CHAPTER 17

All that fire made me sweat. The women’s bathhouse is small, half the size of the royal one, but the water is clean, and it’s late enough to be mostly empty. Three women occupy the far end, but the rest of the pool is deserted. I slip into the water, wash quickly, and then wrap myself in my outrageously flamboyant drying cloth. I’d stay longer, but the Sintan women keep throwing me dirty looks.

As I’m tying off the end of my braid, the women emerge from the pool and pad toward me, naked.

“Nice cloth,” a tall blonde says.

I ignore her. Ignoring her sarcasm is harder.

“You’re the new member of Beta Team?” another one asks.

When I nod, she looks incredulous. “How did you get invited to dinner?”

Before I can answer—or not answer—the first one spits out, “She’s obviously spreading her legs.”

I narrow my eyes. Snarky gets my temper up.

One of the other women lays her hand on the blonde’s arm. “Griffin will get tired of her. You’ll see.”

A thorny sensation spreads through me. I study the woman with chiseled features, legs about eight inches longer than mine, and long, sleek hair the color of honey in the sun. My hair is unruly, wavy, and dark, and I’m smaller and curvier despite the weight I’ve lost since leaving the circus. Like mine, her eyes are green, but the shades are nothing alike. Hers are dark with flecks of brown. Mine are elongated, and the light, clear green of magic and the north. I hate that I’m even comparing us, but since I can’t seem to stop… In spite of my unusual eyes and decent looks, I just feel short.

I turn to leave, consoling myself with the knowledge that I can kill her with one breath.

She stops me with a question. “What’s your name?”

I only half turn back. “Cat. What’s yours?”

“Daphne. Watch your back, Cat.”

“Why?” I’m actually curious.

“Because I’ve got my eye on you.”

I can’t help it. I laugh. “I’ll let you know when I’m scared.”

Her eyes flash with anger a second before she lashes out. I duck on reflex, and her punch sails over my head. I come up, landing an uppercut to her gut. She grunts, her exhale warming my face. I would keep going, but the other women grab the blonde’s arms, and I don’t hit people who are tied down.

“Watch your back, Daphne.” I trace a finger down her cheek, leaving a thin red welt from the corner of her left eye to the curve of her chin. I rein in the hottest part of the Chimera’s Fire so it won’t scar, but when I smile, I don’t hold back on the maniacal. “I just love the way burns sting for days.”

The other two women pale, but Daphne just looks spitting mad. My first enemy in Castle Sinta. Great.

“Griffin will punish you for that.”

She sounds so sure that something sour unfurls in my stomach. “No, he won’t.” I am the Kingmaker. I am a thousand times more important to him than Daphne, even if I’m not spreading my legs. Clearly, that’s her job.

I refuse to think about that, or how awful it makes me feel, as I make my way across the Athena courtyard toward the barracks. Kato and Flynn show up as soon as they hear me moving around in my room.

“How was dinner?” Kato asks.

“Enlightening.”

He grins. “Did you like the family?”

I shrug, not willing to admit I found them entertaining. “I can’t believe how old Anatole is.”

Flynn shuts the door with his boot. He’s wearing a new tunic, and his auburn hair is combed for once and neatly tied back, showing off the clean lines of his broad cheekbones and freshly shaved jaw. “Old but sharp. He unified most of the southwest before passing the reins to Griffin.”

And Griffin took over Sinta. Not bad. “How have the girls stayed so innocent? Even Egeria, and she’s not exactly young.”

Kato flops across my bed, linking his hands behind his head. The casual position stretches his tunic across his chest and over his biceps. I can’t help noticing. I’m not interested, but I still have eyes. “They’ve been sheltered by all of us,” he says. “Maybe too much.”

His affectionate, brotherly tone sends an immediate spike of envy through me. Gods! I’m the most irrational person ever! “Can they handle being royals?”

Kato’s mouth pulls into a frown. “They expect the best from others. They won’t believe people are out to use them now, or harm them. They think everyone is a potential friend.”

I shake my head. “Not for long.”

Flynn looks stricken. “I hate to see them disillusioned.”

Oddly enough, me too. “Griffin did this. The girls could have been happy, high-ranking tribal daughters, comfortable and secure in a place they understood. Everything is different now.”

