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Lio knew that Tendo and Solia’s hearts would decide their fate. All he and Cassia could do now was sit here in Mak and Lyros’s guest room and wait.
Knight rested his head on Lio’s knee and looked up at him with speaking eyes. Lio’s empathy with animals stopped at the liegehound’s mental defenses against Hesperines, but mundane dog communication was remarkably straightforward. Lio found himself running a hand through Knight’s ruff, as Cassia was wont to do for reassurance.
Lio’s cousin Mak fidgeted in his seat across the coffee table, his muscular frame seeming too big for the pretty chair. “Thorns, I want to know what they’re saying to each other.”
Lyros leaned over and put an affectionate hand on Mak’s knee to still him. “I want to know if they’ve punched each other yet.”
Lio shook his head. “No prying. I’ve put so many veils over that room that no mage or Hesperine in the Imperial city would hear someone scream in there.”
Cassia choked on a laugh. “Well, that’s probably for the best, considering their tempers.”
And their passions, Lio thought. “Some negotiations are best carried out without words. If I were Tendo, I wouldn’t plan to do much talking.”
“That’s a surprisingly sensible comment, coming from a scrollworm like you,” Mak teased.
“This from the warrior who, mere seconds ago, wanted to know what they’re talking about,” Lio returned.
“What can I say?” Mak caught Lyros’s hand and gave his Grace’s knuckles a gallant kiss. “I can be a Hesperine of action and a romantic at the same time.”
Lyros’s eyes narrowed with amusement. “Who said my reference to punching wasn’t romantic?”
“Oh, it was.” Mak’s brown eyes glinted. “It makes me want to drag you into the arena right now.”
“That’s what Solia and Tendo should do.” Lyros nodded sagely. “Fight it out.”
“Always ends in kissing,” Mak agreed.
Goddess bless, Lio was grateful his best friends had requested reassignment from border patrol to bodyguard duty. He and Cassia had barely survived their last journey without Mak and Lyros, and he had sorely missed their company.
Despite their Trial brothers’ levity, Cassia wore a frown as she reshuffled the diplomatic paperwork spread out before them.
Lio put his arm around her. “We’ve accounted for every upheaval that might occur from pairing a presumed-dead foreign princess with a sometimes-mercenary Imperial prince and leaving the dubiously qualified Tenebran king to deal with ancient and deadly necromancers.”
Cassia stared at the pile with pursed lips. “We’d best start planning for the upheavals caused by those upheavals, though.”
Lio pulled her back against the couch. “Perhaps we should spare further efforts until we determine whether the aforementioned princess and prince intend to kiss or kill each other.”
She sighed. “Fair point.”
At last they heard a door slam open. Lio and his Trial brothers winced. Emotions buffeted the Blood Union, inundating their empathic Hesperine awareness. Tendo’s aura emerged from within the veil spells Lio had placed next door. Then came the beat of wings flying away from the palace.
Cassia darted to the window and peered out into the night, her aura pulsing with worry. “He’s leaving!”
Lio had already stepped to the door. “I’ll go after him.”
“I’ll see if Solia is all right,” Cassia replied.
“We’ll be waiting,” Mak promised. “Tendo might need to punch something when he gets back.”
Lyros nodded. “Tell him we’ll be ready to spar.”
“Thank you.” Lio sent them a wave of gratitude through the Blood Union.
An eagle shifter could lead even a levitating Hesperine on quite the chase, and robes would only get in the way. At Hesperine speed, Lio pulled off his formal attire, wrapped his medallion in the silk, and levitated off the terrace wearing only a pair of loose Imperial trousers.
He had to step to Tendo’s position midair to catch up, then steady himself with levitation. He shadowed his friend, but said nothing. It was best to let Tendo know he had reinforcements, but wait for him to speak.
Not that speech would be easy. This high, the wind assaulted Lio’s sensitive ears and buffeted him so much that levitation was a struggle.
