Page 30 of The First Spark (Dynasty of Fire #1)

Selene spat a curse and stormed through the door. Mylis caught it before it could close.

Mother paused before him. “The traitor’s son.” She turned her nose up at Kalie. “Clearly you’re worse off than I thought, if you have to resort to hiring filth like this.”

Mylis didn’t flinch.

Her words sank into Kalie like barbs, though, and she curled her hands into fists. “I trust Mylis more than I trust either of you. ”

“And my sister trusted his father with her life.” Mother sniffed, peering at Mylis like he was vermin. “Look where it got her.”

Pointing at the door, Kalie bared her teeth. “Out.”

Mother stopped on the threshold. “I’m going to give you a final word of advice, Kalista, even though you’re too prideful to appreciate it.

Having a title does not earn you power or respect.

” Her brows knitted, her lips pinched together, then she exhaled sharply and spun on heel.

“I hope that lesson is less painful for you than it was for me.”

As Mother strode out, Kalie collapsed on the sofa. Gods, her head was pounding. Her throat was tight, and though she blinked rapidly, her stinging eyes burned.

“Give me a moment, Mylis,” she whispered, but the door didn’t close.

Zane stepped inside. Judging by the storm brewing on his face, he wasn’t happy.

Kalie rubbed her eyes. “What?”

“That meeting was a mistake.”

“Every meeting with those two is a mistake.”

“No. The other meeting.”

Raising her head, Kalie met his smoldering gaze. One of the gods must’ve been having a terrible day, because they seemed determined to ruin hers.

“The Speaker said this is a righteous war, and she’s foreseen our victory.”

“I don’t give a damn what some ancient hag says. War is unpredictable, brutal, deadly?—”

She gave him the most reassuring smile she could muster. “I understand it’s concerning, but Azura herself whispers to the Speaker?—”

“On Oppalli, we only have one god.” Kalie’s brows pinched together at the abrupt change of topic, but Zane powered on, pale and strained. “Mordir. Death. He doesn’t pick sides and save people. He waits for them to slaughter each other, so he can take their souls to hell and feast on their misery.”

The lights flickered. Outside the window, trees shuddered violently .

Kalie frowned. “That’s a pretty sad thing to believe.”

“It’s a realistic thing to believe.” Zane stormed back and forth, flexing his fists.

Specks of grass and mud stained her cream-colored rug in his wake.

“There’s not some magic court waiting in heaven to save our asses.

If there was, we’d still have families. So you can go on believing whatever stupid old myths you want, but the Federation’s a shitty place.

You can’t take the word of some ancient crone that everything’s going to be alright. ”

She bit back a huff of exasperation. I don’t have the patience for this right now, she nearly said, but the pain on his face stopped her.

“You don’t believe there’s anything after?”

“Hell, I guess.”

“Nothing better? Zane…” Kalie sucked in a breath. “You don’t think you’ll ever see your family again?”

“They’re dead.” His sharp voice made her recoil, but his expression softened, and he mumbled, “Nothing will change that.”

She looked up at him, and as he stared back at her impassively, her heart cracked. How sad that must be. How painful and lonely.

But though she hadn’t admitted it to anyone, not even her priestess, there was a pit in her stomach that expanded in the face of Zane’s conviction.

Of course there was a life after this one.

When she passed on, the goddess would judge which realm she was worthy of in the Lands of Eternal Dawn.

Whether she was sent to Elyndra or the highest paradise, Azura’s Isles—or, though it was highly unlikely, the depths of Zagan’s hell—there was no guarantee that everyone she’d lost would’ve reached the same realm.

Still, she whispered, “You’ll see them again. I know it.”

“It’s easier not to get my hopes?—”

The gilded doors swung open, and Kalie jumped.

Mylis gave them an apologetic look. “Governor Roth and Captain Vale for you, Your Majesty.”

Uncle Jerran entered first, bowing his head. Behind him, her new captain saluted.

“Come in. What’s this about?”

As he took a seat in a hideous floral armchair, Uncle Jerran raised his sparse eyebrows. “The security briefing. ”

“Security briefing? Don’t the guards handle that?” Kalie twisted around, but Zane and Mylis had already returned to their posts outside her door. “Has the threat level increased?”

“The security briefing for your coronation next week, Your Majesty.”

Kalie rubbed her forehead. “Right. Right. I did see that on my agenda. My apologies, it’s been a long morning.”

“I take it the meeting didn’t go well?”

“We’re still talking in circles.”

