Dirty Lying Sirens

Chapter Thirty

Caspian

The heat of the day had swelled to a level just in the range of uncomfortable. Any number of things would be preferable to sitting in the stifling senate hall. At the top of my mind was Madeline, and the conflict she had been juggling since I broke the news about having her meet Tanis. I could be with her right now, today wasn't a day of lessons for her. But instead there I sat, on the highest row of the circular bleacher-style seating with the other aids while the senators milled about on the lower rings. As they waited for the basilii to start.

Adrion Ateio, the current head of house Ateio and the recently seated basilii whose job it was to corral the senate as well as command the final say on decisions. A man I had only exchanged a handful of words in passing with, but who left an impression nonetheless. His voice was never raised, his presence filled the space he walked through, but he wasn't imposing. If anything, he had an endearing air that drew you in and made you want to follow him. Good traits for a leader, I suppose, but I couldn't quite trust it. There had always been something about house Ateio that held their cards close and revealed nothing of importance until it would leave the biggest impact.

A few seats down from me, Calix Ateio was murmuring sweet nothings into the ear of a blushing aid, completely distracting her from organizing the pile of notes in front of her. No doubt she was new, as I hadn't seen her face around before, but Calix was always quick to jump on the new faces. His behavior reminded me why I was wary of his house.

But it extended beyond Calix's brazen disregard for anyone he wasn't interested in fucking. The lady of the house Helena was withdrawn and secretive, and the servants of the house were unusually silent and loyal to their masters, possibly out of love but just as likely out of fear. Adrion's sister Vera was a known schemer in her own social circles, and a handful of other extended family members were reputed to be constantly scheming for part of Adrion's power.

No, there were many reasons I couldn't quite bring myself to trust Adrion. The man himself seemed fine, but no one truly good would survive surrounded by that much bad and come out unscathed.

A brass ball was hammered against its matching plate a few times, drawing eyes down to the front and center table of the room where Adrion's assistant was hushing the room while the man himself walked in. His clothes were crips and commanding, his smile wide and lazy as he strode in and took his place at the head table reserved for the basilii. The room settled down, and I readied my things to make notes for Dimitris.

A short opening of the senate, followed by the order of business, and Adrion began the first item on the schedule.

"So, Madeline." A body moved to my left, settling himself onto the benches. "I finally got a good look at her yesterday."

My eyes shot to Calix dangerously. "Mind your tongue and do your job, Ateio."

His mouth only crooked upward on one side as his eyes practically glowed with mirth. I moved my focus to my notes and the drudgery that was the weekly agricultural report being given on the main floor. Not that it stopped Calix.

"She's got hips you could really sink your fingers into, doesn't she?" Calix leaned closer. "It must make her a really comfortable fuck."

He was trying to get a rise out of me. I knew it, he knew it, and the jagged line of pen that just jumped off my page and scratched the desk in front of me knew it. Caslix, for whatever reason, had been particularly obnoxious since our confrontation that day when he was talking about a veiled ball with the other aids in the atrium. We had always been oil and water, but now he was provoking more than an argument, and he knew it.

Taking a breath, I tried to figure out why. Any other day I'd be happy to punch him in the face for what he said about someone else's body. But here in front of the entire senate, Dimitris wouldn't tolerate it, not to mention the repercussions from the rest of the officials.