. They passed several children being herded by two women, and Pyre wondered if the kids were more of his siblings. Several teenagers glared as he walked past, and at least one woman huffed and looked away when he passed.
“Do they hate me or something?” Pyre asked his brother.
“Your mother was a bit of a legend around here,” Tachios replied. “The one woman that Reaper loved over all others. Not to mention, you and Radu are his oldest sons. If you obeyed father and did what he asked, you’d have a strong position to become his heir. Especially considering you have metamorphosis.”
“I could become a lord?” Pyre smiled at the thought.
“You’d have a lot of challenges ahead of you, however. The other lords wouldn’t like that you’re an outsider. Reaper’s other wives would argue that you don’t deserve it since you were born out of wedlock. Our brothers and sisters would make it even more difficult for you. Some of them are a bit unhinged, so I wouldn’t put an assassination attempt past them.”
“Gods, forget it. Being a lord would probably be boring anyways.”
A boy about thirteen watched Pyre approaching. He looked surprised and then smiled. “Are you Pyre?”
“I am,” Pyre said.
“You’re the one that throws fire?” the boy asked.
“Yep,” Pyre said, grinning as he walked past. He looked at Tachios. “You made it sound like they’d all hate me.”
“A few will,” Tachios said. “However, some of them respect you and Radu. Not just because you’re the oldest, but also you lived outside of father’s shadow. You made it on your own as thieves while the rest of us lived relatively easy lives. You survived Eldsworth’s arena, and Radu became a king all on his own. It’s made you two legends like your mother.”
“And where’s your mother?” Pyre asked.
“Either in bed or the assembly chambers. She has a very important position.”
“And what’s that?”
“The citizens call her the Eyes of Varsith. She uses her power to observe the city.”
“Does she see auras like you?”
“No, her power works differently. She can close her eyes and scan the city, but she’s trained herself to enter a trance that lets her view the entire city at once. If she’s awake, she’s probably watching us now.”
“Oh,” Pyre said, waving in case she could see him. “Hello there.”
“She can’t hear you. Although, she’s practiced reading lips, but she can only pick up simple sentences and only when they’re enunciated clearly.”
“Hel-lo-there.”
“Just don’t think about it. The citizens of Varsith have grown accustomed to her ever-watching eyes, and so shall you.”
“What if—” Pyre paused and scratched the back of his neck. “What if I’m in bed with a woman? She won’t watch, will she? Actually, that might be kind of exciting.”
“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that,” Tachios said with a sigh. “Anyways, the lounge area is ahead. I can see Aque’s aura there.”
“What’s her aura look like?”
“Lavender and wispy. I can practically smell the aroma rolling off her.”
“She does smell really good, but her paralyzing breath is not something I want to go through again. Better than Cyril sucking me dry I suppose.”
Tachios blinked his glassy eyes at Pyre. “Brother, you’ve lived an interesting life.”
“You see these scars?” Pyre raised his sleeve, revealing zigzag lines on his arm. “I stuck my arm down a dragon’s throat and exploded its gas sack.”
“You—you do remember I blind, right?”
Pyre pulled down his sleeve. “Oh, yeah.”
They stepped into an open room where several women, teenagers, and children sat around an indoor pool with an open ceiling that allowed light to shine down. Musicians played beside the water, and a group of entertainers kept the smaller children distracted while their mothers relaxed. Servants brought around trays of food, and they brought wine to the women and teenagers.
When Pyre stepped into the lounge, everyone stopped their conversations and looked at him.
“Oh gods, this is awkward,” the t
hief mumbled. He coughed and tried to raise his voice. “Hello, everyone. I’m Wild Pyre, one of the Twin Thieves. I’m sure half of you hate me for stupid reasons I don’t care anything about, and I have no doubt half of you adore me and my great accomplishments. I’m not here to cause any problems or shake up your squabbles over who gets to be Reaper’s least hated child. As soon as the peace summit is done, I’ll be gone.”
“Pyre!” a familiar voice called. Aque stood from a chair at the side of the pool. In her arms, she held a sleeping infant.
