Page 7 of The Tribes of Magic (Paragons #3)

POWER GAMES

“ D id Ainsley actually say that, Seven?”

“Do you doubt my memory?”

The five-course lunch had gone by without incident. The Court delegates had happily ignored the Apprentices as we served them, just as they always happily ignored anyone they considered beneath them. They were now taking some time to digest—and bicker—before stuffing themselves with dessert.

Shortly after the break began, Kato had found me in the kitchen and declared he was ‘stealing’ me for the next half hour.

“No, I don’t doubt you, Seven.” Kato’s chuckle was more of a grunt.

“Only Ainsley’s boldness. She knows full well the Knights of the other five Tribes would take issue with her claim.

They all believe their Tribe is the most powerful.

But they’re all wrong, of course.” He adjusted his cape, which was draped over his armored shoulders like a waterfall of pure light.

“The Polymages are clearly the most powerful of all.”

“I bet the other Knight Commanders don’t like it when you tell them that, Kato.”

He led me up the sweeping staircase to an interior balcony that overlooked the larger of the conference center’s two ballrooms.

Kato frowned like he couldn’t tell if I was teasing him. “Of course they don’t like hearing it. No one likes being outshone.” He adjusted his cape again.

“You look uncomfortable,” I noted.

“Yes.” His face betrayed the emotions he usually tried so hard to mask. Hiding yourself was much easier when you wore a helmet. “I would never choose to wear this ridiculous cape.”

“Knights wear capes,” I said in a dull, serious monotone.

“No. We most certainly do not.” Kato pushed his cape behind his shoulders, looking completely miserable.

“I’m just teasing you. Well, at least it’s pretty.” I brushed my fingertips against his cape’s shimmery fabric, and somehow it felt even softer than it looked.

“Pretty is not the same as practical,” he pouted.

Yes, pouted . The famous White Knight was pouting.

“No, pretty and practical tend to sit on opposite ends of the spectrum,” I laughed. “But I’m sure your cape impressed the delegates.”

He allowed a small snort to escape. “The General was obviously thinking it would when he decided to make me wear the stupid thing.”

I reached over and gave his hand a squeeze. “You are far more impressive than any cape, Kato.”

“Yes, I’m the General’s favorite. Lucky me,” he said drily. “You know, I’m starting to think Conner had the right idea when he ran off to start a rebellion. It saved him from being stuck here, serving as the General’s magic accessory.”

“You aren’t an accessory. You’re the General’s star Knight.”

“And he loves to show me off to the leaders of the Many Realms. He thinks it makes Gaia look strong. He thinks it makes him look strong. And because of that, he hasn’t let me leave his side since we arrived here this morning.”

“So how did you get away?”

“I put a diuretic into his drink, then slipped away when he rushed to the restroom to relieve his bladder.”

Kato spoke the words with such gravity that I had to laugh. He sounded like he was outlining a battle strategy.

“I’m glad you came to find me,” I told him.

“Me too. I need someone to talk to as long as I’m hiding from the General. Someone sane . These delegates—” He gave me a pained look. “—Seven, they make me want to set things on fire.”

“I can imagine.”

Kato sighed.

“What’s wrong?” I asked him.

He showed me his blinking phone. “The General is summoning me. He must have finally finished peeing.”

I laughed.

“What’s so funny?” Kato’s shoulders tensed.

“Nothing.” I smiled at him. “It’s just nice to see you haven’t lost your sense of humor. I was worried.”

“I can assure you, Seven, that my sense of humor is very much dead.”

Kato’s words made me laugh, but he looked far less jovial than I as he turned toward the stairs.

“Wait.”

He glanced back at me.

“I’ll come with you.”

He hesitated. “I don’t think that’s a very good idea.”

“It’s a splendid idea. If we put our heads together, I’m sure we can find a way to send the General back to the bathroom for at least another—” My gaze darted to the clock. “—fifteen minutes.”

“This is treason, you know.”

I batted away his concerns. “Na, only a little. And only if we get caught.”

Kato watched me for a very long time before a smile cracked that granite facade. “You’re a bad influence.”

“Of course I am. That’s why you like hanging out with me.

Deep down, you want to be wicked.” I linked my arm in his, and we marched side-by-side down the stairs.

“So what will it be, Kato? Dropping itchy bugs down the back of the General’s jacket?