“But you’ll help them, won’t you, Cat?” Flynn asks, his brown eyes wide and pleading.

Damn it. I really am the new nursemaid. “What makes you think I can do anything?”

He spreads his hands wide. “You know everything.”

I grin and flip my damp braid over my shoulder. “I do, don’t I?”

Kato’s cobalt eyes flash with humor. “Saucy and bossy.” He chuckles, somehow making two insults sound like a compliment.

I like hearing the deep rumble of their voices, so I don’t kick them out for a while even though I’m exhausted and looking forward to sleeping in a real bed. Eventually alone—and not liking it one bit—I fall into the arms of Morpheus, one God who’s rarely kind to me.

Needles burn deep into my skin, a stabbing pain in the night. Sudden. Searing. I shoot upright, keening into the dark.

Can’t see! Where is he?

My shoulder brushes something. I whirl and hit it.

The impact wakes me up, and I howl, clutching the fist I just drove into the wall. The next thing I know, Kato and Flynn burst through the door along with a flicker of torchlight from the corridor.

Flynn tackles me, pinning me to the bed. “It’s all right. It’s just us.” His voice is a soothing monotone. “You’re not there.”

I gulp down a scream. I can’t breathe. I’m not used to this anymore. It’s even worse when I’m not used to it!

“Shhh.” Kato drops to his knees next to my bed and pats my hair. His hand is so big it covers most of my head.

I try, but I can’t calm down. I keep feeling that final attack, seeing the end I chose. It unfolds over and over again in my head, and the worst part is, even if I could change the outcome now, I don’t think I would.

The second he stops burning me to draw more power from the Ice Plains, I slip the blade from under my pillow and plunge it into his throat. I don’t hesitate. He’s had too many second chances already.

I’m faster, even though he’s bigger and stronger. His eyes shoot wide as he collapses on me, gurgling. I push him back with a muffled scream, instinct making me shove him right off the bed. He crumples, twitching, not quite limp.

Pounding starts on my door. Fighting nausea, I swing my legs around to sit on the edge of the mattress, my blistered fingers digging into the sheets. I don’t feel much pain. I’m numb despite the burns, watching a boy only a little older than I am bleed to death on my bedroom floor.

Our eyes meet, and I consider giving the blade a vicious twist, knowing he would do it to me.

With this, I hesitate. I hesitate so long he dies.

Aching, shaking, I lie back on the bloody bedding, waiting for Thanos to break down the door my brother barred and help me clean up the mess.

Shaking now almost as hard as I did eleven years ago, I glance at my fingers. For a heartbeat, they still look crimson—death on twelve-year-old hands.

As soon as I can take a breath without choking on it, I shove Flynn off me. Not easy, considering he’s huge. “Taking advantage?”

Standing up, Flynn grins. “Not interested.”

The shaky laugh that rattles from me sounds more like a sob. Why didn’t I have brothers like Kato and Flynn? My life would have been so different.

I sit up, rubbing my face and brushing hair out of my eyes. “Get out of here. Shoo! Before everyone thinks I’m sleeping with you two as well.”

Flynn frowns, making his forehead wrinkle. His eyes narrow ominously. “What are you talking about?”

“Apparently, the women soldiers think I made Beta Team in exchange for being Griffin’s personal whore.”

Both their faces blank with shock, then Kato’s lips draw back in a snarl. “What daughter of a Cyclops said that?” he demands.

The protective fury in his voice goes a long way toward making me feel better. “I don’t know names,” I lie. I’ll handle Daphne on my own.

“When you do, you let me know,” he growls fiercely.

“So you can do what?” He’s not the type for cold-blooded murder. Despite Mother’s calculated efforts, even I’m not the type for cold-blooded murder.

Kato scowls, his blue eyes shadowed and hard. “I don’t know. Something.”

I laugh, the sound chasing away the past.

“I know,” Flynn says, pounding his right fist into his left palm and looking very mean.

I roll my eyes. I don’t believe for a second either of them would beat up a woman over a few insults. “It’s nothing I can’t handle. I killed a Dragon, remember?”

“Cerberus killed the Dragon,” Flynn corrects.

“But I had Cerberus. It’s all the same in the end.”

He shakes his head, his auburn hair loose and wild again. “You’re comparing grapes and olives. Sometimes they look alike, but they’re really not.”

