Be sure to address Genevolet simply as raptor king. Don’t include any superfluous adjectives, Armiele reminded me for at least the fifth time as she slipped on my burgundy and gold helmet. Bow your head, but only slightly. You are his equal, and need to present that image at all times.
I gently patted her arm with my gloved hand. Being a young and inexperienced queen with only vague knowledge of the centuries of history our alliance spanned already had me at a tremendous disadvantage in our negotiations. Coming across as timid or insecure would undermine whatever credibility I might be granted based on my title alone. I’ll remember, Avia. I love you.
Her sun-kissed, red and yellow ombre lips curled downward into a frown as she pressed her hand flat against my cheek. I love you too, Neptem. Please be safe. I ask the gods to watch over you each day in my prayers.
Hearing her call me her granddaughter again in Latin had me leaning in for another tight hug. My armor had to be crushing her but she didn’t complain. She was reluctant to let me go. With a final pat on my back we separated and I followed Aristos out the door.
All four members of my royal guard were waiting for us next to the granite statue of Aristos and Pulchra, in front of the igloo-shaped stone fortress I now called home, decked out in their heavily engraved armor. After they all bowed in greeting we assumed our usual formation, with Aristos on point, Commander Sennika swimming next to me, and Kilas, Fryliwan and Vanimure taking up positions on our flanks and behind us. The first three thirty-foot stone watch towers we passed contained four guards rather than the typical two, with teams of soldiers conducting perimeter sweeps far beyond the reach of the lighthouse-sized phosphorous lamps. It appeared the entire place was on high alert.
When we reached the edge of our hunting grounds—the four mile band of coral reefs and open sea that stood between the residential area and the center of Halon’s Gate—Aristos stopped only briefly to check in with the guards and get input on any recent cutterfish activity we should be concerned about. There hadn’t been any sightings since two Syreni males had been killed hauling their nets of tiger fish into town to be processed. I’d heard about the attack when I returned from Mt. Olympus and had offered my condolences to their grief stricken compars, granting them a weekly allowance from the royal treasury to offset their loss of income. Given how inaccessible I’d been, they seemed more taken aback by my willingness to meet with them in their homes without any servants or guards present than they were by my promise of gold and silver coins to keep them fed. Once they could see I truly cared to hear about their loved ones, and wasn’t just checking a task off my to-do-list, they opened up to me, sharing stories about how they met their compars, their bonding ceremonies, their children, the occupations they’d held over the decades, even suggestions for my honeymoon with Aristos. I’d learned more about the Syreni people I served in those two hours than I had the entire time I’d been queen. It was a sobering experience. Aristos and I made a commitment that evening to visit at least ten families a week, and to hold elaborate galas for all of Halon’s Gate at least twice a year. Eventually we’d make the rounds to the rest of the regions as well.
Swimming in full battle armor was exhausting. The gear added at least thirty pounds to my frame, and the chain mail sheath—which stretched all the way to my flukes—made every stroke of my tail feel like I was pushing through thick sand rather than water. By the time we climbed to the top of the mountain of orange coral reef that separated the housing clusters from the hunting grounds my heart felt like it was going to explode out of my chest. Aristos took mercy on me and slowed our pace once we crested the ridge.
The shallow, tropical waters above the orange, red and purple reefs were teeming with wildlife. Some of the creatures were common enough on earth: giant sea turtles, sting rays, jelly fish and sharks. Others were as alien to me as the griffins. I saw what appeared to be an alligator head on a sailfish body, some kind of tuna with heads at both ends, and two-foot long sea snakes that ate their prey by swimming down their throats and burrowing out of their stomachs like the freaky ass baby in Alien. Commander Sennika’s assurances that Syreni weren’t on their menu didn’t keep me from swimming with one hand covering my mouth and the other gripping my dagger as we descended down into the coral forests that lined the fertile ocean valley.
