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“I had intended to seek Hesperine assistance.”
Eudias cleared his throat. “We appreciate your dedication to our safety, Ambassador, but we must all work together to free the hostages. You have here a room full of capable mages and warriors.”
There was a chorus of agreement from all the Tenebrans.
Eudias gave a satisfied nod. “We are more than enough to keep Master Skleros from doing any harm while you employ your affinity.”
“This will be a proud night,” Lio said, “when we work together against a rogue necromancer who has brought great harm upon all of us.”
Cassia blinked hard. Lio would be protected. Eudias and the Tenebrans were rallying in defense of her Hesperine.
“I would lend my battle wards to the cause,” the Dexion drawled, “but alas, the Guardian of Orthros has shackled me so thoroughly that I cannot hurl fire at a Gift Collector trying to turn her nephew into mincemeat.”
“And yet we find ourselves working together.” Lio offered Chrysanthos his hand. “When I bring Skleros before this gathering, we will also help you find out what he really did to your brother and why. Let it be a demonstration of Orthros’s condolences for your family’s loss.”
“I will not forgive you.” The Dexion turned his back on Lio. “But I will forget, if only for tonight, while I watch you teach the hunter to fear his own prey. I can think of no sweeter vengeance upon Skleros. Bring him here.”
BROTHER GODS
Skleros had fashioned himselfa game of darts from the wrought iron thorns that had decorated the footboard of his guest bed. Lio watched the Gift Collector hurl one broken spike after another into the silk wallpaper. Leisurely, Skleros swung his feet off the dresser and got up from his chair to retrieve his collection of shivs.
“The Dexion has asked to meet with you,” Lio repeated.
Skleros stuck one of the shivs between his lips, where his smoke usually hung. “He must have bartered his bollocks to Hespera for you to permit this.”
“I will be present, as will the entire Tenebran embassy. Neither of you will be able to take advantage of the situation.”
“Huh.”
Lio pointed at the vandalized thorns. “You will not bring those.”
Skleros chuckled and dropped them on the dresser on his way toward the door.
Lio rapped on the door to signal his Trial sisters, then moved aside to let Skleros past him, keeping an arm’s length between himself and the Gift Collector. The door opened, and latent fire and water magic hung heavy in the air. Lio was surprised no sweat beaded on Skleros’s skin as he passed through the cauldron of Hesperine power in the corridor.
Lio saluted his Trial sisters. Kia and Xandra returned the gesture, their auras full of triumph. Nodora emanated wariness and cautioned him through the Union.
Skleros strolled to Rose House in silence as if there were nowhere else he would rather be. Lio did not so much as stir his magic. He must give Skleros no warning about what was to come.
Now that Lio had made up his mind, a surprising calmness had come over him. There was a certain confidence that came from knowing you were past the point of no return.
Lio had just promised to a war mage he would extract a confession out of necromancer.
Lio thought back upon all the twisted paths that had brought him to this point and asked himself if his conscience was satisfied.
He could not see another way to rescue the hostages. He could not see himself shying from a duel with a monster, when it would give Alkaios back his Grace, Mak back his sister, and Ioustin back his hope. Lio could see himself resting easier at night while he watched Cassia sleep, knowing he had not let Skleros live to threaten her again.
Did a carcass so rotten as Skleros even warrant a consultation with the conscience?
Did this man, too, have a nephew somewhere?
All Lio knew was that Skleros’s choices, not his own, had made this duel necessary. Whatever had motivated those choices and however Skleros had felt about them, Lio knew what he must do in response.
His conscience would be satisfied, as long as he broke Skleros because he must, not because he wanted to.
They had made it to the entryway. Lio directed his wrath at the doors of the main hall, and they slammed open. “I will do my best not to enjoy this.”
“Suit yourself.” The Gift Collector cast a smile over his shoulder. “I’m going to enjoy every moment of it.”
