“Letheon,” the Queen said.Her smile was warm.“I am sure that after all these months, you can handle a glass.”
Bitch.Riven bowed again.“Your Majesty is most considerate.”
The Queen nodded and surveyed the room, clearly checking the glittering pattern and the five chubby babies.“Ready?”
“Just missing the most important element,” Riven said.“Also, I wish to double check the pattern.”
“Of course,” Satia said.“Avice,” she commanded.
Avice stepped forward to hand Xykeir over.Riven unwrapped the princeling’s swaddling, then went to the very center of the matrix.Xykeir cooed as he was set down, kicking in delight.
Riven retreated from the pattern, minding his feet.
Avice had put the box on the table, set out the scroll, and opened it to the matrix pattern.The bottle of letheon sat there as well.Avice shifted to the side as the Queen moved closer and stared down at the scroll.Satia was clearly comparing the patterns, her gaze flicking back and forth.“It’s perfect,” she breathed, her eyes alight.
Riven stepped close and made a show of doing the same.“Almost,” he said.“I still need a knife.”
“You will have it,” Satia said as she retreated toward the closed door.Avice kept her place.
“Witless,” Riven held out a hand and Witless walked over to him.“Just like we practiced,” Riven reminded him.“Don’t step on the lines; lie down there.”He pointed to the correct spot.
“Don’t touch,” Witless muttered as he stepped into the pattern and stretched out in the largest oval, at Riven’s feet.“Don’t touch,” he whispered again, craning his neck to look at the babies.
“Witless, like we practiced.”Riven said.“Stay still, eyes closed.”
Witless obeyed, nodding and closing his eyes.
Riven checked everything over again, and then looked up through the window at the moon.“We may commence the ritual,” he said, then turned and lifted an eyebrow at the Queen.
Satia nodded to Avice, who reached into the box and pulled out a sheathed blade.
Riven sucked in a breath.
Queen Satia seemed pleased by his reaction.“Another heirloom of my Blood,” she said.“Use it well.”
Avice extended the weapon, the hilt toward his hand, the leather sheath in hers.
Riven didn’t need mage sight to see the darkness within.The handle was bone, creamy whitish-yellow, cool under his fingers.He pulled the weapon from the sheath.
The blade was stone, black and glittering in the light of the fire.
Riven wet his lips.“Is it sharp enough?”he asked, not wanting to test the edge himself.
“It’s always sharp,” Queen Satia replied, her confidence clear.“Positions,” she snapped.Riven noted she remained by the door, well away from the matrix.The Bondmaidens moved, each taking a position outside the circle, arranged at equal distance.
Nora came to stand behind Riven, as the mage took his place at Witless’s feet.For the briefest of movements, their eyes met, and she brushed her hand against his free one, caressing his palm.
Riven didn’t dare look at her.He trembled with power.With possibilities.
He took one last look around.All was ready.
He raised his hands, knife glittering in the light, and started to chant.The words flowed, like ritual music, perfect in tone and cadence.The power he’d hoarded for so many months rose in him, and he sent a shower of sparks to the key locations in the matrix.
Startled breaths came from the women as the sparks settled and the pattern of sand, diamond dust, and gold flakes glittered and glowed before solidifying into bright cords that rose from the floor to hover in mid air.The babes rose with it, floating above the floor.Some giggled, some stared in wonder, one of them drooled on the fist that he had just stuck in his mouth.
Riven wanted one last look at Nora, but he forced himself to concentrate; it wouldn’t do to lose focus on the spell.He poured more power into the design, narrowing the cords, tightening them so that the power started to flow in and around, the entire structure pulsing.
He caught Witless staring, with wide-wondering eyes.He still lay on the ground, the point that tethered the wheeling maze to the earth.