I snort. “Thank you, O Wise One. I’m anxiously awaiting your next lesson.”

“I’ll bet you are.” Flynn ruffles my hair. “Sleep better now.”

Kato pats my head.

“I’m not a bloody dog!” I mutter, slapping at his hands.

After they’re gone, I light a lamp in my windowless room and stare at the shadows flickering on the wall, not willing to close my eyes again.

* * *

I have no idea what I’m supposed to do with myself the next morning, but I’m bored and hungry, so I head for the refectory as soon as I hear the barracks stirring, looking around for Kato and Flynn. They wave me over, and I sit with them, a plate of fruit and a buttered roll in my hands.

Kato unfolds a napkin and hands me a spice cake. “Cook likes me,” he says, brushing away the crumbs sticking to his fingers.

I’ll bet she does. My mouth instantly starts watering. “I love these!”

Kato grins, making most of the women in the refectory stop talking and sigh. “One every morning for Beta Team,” he says, completely unaware of his effect on the surrounding tables.

I groan, ignoring the dirty looks coming my way just for being next to him. “I can’t. I won’t fit into my pants.”

“Those leather ones from the circus?” Flynn chuckles. “Griffin couldn’t take his eyes off your ass.”

I choke on what’s left of my spice cake, and Flynn pounds me on the back. “What are we doing today?” I croak, my face absurdly hot.

Kato shrugs, leaning back in his chair. Feminine eyes follow his every move. “Griffin and Carver will be busy going over whatever happened while we were gone, and any messages they received. I doubt we’ll see them.”

A ridiculous and rather terrifying amount of disappointment pangs through me. Was I really looking forward to seeing a certain warlord turned royal that much?

“We could set up knife throwing,” Flynn suggests.

I nod. “The Gods know you two need the practice. And I’m always happiest with a knife in my hand.”

We finish breakfast in quiet conversation and then agree to meet in front of the Athena statue in one hour. Back in my room, I sort through my meager belongings, putting things away. There’s not much left between all the blood and fire of late. I’m just slipping my knives into my rather charred belt when there’s a tap on the door. I draw a blade before cracking it open.

Jocasta looks at me and then at my knife. I stick it in my belt, and she extends her arms, holding out an enormous pile of dresses. “Griffin said he promised to take you shopping, but I know he won’t have time. These were in the castle. I think they’re about your size.”

Surprised by her thoughtfulness, I push the door open wider. “Thank you.”

“Your room is very small,” she says, stepping inside. “You should live in the castle.”

“I haven’t been invited,” I lie.

She glances at me. “I just invited you.”

It’s not Epsilon Sinta who has the authority to invite people to live in the castle, but she was being kind, and I have good manners when I choose to use them. They were beaten into me. “I’d rather not, but thank you for the offer.”

She shrugs, the movement slight and naturally graceful. “I’ll ask again. Maybe you’ll change your mind.”

Something about the way she says that reminds me of Griffin. Jocasta looks harmless, and she’s more subtle, but I have a feeling she’s as obstinate as her brother.

“Let’s see what fits,” she says, picking through the dresses.

I spend the next half hour trying on gowns that were custom-made for royalty. Jocasta gives her honest opinion about each, and I feel uncomfortable, like Eleni is in the room with us, a ghost of companionship that has no place in my life anymore. We end up with four dresses that fit and a few others that simply need shortening. They’re all similar in cut, with deeply scooped necklines, cinched waists, and long, flowing skirts that float around my ankles. Some have geometric patterns bordering the hems or gold cording crisscrossing the front from under the bust to low on the hips. All the dresses are held up by thin gold chains that buckle at the shoulders or behind the neck.

I look down, swishing my skirts. White and ivory flatter my complexion, but I prefer bold colors, and vanity makes me like this sea-green dress best. It’s a good match for my eyes. The draping is soft and light, flattering my curves. I haven’t been in linen this fine in years, and I can’t tell if my shiver as it tickles my legs is from pleasure or unease.

“This one suits you,” Jocasta says, echoing my thoughts. “Wear it tonight.”

“Tonight?”

“For dinner.”

“I don’t have to dress like this for the refectory.”

“But you’re dining with us.”