“Aque!” Pyre shouted, walking toward her. As he approached, his eyes fell on the several-month-old infant. “Oh.”
“Yeah,” she replied.
Pyre gaped at her. “So, I’m not actually Pyre. I’m his twin brother. Pyre is—dead. Yeah, he died.”
They both looked at each other for a moment and then laughed nervously.
“Oh, that’s too bad,” Aque said, sarcastically. “Guess he won’t get to meet his son.”
“Gods be damned,” Pyre said, trying to comprehend the situation. “I have a son. What’s his name?”
“Jace.”
“Does Reaper know it’s mine? Tachios didn’t even know.”
“I didn’t tell him, but I think he guessed it. He made it a point to allow me to stay here with the child and told me you’d likely be brought here sooner or later. If you survived Eldsworth’s arena anyways.”
“Well, here I am. So, what does this mean?”
“What do you mean?”
“Do I need to help you raise him? Is Reaper going to try to make us get married?”
“You don’t have to do anything. Reaper says I can raise Jace here. You can stay if you want. Or you can visit from time to time. Or even disappear if you’d like.”
“You think I’d do that?”
“Neither of us wants to get married,” Aque said. “You know that, Pyre. I didn’t even want a child. It just happened. I don’t expect anything from you. You can stay or go if you’d like.”
Pyre’s amber eyes remained fixated on his son. “I need time to think about this. I’m supposed to go back with my brother, but now, I don’t know.”
“I didn’t think you’d be the type to get attached to your children,” Aque said. “Figured a handsome thief like you had a kid in every major city.”
“I might,” he replied. “But it’s different now that I’ve seen him up close. He’s got my face, I think.”
“He’s got my hazel eyes,” she told him.
The child squirmed in her arms but remained asleep, and Pyre’s eyes widened. “I need to go. I mean—I might stay, but I need to leave right now. I need to process this.”
“It’s fine,” Aque said, smirking. “I spend most my time here if you want to see Jace. Although, sometimes I let the servants watch him, so I can walk around the courtyard.”
“Alright,” Pyre said, stepping away. He kept his eyes on his son as he moved across the lounge, almost running into a servant.
Tachios followed Pyre into the hallway. “You okay?”
“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. Everything’s fine. I’m a thief, brother. You think I’d get shaken up so easily? You think I’m panicking? I’m fine. Everything’s okay.”
“Take a breath, brother.”
“You take a damn breath. I’m breathing just fine. My master trained me to control my breathing. I kept my breath steady for thirty minutes while hiding under a rich merchant’s bed while he fucked a maiden while his armed guards waited outside—and then the maids cleaned the gods-damned room with me still hiding there. I’m the absolute master of breathing. Don’t tell me how to breathe, Radu—I mean, Tachios.”
“Your aura looks erratic. That tells me a lot about your mental state right now.”
“I can’t wait for you to meet Radu, so you can both talk about my mental state for hours,” Pyre replied, sarcastically.
“Oh, look. I see a new string connecting you to your son. It’s quite visible. You’re already a better father than Reaper by my standards. He has many strings, but they’re difficult to see at times.”
Pyre sank against the stone wall. “I can’t leave my son. I can’t be like Reaper. No wonder he didn’t react to me punching him. That clever bastard must’ve known that I cared too much about family to abandon my son like he did.”
“Honestly, I’m a little jealous that you punched him and got away with it.”
“You should try it. It felt pretty good to punch a Northern lord in the face.”
“No, I’m sure he was only giving you a pass because of your mother. You shouldn’t try it again.”
“I wasn’t planning on it. Just needed to get the anger out of me. Now I got new feelings I need to lose. What’s there to do around here?”
“Swimming. There’re multiple pools inside and behind the castle. We could visit the dragon stables. You could walk around and meet people. There’re plenty of friends and enemies alike you could make in Castle Titanweir. It would be beneficial for you to make friends. You might even find some leverage for your brother to use at the peace summit.”
“Should you really be giving me advice like that? Reaper wouldn’t like it.”
“To hell with him.”
Pyre gaped at his brother. “You’re growing on me, Tachy.”
