Page 44

I could only grin. “IamLucian Regis, darling.”

A lot of valers truly didn’t grasp what that meant, so I spelled it out for her. “The ruling council is formed of the council of elders—your elected lot—and the council offounders. If I call a meeting and demand your head on a platter for attacking me without cause, they’ll simply ask me what seasoning I’d like on the side.”

I left her to her visible despair and hostility. Without a doubt, she’d check what I just claimed. Too bad I wouldn’t see her face once she realized I hadn’t lied.

Levitating what was left of my food, I made my way to the doors, which turned from red to blue as I approached.

That girl was lucky Cassius hadn’t witness the blatant waste of roast potatoes. He’d killed for less.

17

KLEOS

The instant Silver walked into the training center at eight fifty-seven on Monday morning, I knew something was very wrong.

I didn’t see her all weekend. That in itself wasn’t unusual: I didn’t always socialize. Figuring that she needed some time after the bomb I dropped, I didn’t try to reach out.

Forcing myself not to spend every moment locked in the library with my nose in a book I’d already read, I spent the last couple of days tinkering with my new shiny stones, baking, listening to music, and catching up on my reading.

I didn’t expect her to be her cheery this morning, but she looked downright despondent, eyes down, a flush on her cheeks.

Oh, no.

I expected her still angry, or maybe sad, not ashamed. Silver didn’t get gloomy like this unless she’d fucked up.

It was my turn to demand, “What did you do?”

She winced. “So, erm—I…”

Auntie Hilda walked in the room, clipboard in hand. “Trainees!” she called.

A dozen of us stood to attention and lined up neatly.

Hilda was a captain of the Guard, too high in rank to bother with the likes of us, but she’d started to take a personal interest in the training of the new recruits since Lucian’s trial half a year ago.

We sat through a long lecture about how a lot of runners abused their power, at the end of which she assured us all she’d prefer to havenonew runners over settling for people who shouldn’t be in a position of power. She fired a good ten newcomers, and as many fully trained employees in that time.

Frankly? It was a good thing. In my experience, a lot of people who enjoyed violence applied for the job for no other reason than having an excuse to hit people. The Guard used to hire anyone willing and with the ability to do the job; my aunt was trying to make sure they also had the temperament for it.

It was well known that she was an extremely severe trainer. I knew better than to attempt to talk to Silver now that she’d arrived—at least while she paid attention. I might be her niece-in-law, but what that meant was that she expected me to be an example. She was harder on me than anyone else. And all the gods knew, she’d trained her own son with an iron fist.

Eyes narrowed on my best friend, I listened to today’s instructions, and started to stretch.

I couldn’t wait to officially stop training in January. I’d still be expected to spar twice a week to keep up my skills, like any member of the Guard, archivists included, but the daily torture would be over.

Thankfully, Hilda delegated our training to Master Arion. The moment she walked out, I turned to Silver. “Spill. You bugged Lucian, didn’t you?”

I couldn’t imagine another reason she’d have to seem so bashful. The way she immediately blushed told me all I needed to know.

“He was a huge dick,” she told me.

I lifted an eyebrow. “Oh? And I’m sure you were ever so polite to him.”

My experience with Lucian made it clear the man oozed charm and social graces. But I knew Silver was fully capable of infuriating just about anyone when she wanted to.

“He called me a bitch,” she protested.

“Were you behaving like one?’