My stomach dips at the thought of seeing Griffin, especially dressed like this. “Why?”

She looks at me strangely. “Because we want you to.”

“Beta Team doesn’t eat with the royals.”

Jocasta laughs. The sound is light and full of joy. I wonder what my laughter would be like if I’d had a life like hers. “Half of Beta Team is royal. Besides, you’re more than just Beta Team.”

Whoa. What? “What do you mean?” I keep my voice even and airy. It doesn’t reflect years of wariness.

Jocasta takes a green ribbon from the pile of accessories on my bed. It matches the gown. “Griffin is ten years older than I am. All my life, I’ve seen women watch him, want him.” She presses the ribbon into my hand. “He looks at you the way they look at him.”

Adrenaline floods me until it feels like my heart is about to explode.

“You’re coming to dinner,” she says firmly, her azure eyes steady on mine.

I shake my head, fighting a rising sense of panic. “It’ll never happen.”

She gathers discarded gowns, the ones that didn’t fit. “Dinner or Griffin?”

“Griffin. He’ll get over it.”

She smiles at me like she pities me. “He’s very persistent.”

“I’m stubborn.”

“He’s stubborn.”

I swallow, thinking I might pity myself a little bit right now, too. “He abducted me. He threatened my friends. He kept me tied to him with a magic rope. I couldn’t even pee by myself. He’s awful.”

“You’ll get over it.” Jocasta cheerfully throws my own words back at me. “See you at dinner.”

I gape at her as she leaves. It’s strange not having the last word.

* * *

We lose ourselves in the trees and throw knives until our hands are raw. Flynn and Kato are hitting the target more often than not. I never miss, which leaves me arrogant and gleeful and them looking for a way to take me down. Wrestling does the trick.

“Gods! What do they feed you in the south? Minotaur meat?” I kick Flynn off me with a groan.

He grins, springing nimbly to his feet. “Another go?”

I shake my head, declining another squashing. “Why don’t we train with the others?” Everyone else from the barracks is in the blazing heat of the Athena courtyard with Piers, undergoing traditional drills.

Kato winks at me. “Because we’re better.”

“True.” I glance at the sky.

Kato squints up with me. “What are we looking for?”

“Lightning bolts. Punishment for our overwhelming arrogance.”

“Do you think the Gods are listening?” he asks, scratching his blond-stubbled jaw.

I shrug. “Do you think they’re not?”

“They’re listening to you, anyway,” Flynn says.

“One is.” Maybe two. Possibly three…

“Come on.” Wrapping his big hand around my elbow, Flynn tugs on my arm. “Let’s run so you can eat your spice cake tomorrow.”

Taking the long way, we jog back to the barracks and then go our separate ways. I visit Panotii with an apple, making him share since Kato, Flynn, and I skipped lunch while we were out in the woods. I brush Panotii until his chestnut coat shines and then sit on a barrel, stroking one of his enormous ears and stewing about dinner.

I use the women’s bathhouse again and spot Daphne and her two friends giving me the evil eye. The burn on her cheek is still red and puckered. I have no idea if she bothered Griffin about it, or if she’s even seen him. Or how much she might have seen of him.

My stomach hollows at the thought of them together. I know myself well, and I could list my own flaws until I pass out from lack of air. I’m not beyond jealousy, or spite, or completely illogical behavior, and seeing Daphne helps me decide—I’ll go to dinner at the castle.

Back in my room, I dress in the green gown and silently thank Jocasta for tucking a pair of high-heeled sandals under the foot of my bed. I can’t do anything elaborate with my hair without a maid, so I take simplicity to a new level and tie it at the nape of my neck with a simple bow. I probably look Kaia’s age, but I don’t really care.

Delicate sandals. A long, flowing dress. Gold shoulder clasps. A green ribbon.

This should feel comfortable. Familiar. Instead, it feels like the past is creeping up on me without giving me any choice.

Anxiety churns in my stomach as I knock on Flynn’s door. Kato is with him. They’re playing cards, and it smarts that I wasn’t invited.

Squaring my shoulders, I ask, “Do I look all right? I don’t have a mirror.”

They whistle enthusiastically, and I can’t help blushing.

“Pretty as a posy. Spin for us,” Flynn says.

I twirl, throwing them a saucy look over my shoulder.