Or maybe something more sinister, like hiding glue packets in the upholstery of his chair so they burst when he sits down, pasting his butt to his seat? ”

He glanced sidelong at me, the tiniest hint of humor twinkling in his eyes. “You’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how to prank the General, haven’t you?”

“Actually, I’ve spent most of my life thinking up ways to prank my brother.” I placed my hand over my heart. “But I swear to you that Dante totally deserved it.”

The doors at the bottom of the stairs were thrown wide open, giving me a full view of the grand ballroom, complete with champagne and chocolate and a string orchestra. The ballroom was gold and white, and it sparkled—just like Kato’s fancy cape.

The Court delegates were even fancier. They wore silk suits and satin sashes and gowns that twinkled like the midnight sky.

There were even a few crowns in the crowd.

And a hennin or two or three. That was actually kind of cool.

I’d only ever seen the cone-shaped headdresses in books.

The women of Gaia hadn’t worn them since the Middle Ages.

Maybe the fashion trend would make a comeback, now that we were in the second Age of Knights.

“So, what will it be, Kato?” We paused under the staircase just outside the ballroom. “Itchy bugs or glue packets?”

“Neither. I fear the time has come. I must face my fate.” As the orchestra started playing a fast waltz, Kato set his sights on the ballroom.

Supernatural VIPs continued to stream inside, each one more glamorous than the last. A man in a suit that shimmered like it was made of black diamonds stood at the entrance, announcing every new arrival in a loud, crisp voice that cut through the background music.

It reminded me of a scene out of a fairytale ball.

“Last chance to change your mind, Kato. There’s the General now.”

A tall, unpleasant man in a stiff black uniform entered the ballroom. The guy at the door did not announce him.

When I commented on that, Kato said, “The Court delegates don’t see us as equals. But that will change if we’re accepted as members of the Court.”

“What does being a member of the Court even give us?”

“The other realms have a lot of resources and a lot of experience with magic. Millenia of experience. The Government thinks they could help us understand magic better and maybe even help us find a cure to the Curse. But they aren’t just going to help us out of the kindness of their hearts.

They’ll want something in return. They need us to show them we can offer them something as valuable as what they can offer us. ”

“It’s kind of hard to convince someone of anything if they’ll barely talk to you,” I pointed out.

“That’s why the General forced me to come: to show them Gaia would be valuable allies because we have a Polymage.”

“You.”

“Yes, me. To be honest, I think the General is overestimating how much the other realms care about me and my magic. But he’s stubborn and insists I come along to this really boring Summit, where no one likes us and everyone ignores us.”

“I can see why you look so happy to be here.”

He winced. “Yeah.”

“Hey, at least you have an important job. Look at me. I’m the help .” I waved my hands down the length of my body, indicating my waiter uniform.

The look he gave me was almost envious. Which was weird.

“The most important thing I can hope to accomplish today is accidentally spilling sparkling grape juice all over Prince Fenris’s pretentious satin sash.”

Kato’s eyes narrowed.

“Don’t worry. I won’t do it. I’ll just be daydreaming about doing it.”

“Be mindful of your daydreams, Seven. Some of the delegates are telepaths.”

Great. Wasn’t that just fantastic? Not even my thoughts were safe. This Summit was even less fun than I’d thought.

I ground my teeth together. “Fine. Then I’ll just have to settle for serving the delegates pretentious mini desserts and not fantasizing about throwing my shoe at them when they snap their fingers at me, calling out, Girl! Girl! Fetch me some more wine and don’t dally! ”

“It’s better than being paraded around the Summit like an exotic zoo animal, Seven. Trust me on that.”

A man with a white beard, white hair, and a white suit strode into the ballroom. I recognized him immediately from his many news appearances. His name was David Stout, and he was Gaia’s current President.

The guy at the door didn’t announce his entrance into the ballroom either.

“Wow, you were not kidding about the Gaian delegation being ignored, Kato. We’re hosting this Summit, and they’re not even acknowledging the President .”

“It’s a power play. Everything they do is a power play.”

I frowned. “I really hate it when people try to prove how powerful they are by excluding others.”

On the other hand, a small part of me felt that the Government officials deserved a taste of their own medicine. They were always pulling the exact same stunt on Gaia’s normal citizens. They thought they were better than us.

“The General thinks the Court delegates are just playing a game,” Kato said. “He thinks they’ll eventually acknowledge Gaia is in possession of powerful magic and stop ignoring us. He also believes all he has to do to make that happen is parade me around enough members of the Court.”

“You don’t like being in the spotlight, do you?”