Tachios smirked. “That’s only because you’re a corrupting influence. I hope you leave with Radu before you get me into trouble.”
“So, who can I make friends with around here? Any beautiful ladies—ones that aren’t married to Reaper?”
“Should you be trying to meet women when you have a son here?”
“Aque wouldn’t care. We’re not married or anything.”
“I’d suggest looking for women in Varsith. They’d go mad over you if you told them you’re one of Reaper’s sons.”
Pyre’s eyes lit with excitement. “Oh, really?”
“But be warned, they’ll do anything to get pregnant with your child, so they can live in the castle.”
“Forget it then. Maybe I’ll avoid women for a while. At least until I’ve decided if I’m staying or not.”
“That’d be for the best. If you’re looking for non-romantic friends in this castle, the best place to start would be Duke Yarlow. Like you, he’s a Westerner that’s trapped here until the peace summit.”
“That might not be a good idea.”
“Why? You sleep with his mistress or something?”
“I stole his favorite painting.”
“Well, this is your chance to apologize,” Tachios said, leading Pyre down the hall.
They returned to the great hall and then continued through another long passage. Pyre continued to eye the decorations of the lavish castle. “Our father really likes all this fancy shit.”
“His wives asked for most of the decorations. Except for the suits of armor that you see everywhere. He loves suits of armor.”
“Because he can take their swords and throw them through the air?”
“You know, I never really thought of that, but it doesn’t surprise me. He plans for everything.”
They turned to a large dining room lined with guards. At the table sat Duke Yarlow as he feasted and drank wine. Yarlow paused and looked at the brothers as they entered. “Oh, it’s the blind one,” Yarlow said, his mouth half-full of food. “Tachios, right? And who’s that? I don’t recognize him.”
“This is Pyre.”
Yarlow stood up, and all the guards in the room put their hands on the hilts of their weapons in response. “Pyre! It’s about time we meet face to face. I was shocked to hear two of Reaper’s sons had been raised in the West.”
“Uh huh,” Pyre muttered, unsure of what else to say.
Yarlow reached out his hand, and the guards point their weapons at him. However, the duke showed no sign of nervousness.
Pyre approached and shook the man’s hand. “Sorry about your painting.”
“Painting?” Yarlow said, confused. “Oh, the Apple of the Gods
. I almost forgot. Boy, don’t worry about that. There’re bigger things happening in the world nowadays. This blasted war with the North, and possibly a bigger threat. Is Reaper being honest about these Feyans?”
“I think so,” Pyre answered.
“Gods, damn it. I hoped it was another scheme of his.”
“You trust my judgment?” Pyre asked. “I could be lying. I am his son after all. And a thief.”
“You might be a thief, but you’re the best kind—a Western thief. Not to mention, I’ve heard all about Radu. He even helped the East take back Eyl’Step. You and Radu are a different sort from the rest of Reaper’s spawn.”
“That’s very nice,” Tachios said, snidely. “Pyre, I have things to attend to now that I’m home. I’ll leave you to explore on your own. Just tell a servant to report to Helmor if you’re leaving the castle. And don’t try to leave Varsith.”
“Alright,” Pyre replied. “See you around, brother.”
Tachios nodded and exited the dining hall.
“You can’t trust that one,” Yarlow said after Tachios left. “Or any of your siblings here. Reaper has them all brainwashed.”
“Tachios might be different,” Pyre told him. “I think he wants to find his own path outside of Reaper’s shadow. The other kids might feel the same. I plan to get to know all of them while I’m here. They can’t all be bad.”
Yarlow sighed. “I know you want to think that because they’re your relatives, but most of those kids are unhinged. It’s terrifying to think they’ll all have powers when they’re grown. Reaper is building his own little army of greatborn.”
“If the Feyans are really going to invade Ter’al, then having our own army of greatborn would be a good thing.”
“Assuming they’re not mental. Isn’t that how the empire of Fey’al fell in the first place? That’s how the legends go anyways. The emperor tried to make an army of brainwashed greatborn, and they brought ruin to Fey’al. Tore it apart from the inside. If those kids don’t have the right influence, then Fey’al could be the least of our worries.”