“Come sit on my knee,” Kato says, patting his thigh. “So I can inspect.”

I laugh. “I’m not falling for that.”

Griffin erupts into the room, filling the entire doorway. “What are you doing in here?” He looks me up and down, his tone a mix of disgruntlement and accusation.

Heat floods me at the sight of him. Irritation overrides it. “I was having fun ten seconds ago. Now I’m annoyed.”

“Answer the question,” he grates out.

My hands land on my hips. “Having a wild orgy. You’re not invited.”

His eyes narrow dangerously. He turns to leave, and I know I’m supposed to follow.

“Wait!” I cry in mock alarm. “Where are my underclothes?”

“Gods, Cat!” Flynn visibly pales.

Kato barks a laugh.

Griffin spins back to me. His large hand lands on the nape of my neck with a firm grip, and a jolt of awareness rampages down my spine. I back up when he starts pulling but grab both sides of the doorframe on the way out, hanging on.

“See what I have to put up with?” I ask.

Flynn and Kato exchange a look before returning to their card game.

“Not helpful!” I grind out as Griffin drags me back to my room and tosses me inside.

“What about dinner?” I ask, rubbing my neck.

He closes the door and stalks in after me, caging me against the wall with a muscular arm on either side of my head. “Jocasta said she wasn’t sure.”

I shove his shoulders, which does nothing. “I didn’t dress like this for the refectory.”

His eyes flick down, taking in my appearance. “What were you doing with them?”

His blatant jealousy sends a pulse of heat through me that ends in a completely inappropriate place between my legs. “Talking. They’re my friends.”

“Your team?”

“Yes! Isn’t that what you want?”

An expression I can’t read crosses his face. “Does that mean you’ll stay with us if I release you from your vow?”

My heart thumps an awkward beat. I don’t answer. I don’t know.

He leans toward me, and suddenly all I can think about is his height, his strength, his scent. I go impossibly still, afraid to move because I know I’ll step closer.

“I thought about you all day,” he gruffly admits. “Now, seeing you like this…” He inhales between parted lips, his gaze turning ravenous as it drops to the exposed hollow between my breasts. When he exhales, his breath shudders on the way out.

My reaction is immediate, intense. Some things ignite. Others melt. A deep, almost irresistible pull nearly rocks me toward him. I dread this power he holds over me. It makes me want to tell him all my secrets and see if he still wants me.

I swallow, banishing the thought. “Let me go.”

Griffin’s smoldering eyes lift to meet mine. “I’m not holding you.”

Oh.

Right.

Quite.

I could easily duck under his arm. I wet my lips instead. It’s impossible not to.

The rumble in his chest sets me alight. It’s predatory. Hungry. Griffin lowers his head until his mouth hovers over the curve of my neck. His warm breath curls lazily over my bare shoulder, and a spray of gooseflesh travels down my arm. Anticipation shivers through me, turning my heartbeat wild as a slow burn spreads through my middle, as languid and intoxicating as mulled wine.

His lips brush my shoulder and then skim lower, teasing the sensitive skin along the scooped neckline of my gown. The feathery touch makes me quiver. I plant my hands on the wall behind me, palms flat against the cool stone to keep from reaching for him. My nipples harden, straining against the thin material of my dress. He growls something low and fierce, and then his tongue flicks out.

I gasp, surprise and desire thundering through me. I know exactly where he licked. There’s a freckle high on the inside of my right breast. My breathing turns shallow, almost painful. Griffin’s hands slide down the wall to land on my hips, anchoring me as his mouth moves lower and his lips graze the concealed peak of one breast.

I draw in a sharp breath, feeling both crests stiffen even more. The mounting throb in my core echoes my galloping pulse. The beat of blood and want. My hands ache to touch him, to slip into his hair, to hold him to me for another hot, shocking touch. A moan rises in my throat, and I bite my lip to stifle it, shifting against the growing pressure, against the restless need to press my body into his.

Griffin’s tongue slides over the freckle again, and my knees nearly buckle. His husky voice vibrates against my skin. “I’ve been wanting to taste that for weeks.”

“What does it taste like?” The breathy murmur sounds nothing like me.

“Like a snowflake on my tongue. So cold it burns.” He lifts his head, his eyes searing. “It tastes like magic. And you.”

