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“How long will it take your jaw to recover?” she asked.
“It’s nearly back to normal already.”
Her relief felt like a flame settling into embers. But her regret still burned. She was all fire, inside and out. Now that he finally had this opportunity to become acquainted with her in the Blood Union, his first impression was that it was not easy being Solia.
Lio said, “When Mak told me you hadn’t left yet, I was glad to hear it.”
“Thank you for being willing to see me.”
“It would be rather inconsistent of me to not wish to see you, after Cassia and I went to some effort to find you.”
“What happened tonight was no way to repay you.” Solia stood and squared her shoulders. “Dealing you such an injury was completely unacceptable. I’m sorry, Lio.”
“You needn’t apologize for the blow, when it wasn’t your fault.”
She looked away. “Many men are willing to fight and win for the woman they want. But few are willing to lose. Tendo is one of those few. And so are you.”
The words took him completely aback. Not only because she finally said Tendo’s name aloud, but because she deemed Lio worthy of such a comparison. He would never regret taking a magefire blow to the face to hear this. “I am honored.”
“Cassia told me about her dependency on your magic,” Solia said. “The healers assure me it isn’t doing you any harm, for which I’m thankful. But somehow, if it were hurting you, I think you would still do it for her.”
“Of course I would.”
“Thalia never told me it could harm Cassia if she waited too long to awaken her magic. Hers came without delay, so I suspect she didn’t know about the danger.”
“Cassia’s magic is such a mystery. How could any of us have guessed?”
“If only I’d known…” Solia’s anger heated the air around her. “All these months at the Empress’s beck and call, waiting for her permission to return to Tenebra. And the entire time, Cassia was…” Solia seemed unable to say the word. Lio didn’t want to hear it aloud, either. “And then she had to find out alone. While I was too occupied throwing my fists at you to be here holding her hand.”
Lio dared to reach out. When Solia didn’t draw back, he put a hand over hers. The same one that had punched him, he supposed. “I will keep Cassia safe and well. I swear to you. She will lack for nothing, and I will get her to the letting site.”
Solia picked up one of the scrolls. “I know from my friendship with Karege that Hesperines apologize with gifts. I want you to have this.”
She held the document out to him. It was simple, but beautiful, with wooden scroll ends engraved with flowers. When he unrolled the fine Imperial paper, he found the text written in Vulgus.
His mouth dropped open. “This is Thalia’s information on the letting sites. She wrote it down?”
Solia shook her head. “She didn’t feel safe committing it to paper. She made me her record and charged me with preserving her wisdom in my memory. But while I was in the Empire, despite her wishes, I wrote down all her teachings for Cassia.”
Lio lifted his gaze. “In case anything happened to you.”
“Every soldier must be prepared. Karege kept this for me for years. I thought if there was any chance of getting it to Cassia in Tenebra someday, a Hesperine might find a way.” Solia cleared her throat. “But the Hesperine who should have this is you.”
He could scarcely believe what he was holding. The legacy of Cassia’s matriarchs, perhaps the only written record of any Silvicultrix. Meticulously preserved in Solia’s precise, practical handwriting.
“Thank you for entrusting this to me,” he said.
“It’s in good hands.” Solia picked up the other scroll.
Lio realized with surprise that it was one he had written. “You’re reading my initiation treatise?”
“The Reign of Lucis Basileus, King of Tenebra, and its Implications for Hesperine Diplomacy,” she read aloud. “Argyros tells me this is the most advanced and insightful analysis of the king available today.”
“You and Cassia know more about him than I ever will.”
Solia shook her head. “But we lack your perspective. We are too close.” She tapped the scroll against her palm. “Are you willing to continue with the labors? Not because I am trying to punish you.”
“I never thought you were punishing me,” he said. “If there had never been any hope of winning your approval, you would have simply shaken me from your sandals like the ashes of your enemies. Instead, you’ve given me an opportunity to prove myself.”
