Garden of Embers: Beneath Devouring Eyes #2

Chapter 10, Part A

She knew these words by heart. On the long skychariot journey to Vola Apertus, she had memorized the whole script Comitas had sent to her. Still, the words made her heart pound. Mother would probably be beaming with pride right about now. Ros would be laughing at Edera's audacity and trying to calm father down. And Cerasus would be breaking every vase he could get his hands on and ranting up a storm.

"I wish you had waited so that you could tell them all the good news," she said, trying to keep her voice from wavering. She reached for Domi's hand as she waited for Comitas to deliver the next line. The boy's fingers were cold and twitched in her grip.

Comitas frowned. The protocol handler was just as stern and forboding in the violet morning light as she had been in the crimson light when she'd met Edera at the palace doors last evening. "What news?"

Edera and Domi glanced at each other, neither quite meeting the other's eyes. The boy forced a smile. "The Eternal Radiance has already seen fit to bless me and my wife with a child. Aquarius will have another Princeps Worldholder after me."

The attendant placing an assortment of ornate frosted pastries on the table inhaled a soft gasp. The old man beamed with joy as he wheeled his cart back to the palace kitchens as though his grandchild was the one on the way and not his future ruler.

Valens's narrowed eyes followed the spindly attendant until the man disappeared behind the doors. "Everyone in the palace will know by noon."

Comitas shook her head, still looking at Edera and Domi with dismay even though there was no audience to fool any longer. "The palace? No, the entire city. And the whole world will know by Dimming."

Domi rubbed the back of his neck, then flicked a glance at Edera. "Go back to our rooms and wait there."

She frowned. "Where will you be?" She didn't feel comfortable around him yet, not after everything, but she still had hoped he'd at least give her a tour of her new home.

"None of your business," he said, voice terse. "I'm in Solitude. So." He nodded toward the door.

Arbita was frowning at the boy while Valens just arched a brow and looked from one youth to the other.

Edera rose, hot and shaky. Best to leave before her presence caused a fight. "Yes, Basilicus."

It felt less strange to call him that now as she followed his instructions and took her leave.

<>

"That was rude," Valens remarked to the ceiling as the doors closed behind Domi's unwanted wife.

He shrugged. "Was it? You must be rubbing off on me."

Golden eyes narrowed at him, but it was Arbita who spoke. "You two need to be seen spending time together, at least for a while. Play the role of a loving couple who just eloped against everyone's wishes." She glanced at Comitas, who still looked like she'd swallowed a lemon even after orchestrating this entire ridiculous drama with Fons.

"We will," he grumbled. "But not right now." He just couldn't. Not yet. Edera had ruined his life. There was no way he could look at her and play the loving husband for more than a few minutes at a time.

Comitas sighed. "I urge you to put more effort into it later, Basilicus." She shook her head. "But as your breakfast meeting has been cut short, how about we go over a small bit of business Fons sent along?"

Domi couldn't help the frown that tugged at his lips. Nor could he completely keep the whine from his tone. "Business? I'm undertaking Solitude or whatever. Aren't you all supposed to handle everything for me?"

It made him nervous being kept out of the loop about things he was responsible for--and would be blamed for if something went wrong again--but it was also a relief not to have to deal with everything.

"You will wish to see to this yourself," Comitas said, and lifted a brow as she gathered promenia into a glowing iridescent ball.

Curious now, he poked and prodded at the shimmering communique with his mind, ignoring Valens's unimpressed snort as he finally managed to swat it open. At least he got into the thing, right?

The vague but unmistakable sense of Fons washed over him, cool and precise, followed by Cerasus's hot energy. Domi cringed, but there was no radiating anger rising from the missive as it bloomed in the air before him into the Praetor's disembodied face. He wondered when the message had been sent and the answer flowed into his mind like water. Yesterday, probably before he'd noticed Edera was gone. Domi relaxed.

"Basilicus," the Praetor's voice echoed in the chamber. Domi nudged the volume lower and cringed as the next few words instead thundered through the room before settling to a whisper. Good enough. "As commanded, Provincia Sicarii is ready to contribute our next group of worldholders to the Blightlands effort. But I urge you to review the volunteers yourself. Particularly the last one. He, ah, invited himself."

"The last one?" Domi asked, fumbling around with the promenia mists. The iridescent light around Cerasus's face shimmered a paler silver and gold. But how the heck was he supposed to get to whatever list Cerasus was blathering about?

The list flared into being with the thought, taking up the entire room. Valens groaned. "Alumna..."

"He's still learning," Arbita said, her lip quirking.

Domi ignored them, scanning the list instead to see what Cerasus was going on about. And then he saw the name at the very end and gasped.

"What? No. That's the worst idea ever."

"He knows almost as much as a Trellis expert," Comitas pointed out. "And Lumen will accompany him."

"He's going to be near clivia, rogue promenia, and the Eyes know what else if he goes out there," Domi hissed, his heart thudding. He remembered all too well his disastrous adventure too close to the edge of the Trellis. And Daedalus wanted to go waltz off to the night-side?

"The aedilis acting as his aedificans will be going and taking her other alumnas with her. It will be strange for him to remain behind."

"There's another thing too," Valens pointed out. He snorted as everyone glanced at him. "With your news today, your face is probably going to be floating all over the Caeles soon, even in Provincia Sicarii. Maybe it would be best for a certain other face to be far away out in the night-side when that happens."

Domi shook his head. "Bellus and Princeps Buccina are keeping anyone from noticing any similarities.

Porcelain rattled back in the kitchen and then the door opened. Arbita nodded in agreement with Valens, pitching her voice low as the elderly attendant wheeled a cart full of juice and coffee into the dining room. "Still, it is best not to take any chances for a while."

Domi gritted his teeth. He hated the idea of Daedalus putting himself in danger out on the night-side, but Comitas was right. The Blightlands were the biggest threat the world faced, and even if his twin was no longer Princeps, Daedalus had still been trained since birth to deal with the Trellis. Dae and Lumen might be able to offer new insight if they could take a look at the Blightlands up close.

"Fine," he grumbled. "Tell Fons to tell Cerasus that I agree. Our, um, mutual friend can join the others going to the night-side."