I took several steps out of the tent … and came to a sharp halt as a female Phoenixian officiate abruptly appeared in front of me, something not wholly on the side of “sane” working behind her eyes.
My gaze narrowed as recognition stirred in my belly.
“Itisyou,” she noted with a smile. “Thought so. I heard whispers earlier about a human Sayer. I figured it could only be you.” She slanted her head. “Do you remember me?”
I nodded. “You once lived in my settlement.” She was among the last candidates that were offered to the Sovereigns. “You used to dig shallow graves all the time, and no one really understood why.”
She shrugged. “It gave me something to do. Anyway, my name’s Khalida, in case you didn’t already know.” Her long, red locks dancing with the gentle breeze, she held out her hand.
I shook it. “Anara.”
“I remember.Everyonein our settlement knew your name. For obvious reasons, you stood out like a femur bone in a stew.”
“That’s …” Yeah, I had nothing.
She released my hand. “I take it you’re heading for the food hall.”
I dipped my chin again.
“We’ll go together.”
I glanced back at the tent. “Don’t you want to say hello to the godkin candidates from our settlement?”
“Hmm, not even a little bit. I was never fond of the godkin there, and they didn’t like me much either.” She immediately started walking, only to slow as two Laelaps approached us. “Hello, Chief. Hey, Zinc.”
Both dogs padded over to me. They did a lot of sniffing and circling and rubbing. Not hinting for attention, I sensed. They were investigating.
“It’s best not to stroke them,” she warned me. “They don’t allow many people to touch them.”
“Got it,” I said, remaining still and relaxed as I waited for them to finish. Exchanging some kind of snort, both dogs eventually trotted off.
“On the subject of Laelaps,” began Khalida as we resumed walking, “they don’t only allow few people to pet them, they allow few into their den. It’s a little barn attached to the stables. I recommend you don’t try to enter. Unless you like being bitten. Do you?”
Surprised she’d feel the need to ask—because yes, it was a genuine question—I frowned. “No.”
“Then yeah, avoid the barn.” Reaching the food hall, she heaved open the door and walked inside.
Following her, I was hit immediately by the scents of stew, garlic, fresh bread, roasting meat, and the smoke coming from the crackling fire.
The hall was as large as it was crowded. There were rows upon rows of long tables, all of which had platters of food in the center. The sounds of talking, laughter, and the scrape of cutlery on pewters filled the air. The flames from the wall-mounted torches danced prettily, casting light over the banner that bore the Black Tapestry’s insignia.
With Khalida in front, we began making our way to a table. People idly peered up, and some did a double-take. I let my gaze skim over each person, being sure to make eye-contact. None smiled or nodded or greeted me. They just stared, openly curious.
Khalida settled on the edge of a bench, so I claimed the seat directly across from her. Unused pewters and cutlery waited, along with empty tankards.
As she began piling food from one of the platters onto her pewter, Khalida said, “So, whatever made you decide to enlist in the Tapestry? And why did the Sovereigns allow it?”
“They didn’t allow it, they insisted on it.” I sniffed the jug I’d picked up.Mead.“Basically, they’re curious to see how I perform, though they doubt I’ll stick it out.” I poured the liquid into my tankard. “While I generally wouldn’tchooseto enlist in the Order, it beats them using me as a test subject to work out why the primordials chose to anoint me.” I set down the jug.
She shoved a forkful of roast chicken into her mouth. “It beats basic servitude as well.Andbeing lunch for a minotaur. He was a man until Minos cursed him. If anyone knows who exactly he is, they aren’t saying.”
I did a slow blink. “Huh.” I’d thought that the minotaur was a creation of the gods. “I can’t say it’s at all comforting to know that the half-bloods are capable of inflicting such curses.”
Khalida shot me a look of understanding. “I know, right? A great thing about being part of the Order is that we aren’t under their direct watch the way the other residents are. They trust Talon to oversee us and deal with any in-Order issues.
“Honestly, you’d like being an officiate. Until I joined, I never felt like my life had any real meaning. Never felt part of anything. There’s a sense of belonging here. We take care of our own. We respect, accept, and are loyal to each other. In that sense, the Order is like one huge family. It’s such a simple, normal thing to be thankful for, but normal is underrated.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way. But I watched the officiates who escorted me to Deimosveryclosely. And I can’t say that I looked at any of them and thought, ‘Hmm, they’re normal.’”