The schools of salmon-sized tiger fish grew so thick that we were each able to snag one with our bare hands even weighed down with our armor. Getting me to bite into its side took a bit of coaxing from Sennika, but once I’d severed its spine and peeled back the skin with my dagger the flakey red meat underneath tasted just as good as it did served inside tiger fish rolls. Ever since I’d been transformed into a Syreni female I’d been treated to prepared meals served on fancy trays in the comfort of my home. Underneath all my jewels, my titles and my exotic body markings I was a predator. Hunting for my own food felt far more natural.
After crossing over the last of the reefs we headed back toward the sea floor, sinking into the inky depths thousands of feet beneath the surface. Instead of continuing east when we reached the bottom, as we would to head into Halon’s Gate, we turned north, swimming parallel to the reef we’d just crossed. There wasn’t much in the way of scenery at this depth to distract myself with. Even the coral was devoid of life. And with the arduous swim, no one seemed to be particularly chatty. I figured I might as well use my goddess sight to try to do some reconnaissance while I mindlessly followed along behind Aristos. I’d never attempted to reach out as far as the polar ice sheets before. I’d never had a reason to, or a target to focus on to allow my brain to isolate that particular stream of visual input from the thousands of others that constantly streamed into my head. Hopefully the somewhat vague physical description I’d been given of the raptor king would be enough for me to go on. If so I’d at least be able to provide an update on Genevolet’s preparations. I might even get some sense of where they were, although given that they’d be surrounded by an endless sheet of ice, I doubted I’d catch any significant landmarks to help pin down their location.
The moment I searched for a large bird with a black feathered body, crimson wings, white plumage beneath its beak and grey talons, flying over or standing on a sheet of ice, a crystal clear image came into view. Unlike the vision I’d had, which completely took over my reality, the images from my goddess sight were presented more like picture-in-picture. I could still see Aristos’s emerald tail a few feet in front of me and keep pace with him even as my attention shifted to the ice sheet far north of us.
Genevolet was accompanied by four other raptors that looked almost identical to him except for the color of the plumage along their necks, which was dull grey rather than sparkling white. They’d finished carving the hole through the thick sheet of ice with their giant beaks and were busy weaving the last of the branches they’d carried with them into the gigantic nest they’d constructed. The top of the ice inside the nest was covered in a thick layer of field grass. It looked almost cozy if I ignored the ice on their feathers, and the visible puffs of crystallized breath whenever they exhaled. Unlike griffins, raptors didn’t have the ability to use weapons, as they lacked front legs with the required dexterity to wield them. Not that they needed spears when they had talons large enough to impale a cow, and mile long, razor sharp beaks that would have looked right at home on a pterodactyl.
The raptor king wasn’t just sitting back issuing orders. He cleared the largest chunks of ice from the nest himself and lifted the heaviest, most unwieldy branches into place to form the frame of the roof. Once he was satisfied the shelter would provide adequate protection from the icy wind, he climbed inside and began pulling out short black feathers from his under-fur, adding them to the thin layer of grass to give me a more comfortable place to rest. Genevolet clearly intended to meet with me alone. There wasn’t room for anyone else. Even with just the two of us inside he’d be crouched awkwardly over-top of me. Seeing the other four raptors take to the skies to assume sentry positions
high above confirmed what I was thinking. Either General Lanipas had purposefully ignored the very specific instructions from the king for arranging the meeting—which, given the ongoing animosity between our regions, and what they stood to gain if the negations failed and I was killed giving birth, wasn’t out of the realm of possibility—or Genevolet had chosen not to abide by them. Either way, we had no choice but to adapt our plan. Backing out would almost certainly cost us their support. It could even damage our centuries-old alliance. I’d lose all credibility as queen even if King Celandor managed to repair the damage I’d done by meeting with Genevolet afterward.
