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"Now, the first rule of the doors: never let a guest see you use them. Second: never leave the door open or anyone can follow. Lastly: if for any reason that device runs the risk of falling into the wrong hands, turn the thumb ring clockwise three times. It will disintegrate."
I nodded.
"Good." He reached into another pocket and pulled out two items. He held out the first, the silver, oval device small enough to fit just inside the palm of my hand. "This is your Com. I'm sure Tritteon told you how to use it."
"Yes," I said, running my thumb over its smooth, cool surface. Symbols glowed to life in the wake of my touch.
"Check in procedure begins at seven sharp. Do not lose it." He scanned my dress. "Knowing Colette, I'm sure she added pockets to your ensemble. If you need to put it down for any reason, put it in there. It does not leave your person."
I ran my hands over the folds of my dress and found one at each hip.
"Understood," I said.
"Now this," he said, opening the small lid of the second item and dumping its content into his hand. A single, gold, tear shaped bead rolled out into his palm. "This is for your ear. Just inside." He turned his head so I could see a gold bead nestled just inside his earhole. "This will allow you to stay in constant, hands-free, contact with the security team and the security team with you so nothing gets past anyone." He pointed up at the ceiling. "They see all and hear all and will be on hand to assist with anything you need."
I nodded, sliding the bead in.
It let off a soft beep.
"Good morning, Guardian Aveeve," a female voice said in my ear. "This is Vix. As Gonreem said, my team and I will be on hand to assist you with anything you need. Direct us as you will."
I recalled the second member of the Surveillance Team to mind, the short, black haired woman with yellow eyes who was second in command. "Thank you, Vix. I will take over Guard check-ins in forty-five minutes."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Now, to use the doors—" Pharro started.
"I know," I said, relieved at how effortlessly I was able to call forth all the information Tritteon had given me, without Lexicons help. "Grip the handle with your middle finger and thumb parallel with the floor, think the name of the place you are going and turn the handle until your thumb is pointing toward the floor."
Pharro nodded. "You know where we are headed, I assume?"
"The Korbell Room," I said, taking the handle. I thought the name in my head and turned it and heat burned from the black triangle. I distinctly felt its shape. I pulled the door open and stuck my head out into a brightly lit corridor with a towering ceiling covered in black vines and an intricately carved set of bronze doors a few yards down the hall, two guards on either side of it. "So cool," I couldn't stop myself from whispering. It was one thing to see it done. It was another thing entirely to do it yourself.
As soon as we stepped through, Pharro closed the door and the men straightened to a salute.
"Remember what Tritteon said. Take charge when the men salute. You are in command," Lexicon said.
I concentrated hard on keeping my hands relaxed at my sides.
"Do not show emotion. Emotion is weakness."
I switched my com to my other hand and saluted the men as we came to a halt in front of them. I could see the unease in their eyes. I was surprised there wasn't more. Sure, they'd been told I would be taking over for Tritteon today. But I wondered if it was their trust in Rilyin or Tritteon or Pharro that stopped them from doubting me entirely.
"At ease," I ordered, before Pharro could say anything. The men dropped their hands and crossed them behind their backs.
"The Korbell is ready for inspection, ma'am," the black-haired man said, looking away from me entirely.
I recalled the picture of his face to the front of my mind, and resisted the urge to cringe. Lance Corda. The man who had clobbered me in the Hawk's Nest with Dellsen.
"Thank you, Mr. Corda."
He nodded.
I turned to the other man. I didn't need Tritteon's image to recognize him as the man who had been too afraid of me to pick me up the day I arrived. "Den Colier?"
"Yes, ma'am. You are looking much better since I last saw you," he said with a small smile.
I narrowed my eyes at him. He should know better. No emotion. "Weather update?"
He stood a little straighter. "There is only a five percent chance of a brief let up, so we may get a small break this morning."
"Thank you. You may open the doors." I glanced back at Pharro. He winked encouragingly.