His hands rise to cup my jaw. Wings unfurl inside my rib cage, bigger and stronger than ever before.

“Don’t kiss me,” I whisper, and the wings stretch in protest.

His thumbs glide over my cheeks in a tender, sweeping caress that makes my chest ache. “Give me one good reason not to.”

When he looks at me like this, touches me, it’s hard to think at all. Part of me doesn’t even want to. But there are some things even I can’t ignore. “Alpha Fisa. She’ll kill anyone who gets in her way.”

“I’ll fight her with you.”

“You can’t. You’ll die.”

He shakes his head. “I won’t let her take you from me.”

I close my eyes, so tired of the fight. Unable to stop myself, I lean my forehead against Griffin’s solid chest. His arms come around me, and just for a moment, I let my body mold to his. “You don’t get it,” I say, my voice muffled by his tunic. “She won’t let anyone take me from her.”

“You don’t get it.” He sets me back enough to look me in the eyes. “You’re mine. Not Cat the Soothsayer. Not Cat the Kingmaker. Just Cat.”

I shiver at his words, the chills running both hot and cold.

“It’s inevitable,” Griffin says softly. His gray eyes are like anchors, weighing down my heart.

I shake my head. “It’s not.”

“You were made for me. I know it.”

I stare at him in stark fear. He believes that. I feel the crushing weight of his truth in my bones.

“You need time.” He reluctantly steps back, opening the space around me again. “In time, you’ll see. For now, just come with me.” Griffin takes my hand and doesn’t let go until we’re in the dining room. I skip the curtsy and sit in the chair he pulls out for me, too preoccupied to think about etiquette, especially when no one here cares.

“You’re pale,” Nerissa says, reaching over to pat my hand. “Are you all right?”

I stare at her plump fingers, resisting the urge to snatch my hand away. “I’m fine.” I look around. “Where’s Anatole?”

She sits back, worry creasing her brow. “Feeling poorly. He stayed upstairs.”

“Why don’t you call for a healer?”

Awkward tension fills the room. “We’re having trouble getting healers to cooperate,” Egeria eventually says.

Of course. Like most Magoi, they look down on Hoi Polloi, more often than not refusing to help them. “Choose one at random,” I suggest. “If he or she won’t help, hang the healer from the castle gate. The next one won’t refuse.”

Nerissa’s face reflects her shock. “That’s cruel, dear.”

That’s life. “How did your tribe deal with dissenters?”

“Combat with Griffin,” she answers warily.

“That’ll work.” I take a bite of something wrapped in phyllo. Goat cheese. Yuck! I put what’s left back on my plate and force myself to swallow. The women stare at me, obviously scandalized. I think Piers is, too.

“I’m not advocating random murder,” I say somewhat defensively. “Ask first. But if a healer refuses to obey for no apparent reason other than snobbery…”

“A lesson must be learned?” Nerissa supplies.

I nod.

“Egeria is Alpha,” Griffin says. “The order would have to come from her.”

Everyone turns to Egeria—Alpha Sinta. Her soft-gray eyes go wide with alarm, and it’s all I can do not to gag, especially after that goat cheese.

“I think we’ll keep negotiating for now,” she says softly. “I’m trying to give them incentive to work with us by opening a healing center in Skathos.”

“Skathos?” I shake my head. “It’s too far south. Healers won’t want to live that far from the Ice Plains. They’re weaker the farther south they go. Not only will they be weaker, and unhappy because of it, but they won’t be able to help as many people because their magic won’t be as strong. Skathos is a terrible idea.” Egeria looks crestfallen, so I quickly add, “Build your healing center farther north. Ios could work.”

“But what about the south? We don’t want the tribes thinking we’ve abandoned them.”

I sip my wine, thinking. “If Ios works, you’ll probably get other healers to go south, even if it’s not their preference. Healers are vain and attention hungry. Once Ios gets recognition, and its healers along with it, the ones who initially refused to help will start trying to get their names attached to it. At that point, you can be magnanimous and give them their own healing center—in Skathos.”

Jocasta smiles at me. “That’s an excellent plan.”

I smile back. It’s actually not that hard.

“Griffin also advocated starting in the north,” Egeria says. “He mentioned Ios as well. You two are so well matched. You even think alike.”

