Vengeance Throne (The Callistra Chronicles #2)

TWELVE

"What about Bel-Arh?" she asked.

Pasiphae would never have guessed that the third unit in Seth's guard team was an android, not until he was hit with a spray of archaic bullets and did not even stumble. It was certainly an asset to have someone who couldn't feel pain being your personal guard, but Pasiphae was relatively forward-thinking, and even she was a little unnerved at the thought of artificial creatures powered by electricity running around while being virtually undistinguishable from organic people. The only reason why there weren't more androids running around Callistra was because their creation was so expensive—ever for the nobility of Airesi.

"Bel-Arh gets decommissioned when we are in Airesi," Seth explained with a frown. "My mother doesn't like androids running around—they are usually impervious to magic."

"Fair enough," Pasiphae muttered. "What other strange rules has your mother set?"

"Ha!" Seth exclaimed. "I could go on for days."

The sun shone tirelessly above them.

"Go on then," Pasiphae said, wishing she had brought a hat of some sort. "Spare no details. Imagine that we're breaking into the Unseelie Court again as spies. Imagine that I just fell through the ocean and now I need a crash course of the Court so I don't blow your cover."

Seth was trying very hard not to smile, but Pasiphae saw that his lips were twitching as he retrieved a sheath from the bags.

"Look how far we have come."

"We still have very far to go," Pasiphae countered. "Tell me about—" She abruptly stopped her line of questioning with some confusion. "Seth, what are you doing?"

Seth had pulled a dull blade from its sheath, one of the many blunt weapons that had been stashed with their supplies this time around. He held a piece of his own hair in his hands, and he was trying to shear the lock short, though it was a struggle since Pasiphae was certain the last time those weapons were sharpened was the last century.

"It's getting too long," Seth explained casually, concentrating on moving the blade back and forth. His curly hair fell past his ears—if he was planning on hacking every lock off with a blunt knife, it would take the entire journey.

With a sigh, Pasiphae pulled herself upright, dusting herself off as she got to her feet.

"By Callistra, you're a tragedy," she said, retrieving the knife from her pocket. "Let me."

Seth eyed the ancient knife in her hand with an unsettled manner, but he sat back and let her take over anyway.

"Isn't that the magical knife?"

"It doesn't feel magical," Pasiphae replied.

It was sharp though, and sliced through each lock of hair easily.

"Will you hold still?" she demanded when Seth kept looking up. "Otherwise it will not be my fault when I hack off an entire chunk right by your scalp."

"I hear that's especially fashionable in Court this season."

Pasiphae threw the first handful of his hair overboard, scrunching her nose. "Really, tell me about the Court. What do we have to watch out for with this new regent ruler?"

Seth shook his head, earning himself a scolding noise from Pasiphae.

"I know nothing about this King Consort," Seth answered. "But I know we cannot usurp the throne from him. My mother will just come roaring back afterwards as the rightful claim."

"I'm sure that is precisely what she is doing," Pasiphae muttered. "Evara is protecting herself by disappearing when you return."

Seth tried to nod, but another sharp look stopped him. "We need her completely out of the picture first. Otherwise any claim I take to the throne is invalid."