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She halted in her tracks. She stood at Hespera’s back with the whole harbor spread out below her. The statue of the goddess rose high, black and sparkling with shining white flecks like the night sky beyond, holding the great spell light of the harbor beacon in her uplifted hands. The cold, salty air brought tears to Cassia’s eyes.
She had made the most basic of foolish mistakes. She had let herself get her hopes up. But she could not blame herself for that either, even if Lio had never said anything about forever. Hesperines breathed hope, and the mortals around them could do naught but take it in and let it fill their lungs.
The thought of giving up that hope left Cassia breathless.
She wanted more…she wantedeverything.Orthros. Eternity.
She did. She wanted that. Life this sweet, forever.
She wanted to become a Hesperine.
The realization came to her like the Harbor Light, the first time she had seen it emerge from the darkness. She could have that. Even if she lost Lio.
The Queens themselves had said the doors of Orthros were open to her. They had told her she was as one of their own. If she asked for the Gift, surely no one would deny her. After everything Cassia had done for the Hesperines, she had earned her place here. She had already made these people hers. They would welcome her as theirs.
She did not know how she could bear an eternity in which Lio was at Xandra’s side. But Cassia would have eternity. Freedom from Tenebra. A way to serve her new people—her own garden, perhaps.
She would have the Gift. Magic. In her very own veins. Surely that would make her strong enough to bear anything. She would be powerful enough in her own right to make her own joy.
There was no doubt in her mind. This was the future she would fight for. However long or short her future with Lio proved to be, she would see to it she hadherfuture.
She must now use the Summit to wrestle everyone into position, so she could send them home into the plot she had prepared for her key players. She had made sure her contingency plan was in place in Tenebra before she had departed. She had made that plan in case she lost her life. Little had she known it would save her life.
She wasn’t fighting against death anymore. She was fighting for life—the future she wanted here in Orthros.
Cassia’s new resolve gave her the strength to turn around and go back inside. Knight nuzzled her hand, as if in question.
“Dockk, my friend. All will yet be well. It will not be easy. But in the end, all shall be well.”
TRIAL SISTERS
Cassia returned to herroom to hear knuckles tapping on the courtyard door, as if they had been at it for a while already. She faced the door the way she faced everything. She marched to it and pulled back the curtains to do what she had to do.
But it wasn’t Lio waiting for her on the other side of the glass. The princess’s friends had come to see Cassia. Eudokia gave a wave, and Menodora smiled.
It seemed Cassia must find the strength to be a good guest a little longer tonight. She opened the door.
Eudokia stuck out a hand. “Let’s do away with formalities. I’m Kia.”
Cassia gave her the expected wrist clasp. “You are Lio’s Trial sisters.”
“Well,” Eudokia said, “at least he told you aboutus.”
Menodora clasped Cassia’s wrist in turn. “I’m Nodora. Lio has met with a delay, so we took the opportunity to come meet you properly. Allow me to offer my compliments on your first game of Prince and Diplomat. That was spectacular for a player of any level of experience, especially a beginner.”
Eudokia smirked. “I’m not surprised. You managed to impress my mother. Prince and Diplomat is easy by comparison.” Her smile disappeared. “Don’t tell me Lio didn’t mention Hypatia is my mother.”
“I was unaware of your blood name until tonight.”
“Well, let us clear that up right away. I am the youngest daughter of the most brilliant and most trenchant elder known to Hesperine kind. I wish I’d been at the circle when you arrived. I would love to have seen you make her eat her words.”
Well, perhaps Eudokia was not such a partisan of her mother’s and Konstantina’s after all. Uncertain whether to offer sympathies or gratitude, Cassia settled for a safe answer. “Thank you.” Before they could bring up anything to do with the princess’s party, Cassia turned to Menodora and struck up polite conversation. “You are from the western Empire originally, you said?”
Menodora shook her head. “A place farther west than that, actually. The Archipelagos, where the Honorable Families’ fleets rule the waters.”
There was yet another land beyond the Empire? Cassia was more ignorant than she had imagined. “Please forgive my mistake.”
“Not to worry. There are only two fleeters in Orthros, and none at all in Tenebra or Cordium, so how would you know? The Families don’t even care to deal with the Empire much.” Menodora waved a hand. “But we didn’t come here to talk about me.”
