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MORE THAN STONE
Lio stepped to histower, then climbed the front steps to his door on foot. His uncle’s aura within was evident in the way of a mind mage politely disclosing his presence.
As never before, Lio contemplated how much his uncle kept hidden beneath the surface.
As soon as Lio set foot in the entry hall, he found himself drawn in by a coffee aroma unlike any he had ever smelled. It must be a new creation of his uncle’s. If it was a peace offering, it was a spectacular one. If it tasted like it smelled, Lio might never drink another kind of coffee again.
Uncle Argyros waited at Lio’s coffee table with the glass service laid out for them. Two empty tankards sat between them in invitation.
“I’m so glad you’ve come,” Lio said.
“The element of surprise is not on my side, I see.”
“A remarkable night, when a warrior brings two diplomats to the negotiation table, isn’t it?”
“I am fortunate in my son.”
“And I in my cousin and Trial brother.” Lio took a seat across from his uncle.
“I would value your opinion on this new attempt of mine.” Uncle Argyros reached for the coffeepot.
Before he could pour, Lio held up a hand. “I have something to contribute to the occasion. I…didn’t have time to wrap them, but…”
He stowed the empty tankards under the coffee table and took out the pair of new glass coffee cups he had made. He set his uncle’s Winter Solstice gift on the table between them.
Emotion stirred in Uncle Argyros’s aura. “You have continued our tradition, just like every year.”
“Of course.”
The emblematic cups sat between them. Every Solstice, Lio designed a new piece for his uncle’s collection of fine coffeeware. Each time, Lio crafted two so they could celebrate together. This year, it had taken hours of painstaking glassblowing to cajole the multicolored glass into an intricate pattern that resembled thorns. Lio watched the colors change as dark coffee filled the vessels, then as pale cream swirled within the glasses.
“This new drink is a gift for a young person,” Uncle Argyros said, “the next one I intend to invite into diplomatic service to Orthros.”
“A generous gift for a new student, to be sure.” Lio’s hopes faltered. His uncle had been scouting for…his replacement?
He tried not to appear reluctant as he lifted his cup. The coffee was a thick, auburn brew, heavy with cream and frothy on top, an uncharacteristic way for Uncle Argyros to craft his drinks. Lio could not deny the aroma enticed him, so familiar, yet new and strange at the same time. Not for the first time, he wondered how much magic Uncle Argyros put into his craft.
Lio obliged his uncle and took a taste. His mouth filled with an echo of a flavor he knew better than any other, and in the steam curling around his face, he recognized a tribute to the fragrance that had changed his life. “Cassia.”
“It would not do to merely dust her namesake across the top. It was necessary to roast and blend beans that would suit her, brew them extraordinarily strong, and make cassia, sugar, and cream an integral part of the final beverage.”
“You envision a future for Cassia in diplomatic service.”
“I will count myself fortunate if I snatch her talent before she commits herself elsewhere. You two must have the opportunity to continue such a stellar partnership. Do you think she will accept my offer?”
Lio set down his cup. “She has other plans.”
“Then I am too late.”
Grief settled over the Union, heavy as Orthros itself.
“No,” Lio said. “I cannot bear this any longer. I love you, Uncle. Regardless of all that I have done, I want you to know that. I know it seems I haven’t shown it. But it has never changed.”
“Lio!” Uncle Argyros sounded surprised.
Lio made himself look at him.
There were tears in his eyes. “I am so proud of you.”
