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“They will offer to return him to his father in exchange for a treaty. They want guarantees that the Orders will not take a side in the struggle for the throne or in any way attempt to weaken Tenebra’s sovereignty.”
Uncle Arygros sat back in his chair, a faint smile on his lips. “Orthros has a treaty with Tenebra, and Cordium shall be forbidden to interfere. We have lived long enough to see a new age.”
Cassia did not want to dim the elder diplomat’s good spirits. But the Collector’s threats whispered in her mind, wearing away at her hopes.
Had they really furthered his plan without realizing it? Was all of this really just another twist in his game, another move toward his inevitable victory?
Cassia shook her head. “What about Skleros?”
Apollon rumbled, “The Gift Collector escaped through the portal before I could call him to account.”
Worry furrowed Komnena’s brow. “The embassy remembers when Skleros entered the hall and when he fled, but nothing in between.”
A chill skittered over Cassia. “They don’t even know the Collector was ever here.”
“No,” Lio said tightly.
“They blame Skleros and, by extension, the Order of Hypnos for what took place,” Uncle Argyros explained. “They recognize that the Gift Collector acted against the Order of Anthros, as well, but they still hold the Aithourian Circle responsible for involving the Order of Hypnos, which gave Skleros the opportunity to pursue the necromancers’ feud with Hesperines. The whole event has further weakened the Tenebrans’ faith in the Orders—and once more painted Orthros as their saviors.”
“Then we are not planning to correct that assumption either?” Cassia asked.
“That is our recommendation.” Queen Soteira put a hand over her Grace’s.
“Given the nature of Tenebran superstitions,” Komnena put in, “if they had any idea Eudias had been possessed, it would destroy all the trust he worked so hard to earn. He would be, at best, an outcast.”
“At worst, they would cast an exorcism on him.” Queen Soteira looked disgusted. “The spells Tenebrans call exorcism are barbaric and usually fatal.”
“Eudias has been through quite enough,” Komnena agreed.
Lio nodded. “I did not fight the Collector alone. We fought him together. Eudias could have surrendered, but instead he found the Will to turn on the Collector and make a stand.”
“He deserves to be lauded as a hero for all he has done,” Cassia said, “and the Council’s trust in him is essential to the success of the treaty.”
“We’ll do what we must to protect him,” said Lio.
“Do they know what you did for us, Lio?” Cassia demanded.
He half smiled. “Actually, they credit me with the light magic they sensed intertwined with your warding magic. They thanked me for lending my power to your spell and bodily shielding you from harm.”
Cassia’s jaw dropped. “But they know you’re a mind mage.”
“They congratulated me on my clever bluff to get the mages to cooperate.”
“You fought the hardest battle of your life! They should recognize your deeds.”
He rubbed the inside of her wrist. “I am content to be known as your protector.”
She frowned at him. “Are you certain?”
“Yes. Not because of politics. Because it’s true.”
“If you’re sure that’s what you want, I will say nothing.”
His half-smile widened a bit. “Perita and Callen defended my good intentions to the others. It was quite gratifying.”
“The end of the battle is a blur to me…what exactly happened?”
Aunt Lyta’s hand curled into a fist upon the arm of her chair. “What happened should never have been possible.”
