Garden of Embers: Beneath Devouring Eyes #2

Chapter 2, Part C

Daedalus could not help the soft gasp that escaped his lips. Why was Princeps Fidentia asking him if he knew about the ancient Calamity of the Twins?

His heart thudded in his chest. His words, when he found his voice, were calm and even, however. "Of course I know of it, Basilicus."

Did she know about Domi? Did they all know? They must. Why else would-

Heat, he reminded himself with a deep breath in through his nose. He visualized the Trellis's flaming lattice and released a slow exhalation, studiously avoiding looking at Buccina.

"What do you recall?" Fidentia asked, unknowing or uncaring about the effect her words were having on him.

Daedalus bit his lip, feeling chilled and clammy. Why were they doing this to him? Were they playing some kind of game? Tormenting him before laying their judgment at his feet, just to watch him squirm?

They had never been cruel before, though. He peeked from one to the next, his gaze skipping over Buccina, and confusion swelled within him, diluting fear. He saw no vicious humor in their faces, no anger, no condemnation. Just a heavy burden yet unspoken.

He drew another deep breath, calming. They did not know. At least he did not think so. This was about something else. Or so he prayed.

He focused his thoughts on answering Fidentia's question even though cautious relief made his voice a little shaky. "It was eight hundred and twenty years ago. My distant kinswoman, Ceratias Adurere, was the Princeps Worldholder. She had an identical twin sister." He barely managed not to choke over the words. Fire. Pressure. Vastness. Just breathe. "Unfortunately, the Trellis, despite the Eternal Radiance's infinite wisdom, is not quite as wise as the divine hand that placed it in our sky."

Buccina gave him a sharp look. "Why do you say that?"

He shuddered under the oily weight of her invasive gaze, sure that he could feel it seeping into him. Best not tread so near to blasphemy today.

Oliva cleared her throat, giving him a reassuring smile. Thankfully, Buccina's attention shifted away from him to the Princeps Lifeholder, who said, "I understand what he means, I think, Basilicus. The Trellis recognizes its Princeps Worldholder via their unique prometus. But identical twins possess identical prometus and thus the Trellis became... confused."

Daedalus nodded, offering her a small smile in gratitude. "Unable to distinguish between its mistress and her twin sister, it suffered a series of catastrophic malfunctions. These created a swarm of rogue promenia that devastated an enormous region of land in the night-side outside of the border of what is today Provincia Sicarii. Several cities were wiped out."

He left unspoken the fact that he had nearly done the same last week. They all knew, of course, though thankfully they did not know why he had accidentally dissolved a portion of the Trellis. At least he hoped they did not know that his twin's prometus had interfered with his own during a critical working and caused a disaster. If they did know, he could not understand why they pretended otherwise.

Cautiously, dreading what might happen if his sudden suspicion proved wrong, he snapped in his mind, Buccina!

The Princeps Mindholder brushed a strawberry-blond curl behind her ear absently, looking at Decus as the old man sighed.