Heat floods my face, and my heart starts pounding like a herd of Centaurs. I don’t look at Griffin. I will not look at Griffin.

“I would still have to begin construction of both healing centers at the same time,” Egeria continues as if she hadn’t just splattered the issue of Griffin and me across the dinner table. “I don’t want to offend southerners.”

I try to focus, which is really difficult when the man next to me makes my entire body hum with awareness. “Then build faster in Ios and establish it first. It’ll go faster anyway. Everything is more efficient closer to the magic.”

“Including you?” Griffin asks.

“I’m efficient everywhere.”

“And modest, as usual,” Carver says, tipping his full wineglass in my direction. He sets it down again without drinking.

I incline my head in acknowledgment. “Lovely to see you again, Carver. Your existence had completely slipped my mind.”

Kaia chokes on something, probably goat cheese.

Carver grins. “I’ll remind you tomorrow when I spank you in a sword fight.”

“Spank me? I doubt you’re immune to magic like your brother is.” A ball of Chimera’s Fire crackles to life in my palm.

“Cat!” Nerissa says sharply. “Manners, please. And don’t threaten Carver at the dinner table.”

“He said ‘spank’ first!”

“You’re the lady. Rise above.”

“That’s not fair,” I say, sounding suspiciously like a four-year-old.

Nerissa looks at me like she’s been scolding me since before I could walk. “Who told you life was fair?”

Good point. I scowl and reabsorb the flames. As soon as she looks away, I glare at Carver and mouth tomorrow.

Griffin does his best not to laugh—fails—and I kick him under the table.

Kaia bounces in her seat. “Tell us about the Lost Princess of Fisa.”

We just started the main course, and I nearly spit out my moussaka. I swallow and clear my throat. “There’s not much to tell. She’s gone, and unless she’s found, or killed, the Fisan royal line after the current Alpha can always be called into question.”

“But how can she just disappear?” Kaia asks.

I shrug. “Maybe she went to the Ice Plains.”

“Then isn’t it likely she’s already dead?” Piers asks.

“Not everyone who goes to the Ice Plains dies there. I have a friend, Aetos, who survived.”

“She could have gone to the Lake Oracles,” Griffin says.

My heart kicks me in the ribs even as I shake my head. “I don’t think so.”

“Why not? An Oracle could help her escape.”

“That’s assuming she needed help.”

He swirls the wine in his glass, frowning. “Doesn’t everyone?”

“Do you?” The question pops out before I realize I’ve trapped myself.

“Yes.” Griffin faces me, his one softly spoken word settling deep inside me. But I see more than need in his eyes. I see desire, and care, and possessiveness, and a whole mess of things I refuse to deal with.

I swallow the lump rising in my throat. “I don’t.” Denial works. Always has.

Sort of.

“What about fangs?” he asks. “And giant hands?”

Eh…

“What about fangs and giant hands?” Kaia asks.

“Nothing!” Carver and I say at once.

“Well, that’s intriguing.” Egeria eyes us in a way that makes her look exactly like her mother.

“We’ll start curtsy lessons after dinner,” I announce.

“Subtle,” Griffin whispers in my ear.

I swivel my head to give him the evil eye, find us so close our breath mingles, and can’t quite manage it.

“Excellent idea,” Egeria says. “Especially with the nobles coming soon.”

What? “When?”

Her hands flutter nervously above her plate. “In a month’s time. Invitations have already gone out for our first realm dinner.”

It’s a smart move. Fast. “That will be an important evening.”

Egeria and Griffin exchange a glance. “It will likely determine whether Sintan Magoi back us, leave us alone, or plot to overthrow us,” she says.

I nod. “If you really want change, you’re going to have to strike a delicate balance no one has tried before. You’ve got the Hoi Polloi heart of the realm, but Magoi nobles are still the blood, pumping all over the northern half of Sinta to their little fiefdoms where they rule, just like warlords do in the south. Gain their respect, and they may turn into valuable tools. At the very least, gain their indifference to keep them from actively thwarting you. Anything else, and they’ll all be wondering why they aren’t on the throne.”

“There’s so much to learn,” Egeria frets. “Who they are. What they can do… And then there’s court etiquette. How to greet. How to bow. Who can talk to whom. Everything’s so different in the north and among Magoi.” Her eyes widen in her pale face, and she looks at Griffin like he has all the answers. “What if we’re not ready?”

