Necromancy In D Minor ✔️

Morning Serenade (Encore)

A High Priest too. And one that held such a high position within the village. The Divine City had rooted itself on this island. Or perhaps they forced their way in. They weren't above using crude or deceitful tactics to achieve their goals.

Octavia didn't allow her aloofness to bleed into her face as his hand enveloped hers. The crows feet at the corners of his hazel eyes were his only visible sign of age. His copper skin shined clean, smooth and healthy, and not a strand of grey hair marred his black curls. He couldn't be a day over thirty. All the other High Priests she'd met were well advanced in age, some of them with one foot in the grave.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," she said with a polite smile.

Beatrix picked up a sheet of parchment from a fat stack and perused it for a moment before cutting her eye back to Octavia. "How long have you been teaching music?"

"Since I was about this high." She indicated a height slightly above the armrest of the chair. To most people that would seem like a normal length of time. But in actuality she'd been keeping up this farce of being a music teacher for nearly two lifetimes.

"I see, well, you have quite the impressive set of recommendations. It seems you're well traveled." She shuffled through the stack before picking out one. "Jaredeth in particular had nothing but good things to say about you. Although he was very vague on his reasoning for why you left."

"I was only meant to be there on a temporary basis. They'd already made arrangements for another, permanent teacher." It wasn't a complete lie, but it wasn't the entire truth either. She only stayed in one place for as long as she was needed. Once the scourge left, so did she.

"Do you know how he managed to rid his town of the netherborne?" Sicero asked.

His voice sent a ripple of shock through Octavia, not only because she'd nigh forgotten he was sitting next to her, but also because of his accent. She hadn't noticed the musical lilt flowing through his words before; its sweet, gentle cadence was like the first birdsong of spring

"No, I was not privy to such information." The lie slipped easily from her lips, but made her feel dirty nonetheless. She was used to it. Lying about her intentions. Lying about who and what she really was. But her brand of deception was for the greater good, so she would continue lying through her teeth until that greater good was achieved.

A knock sounded on the door, and Lyle shuffled in carrying a tray of tea and pastries, which he set on a clear spot of the desk before leaving.

For a while, only the sounds of tea pouring and silverware against porcelain filled the room. The sweet and spicy smell of the tea mixed with the buttery and fruity scent of the pastries, an intoxicating bouquet that turned the hollow space in her stomach into a bottomless chasm.

Octavia accepted the cup Lady Beatrix offered her with a nod of gratitude.

"Let's leave the netherborne talk out of this, shall we?" Beatrix gave Sicero a stiff-lipped look which he ignored.

"Why? You don't think she deserves to know what she's getting herself into?" He stirred a heaping spoon of sugar into his tea.

Octavia raised a brow. "Enlighten me then."

Sicero took a sip of his tea before speaking. "Forgive me if I sound flippant Miss Octavia. The netherborne attacks on this island have been brutal, even more so than what Jaredeth had to deal with. My priests do their best, but we've still had casualties. I hope you realize that by accepting this job you also accept the risks that come along with it. I cannot guarantee your safety."

She'd heard this speech many times before, sometimes as a warning, sometimes to scare her off. "With all due respect, Councilman, I didn't ask you to guarantee me anything. I know the scourge. I've seen villages torn down overnight and I've had netherborne breathing down my neck as I ran for my life. Whatever the risks are, I'm prepared to deal with them, but I appreciate your honesty."