Somehow I doubted Aristos would see it that way. Convincing my compar to ignore every natural instinct he had and allow me to meet with Genevolet alone was going to take one hell of a sales job on my part. They’re ready for us. There’s no sign of griffins from what I can see. Genevolet has sentries patrolling the skies so we should be good. The nest is a lot thicker than I thought it would be. It looks like a giant beaver dam. Good thing, since I’d guess it’s about fifty below based on the way their feathers are icing up. It’s going to be a snug fit for the two of us but it should be comfortable enough. Genevolet even pulled out some of his feathers to pad the ice for me. That’s gotta be a good sign, right?
My misleading, omission filled report brought Aristos to such an abrupt halt I had to veer off to the right just to keep from running into him. When I circled back, he placed his gauntlet-covered hands on the armor above my shoulders, taking in my averted gaze, my lowered chin and my overall sheepish demeanor. Don’t ever gamble, my love. I hardly need our spirit bond to sense you’re attempting to deceive me. Your guilt-ridden face hides nothing. Just so we’re clear, under no circumstances—short of the gods themselves appearing before me and commanding I comply—would you be allowed to meet with Genevolet alone. Although I am quite interested to hear what led you to propose such a ludicrous idea.
My courage in the face of adversity was one of the things that had first attracted Aristos to me. He was a warrior who respected honor, bravery, and determination. The way to reason with him wasn’t though petty schemes. I held my chin high and meet his unyielding gaze with an equally resolute glare of my own. Don’t forget you are addressing the queen of the Syreni, my prince. I don’t take kindly to being issued ultimatums, even ones born out of love and concern for my wellbeing. And while I value your council, I have no choice but to meet with Genevolet alone. I wasn’t lying about the size of the nest. Even with just the two of us he’ll practically be laying on top of me. He sent his warriors to stand guard at a distance and clearly expects me to do the same. Refusing to meet after they invested so much effort in preparing the site would not only be a diplomatic disaster that could undermine my authority as queen, it would almost certainly cost us the raptors support for our new birthing strategy, which could get Vanessa killed. Unless you’re willing to raise your sword to me—or instruct my guard to betray their queen—I will be meeting with Genevolet as planned.
He captured my reluctant lips in a tender kiss that soon had me melting into him in spite of myself. His lean, muscled physique, alluring dark eyes, firm chin and all around gorgeously handsome face was hard to resist even right after we woke, when his breath stunk to high heaven of uncooked fish and his storm grey hair was hanging half out of its braid in a tangled mess. Decked out in his golden armor he was a god. I could no more resist his touch than I could cheat death and become immortal. How I’d ever win an argument with the Syreni prince who’d stolen my heart was beyond me. Have I ever told you how sexy you are when you’re angry?
I’m serious, Ris, I said, halfheartedly trying to push him away even as my lips quivered in anticipation.
With his arms looped around my waist it was like trying to push back against a mountain. He kissed me again, the embrace more forceful. Demanding. After tracing my lower lip, his tongue slipped inside my mouth and danced alongside mine, the electrical currents arching between racing straight to my rapidly overheating core. When he finally pulled away, his haughty smirk was almost enough to make me slap the arrogant bastard. I can see you’re serious, Cami. I could point out that all I’d have to do to ensure the meeting does not occur is refuse to lead you to the rendezvous site, but as stubborn as you are, you’d probably wander around beneath the ice until you were frozen solid just to spite me. I wish I could counter any of the salient points you raised. Gods help me, I can’t. I agree we need to go through with the meeting.
After thanking him with a lustful kiss far more suited for our private chambers than in front of my royal guard, I shot him a devilish grin of my own. I wouldn’t freeze to death, my love. Turns out my goddess sight has some kind of built-in GPS that tells me exactly where the scene is I’m looking at in relation to my own position. We’ve still got just over fourteen miles to go.
Commander Sennika gave Aristos a series of pats on the shoulder as we all shared a laugh together. Better to let our queen take point and guide us the rest of the way as a magnanimous gesture on your part rather than continue to plot our course yourself and end up admitting your calculations were over a mile off. I don’t believe she’d ever let you hear the end of it.
Perhaps there’s a rudimentary marine navigation class starting up soon at the Palace of Poseidon, I piled on, unable to resist such a rare opportunity to poke fun at my compar for being less than perfect at pretty much anything he did. Maybe you and Serienne could take it together so she could help with the homework.