“Raveen’s death has left them unsettled,” Uncle Jerran said. “They’re all wondering if their families will be next.”

Kalie winced. Senator Raveen of Khadar—one of Marcus’s strongest allies and Carik’s fiercest critics, the man who’d shouted resist and raised his fist before a crowd—had allegedly died of a fatal heart attack two weeks ago. His wife had vanished. No one knew what happened to their young daughter.

“That’s why we have to fight. Otherwise, he’ll keep escalating.”

“I’m not denying that. I want justice for Calida as much as you, I only wish…” Uncle Jerran shook his head. “One war was costly enough.”

She sighed. Always the voice of reason. If he’d been in the meeting this morning, he could’ve smoothed everyone’s ruffled feathers.

The meeting. Her drooping eyelids shot open. “You met with the Collectivate this morning, didn’t you?”

“I did.”

“And?”

“A few wanted to wait until Carik responded to your terms for peace, but once they heard the Speaker herself blessed a war, the majority agreed.” Uncle Jerran pursed his lips as Kalie sank into the cushions, letting out a relieved gasp.

“Two of three. The Church and the Collectivate have ratified your declaration. All you need now is the Advisorium.”

“If only I could remove the nobles who keep blocking my motions.”

Vale’s lips flattened into a thin line .

Uncle Jerran chuckled. “My dear, the point of the Advisorium is to prevent a duchissa from having absolute power. Unfortunately, their stubbornness doesn’t give you grounds to remove them.”

“And even if you had grounds,” Vale said, “none of the suits in the Collectivate are going to ruin their chances for reelection by approving the removal of a noble.”

Kalie slouched in her chair. “I know that. It’s just wishful thinking.”

“Speaking of wishful thinking, I was under the impression things were improving between you and your mother?”

Groaning, Kalie dropped her head to her hands.

Uncle Jerran hummed knowingly. “I passed her on the way up here. You shouldn’t be so cruel to Caira. Whether you like her or not, you need her to convince your father to fight.”

“As if! She always hated Aunt Calida. Always . If anything, Father will have to convince her.”

“Kalista…” Uncle Jerran sighed, massaging his temples.

“Your mother has treated you poorly in the past, yes, but clinging to your resentment of her blinds you. She did love your aunt, and your aunt loved her. Their relationship was complicated, made all the worse by your father, but at the end of the day, your mother will do what it takes to avenge Calida.”

Cycles of Mother’s unending scorn and cruel insults for Aunt Calida suggested otherwise, but arguing with Uncle Jerran was pointless.

Vale gestured to the portable holoprojector he’d set up on the sofa table between them. “The security protocols?”

“Yes, of course…”

Kalie paid attention to the simulated projection long enough to get the basics.

Her coronation procession would gather at the palace end of the Bridge of Destiny at exactly six forty-six, as the sun rose.

As she crossed the crystal bridge to Azura’s Cathedral, she and the priestesses would be flanked by guards.

There would be more guards in Skyforce warplanes hovering alongside the bridge, in the event of an air attack.

“Why not use the actual Skyforce? ”

Vale grimaced. “Given your history with Baron Ryker, I thought it was best not to take chances with your safety. Better to use loyal guards sworn to your service.”

“I trust Julian with my life,” she said, but gestured for him to continue.

The bridge, and the stone platforms on either end, would be surrounded by top-of-the-line forcefields.

No one would get in or out. There was a control box on either end of the platform.

The forcefields would go down exactly twice—once to let her onto the palace’s stone platform, and once after the coronation, when she left the bridge and proceeded into Azura’s Cathedral as the new Duchissa.

Kalie wiped her clammy palms on her skirt. Sweat dripped down her face.

They walked her through every contingency, drilling evacuation routes and protocols into her. Most of her guards would be equipped with jetpacks, in case the unthinkable happened and the centuries-old Bridge of Destiny shattered.

If no one caught her, it would be a long drop into the waterfalls below.

They made her repeat every scenario back to them, correcting her until she had it perfect. She was used to this; wherever they traveled, Ariah had drilled her on the contingencies over and over again. Gods, she missed Ariah.

She should’ve been here. She would’ve been marching in front of her at the coronation, running point among the guards, teasing her to lighten the mood.

This wasn’t a ceremony she wanted to face without her.

But Ariah wasn’t here, and she would make sure her sacrifice wasn’t in vain.

Finally, they left. She sucked in a hitching breath and rested her throbbing head against the back of the couch.