“A month is plenty of time to get ready,” he says reassuringly.

I attempt an encouraging smile. “It’s true. And I can’t wait for you to prove to them that southern Hoi Polloi aren’t complete heathens after all. Half the nobles will probably die of apoplexy on the spot.”

Egeria turns to me, two splotches of pink washing across her cheeks. My stomach drops. My version of supportive clearly needs work.

“I’ll make study scrolls about the nobles and their magic,” I offer. “All you’ll have to do is memorize them, and by the party, your court manners will be the best in the realms. I promise.”

Magic zings through me with the vow. I look at Griffin. “A lot will be riding on you, on your welcoming the nobles with a wolf’s smile. They need to know you’ll rip their throats out if they cross you.” I can’t help adding, “It shouldn’t be too hard. Just act like usual.”

“Like this?” He gives me a ferocious grin that’s all teeth.

I roll my eyes. “Yes, exactly like that.”

Everyone laughs, and I realize what he just did. He put his entire family at ease when they were on the verge of panicking. Mother would have reveled in the fear and fanned the flames of panic until we were all crashing into each other like frightened goats.

I turn to Egeria. “You’re Alpha. You rule everyone and everything, from the highest noble down to the last speck of dust in this realm. Remember that, but still do that smile of yours—the one for widows and orphans. It’s what makes you different.”

Egeria blinks at me, nodding automatically.

Nerissa studies me over the rim of her wineglass. “Your bluntness is refreshing, Cat. Life is always so much simpler when people say what they really think.”

My heartbeat falters before accelerating. I’m pretty sure something about Griffin and me—especially me—was just thrown across the table again.

“What about you?” Griffin asks.

For a second, I have no idea what he’s talking about. “What about me?”

“You’ll be there to read people.” He waves his hands around. “Soothsayer, remember?”

I almost laugh. Almost. “I’ll pose as a servant.”

His eyebrows slam down. “No.”

“What do you mean, no? It doesn’t matter wh—”

“You’ll be Jocasta’s friend,” Griffin decides, cutting me off. “Her companion. You live at the castle.”

I chew my lip. “That sounds reasonable. What do you think?” I ask, turning to Jocasta.

“I think it would be lovely to have you as a friend,” she answers.

Warmth spreads through me. Gah! When did I turn so emotional?

“Won’t people wonder why Jocasta has a Fisan friend?” Carver asks. “She’s from the south. You’re from the north. Your eyes give you away.”

I give him a flat stare. “Let’s just say she picked me up at the circus.”

Egeria clears her throat and glances at the ceiling frescoes. Everyone else decides it’s a good time to eat.

After a while, Nerissa breaks the silence with a story about how Griffin got chased by a bull when he was young, and that’s when he got serious about swords. “He was determined always to have something longer, pointier, and sharper than that bull’s horns.”

“It was the Minotaur,” Griffin rumbles. “As big as a house.”

Nerissa’s lips twitch. “It was old Cosmo from the field across the river.”

I smile, my mind filling with the image of a black-haired scamp running from a crotchety old bull, the boy’s legs pinwheeling.

“Speaking of creatures,” Egeria says, “the other advisors were just telling me about Dragons. Apparently, I need one.”

“It’s not urgent,” I tell her.

She looks surprised. “But we’re the only realm without.”

“Fisa doesn’t have one, either.”

Egeria frowns. “What happened to Sybaris?”

“She’s dead,” I say. No further explanation necessary.

“Cat killed her,” Carver announces, earning my death glare.

“That’s not exactly true,” Griffin says.

“Fine. Cerberus killed her, but Cat had Cerberus,” Carver clarifies.

“Oh, that’s helpful!” I cry.

Carver shrugs. “They’re family. You can trust them.”

“Like I can trust you?” I fume.

“You had Cerberus?” Piers is looking at me. He even set down his scroll. “How?”

So much for secrets. “Hades gave him to me. In case of emergency.”

Nearly every face around the table turns a shade paler. Huh. That stunned everyone into silence.

“You converse with Gods?” Egeria finally chokes out.

“Not usually.” I stand. “Ladies, let’s curtsy.”