If you two are done with your stand-up comic routine we might want to get moving. Genevolet isn’t going to wait forever.
He was just being grouchy. We weren’t actually due to meet with the raptor king for almost an hour, which would give us plenty of time barring any unforeseen setbacks. Genevolet had allotted far more time to dig through the ice and construct the nest than they’d ended up needing. Not that I’d leave him sitting in the freezing arctic wind any longer than necessary. I sent Aristos a private message—at least I hoped it was private, I was still trying to master the finer points of telepathic communication—promising to make up for my teasing when we returned home by letting him make love to me in my armor. His mood brightened considerably as he ushered Sennika and I forward, falling in next to me on my right.
Swimming full-out in battle armor over such a great distance was taxing for all of us. The chain mail sheath made it even worse for me, both due to the added weight and the way it restricted the movement of my tail. As the water grew colder the amount and variety of marine life diminished, due more to the lack of plankton and other microorganisms at the bottom of the food chain than the temperature. The few remaining fish, sharks, and other less familiar creatures disappeared a couple miles after we passed beneath the ice sheet. The dark, barren water sent a shiver down my spine. It felt like we’d crossed over into a post-apocalyptic world after some super-virus had wiped everything out. On the bright side, it meant we had no reason to fear being attacked by cutterfish, so the remainder of the swim was at least safe if not very interesting.
Whatever navigational sense my goddess sight provided was unerringly precise. I never once questioned the direction we needed to travel or the remaining distance. Eventually my unwavering confidence convinced the others they could quit trying to covertly take their own bearings to check our progress and ensure I wasn’t leading us in circles. We climbed higher as we neared our destination until we were swimming only a few feet beneath the ice.
Just before we reached the jagged opening Aristos took me aside and reiterated all of the key points of our plan along with the critical terms I needed to negotiate. We both knew I’d memorized the information long before we’d left. The delay allowed Aristos to comfort me while I attempted to steady my nerves. Contemplating the impact the negotiations could have on the entire Syreni race was too overwhelming. Instead I focused only on our beautiful daughter growing inside me. I would not fail her. I’d do battle with the gods to protect my little Vanessa.
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br /> Before I surfaced I made sure Genevolet was crouched far enough away from the hole for me to avoid plowing into him. Judging the speed of my ascent was critical, as I had to clear almost three feet of ice without hitting the low hanging branches that formed the roof or crashing through the back of the nest. While my entrance wasn’t flawless—I heard a few branches snap as I slid into them—I managed to come to rest on top of his feathers and look at least marginally graceful while doing it.
Even with his ice-crusted crimson wings folded behind him on his back Genevolet was enormous. The clawed grey talons supporting his weight were each as wide as my tail flukes. His hooked crimson beak stretched at least two feet, the bold color adding a sharp contrast to the snow white feathers covering his head and neck and his large golden eyes. When he bowed, his jet black cougar-sized body loomed ominously over me. Quite an entrance, Queen Camithia. Even more impressive than the acrobatic display is that you agreed to meet with me alone—in spite of the terms your king had negotiated—and you somehow managed to convince your overprotective compar prince to let you. Perhaps your fabled reputation is not entirely undeserved.
I ignored the backhanded compliment, bowing my head slightly as Armiele had instructed. While our raptor allies relied on telepathy to communicate their thoughts—their mouthparts and vocal chords weren’t suited to form complex words—that didn’t prohibit me from talking out loud, making use for the first time of the fanashial flap between my shoulder blades, which allowed me to draw in air to pass over my vocal chords and out my mouth. “Raptor King. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me on such short notice and for taking measures to ensure my comfort. I only have a few minutes before I’ll need to return to the ocean, so if you’ll excuse my bluntness, I’d like to explain our new birthing strategy and the role we are hoping you’ll agree to play in it.”
Kerrigan's Race (The Syreni Book 1) Page 29