The images Tritteon had given me of the room did not do it justice. It was towering and octagonal, with the same cone shaped, copper ceiling filled with glowing orbs as the Dining Room. But the walls were a one dimensional, marble tree sculpture with glass that filled in all the spaces. There was an arched, iron door adjacent from the one we'd just entered through that appeared to lead out onto a spacious balcony overlooking the lake.
"Beautiful," I whispered.
"Yes, it is," Pharro said. "You are doing very well, Theena. That was perfectly handled."
I smiled, grateful for the encouragement. "Tritteon was very detailed in his instructions."
"And you are expertly executing them. One would think you'd done this before."
I frowned. That sort of thought about my past was the last thing I needed diverting my attention. Having questions relating to it floating around at the front of my mind was too distracting.
Focus. Do not question your abilities, Tritteon's words seemed to echo in my head.
I straightened my shoulders. I could do this. Just two more weeks and I was free to go. I could babysit some Royals and their Guardians until then.
I inspected every nook and cranny of that room as Tritteon had shown me. By the time I finished, I knew it as well as I knew Tritteon's instructions. I pressed my thumb across the surface of my com and it lit up. Two minutes to seven. I touched a few of the glowing symbols and raised it to my mouth.
"Grogus and Tavroe to the Korbell balcony doors," I said, remembering the two men Tritteon had recommended for the job.
I looked back at Pharro who hadn't said a word since we'd walked in. He was watching me intently, a strange smile on his face. I was a little amazed he hadn't tried giving me any pointers. I must not have done anything wrong yet. That, in and of itself, was encouraging.
"Everything set?" Pharro asked.
"Yes."
"Come then. We'll discuss the balcony."
I followed him back out into the corridor. Grogus and Tavroe were just coming up the hall. They stopped in front of us, bowing low. This movement looked difficult for both of them. Muscular was too weak a word to describe what they were. I could see why Tritteon had recommended them. They were intimidating.
"Thank you for your promptness," I said. "Sound off is in two minutes."
They both glanced at each other as though they couldn't quite believe I was the one they were getting orders from. "Yes, ma'am," they growled, their voices deep and rumbling, their gazes drifting upward, to my hair.
A nauseating twinge of unease settled into my stomach at the look. Knowing what it meant really made it so much worse.
"Focus. You are here to prove their fears are unfounded," Lexicon said.
The men disappeared inside and Pharro pointed up. "Though you can't see it from here, which is the point, the balcony for observing arrivals is just up there. Tritteon told you the way, I expect?"
"Yes," I said, following his finger up the gilded walls covered in black vines to the point of the ceiling. Supposedly, a balcony was shielded somewhere among those vines with a perfect view of everything up and down the corridor. I wouldn't miss a single person coming or going. "I will join you once everyone has arrived," I said formally, bowing to Pharro. It was probably unnecessary, but Tritteon had demanded I never stop acting the part.
"Good luck, my dear," he whispered, bowing ever-so-slightly.
I waited for him to go inside, as my job required, then took off down the hall to the purple portal door. I had thirty seconds until sound off. I lifted my com to my mouth as I grabbed the handle and turned it, my destination already in mind. I pulled it open and jumped through, snapping it shut behind me.
I turned right down the corridor, ducked behind the marble stag sculpture and pressed once against the marble wall. There was a hiss, like escaping air, and the wall slid open just enough for me to squeeze inside. I pushed it back into place and found myself blinking out at the very drastic change of scenery, the air thick with the scent of roses. I wasn't sure how I recognized it, but it was familiar to me somehow. The ceiling was covered in those thick, black rose vines I had seen from the corridor below.
There was a vibrating buzz in my hand. It was seven o'clock.
"Check in," I said into the com.
The coded vibrations started immediately, and I sent a vibration back to confirm each one. I peered over the railing and watched carefully as men, women, and their accompanying FengDohrn began trickling into the corridor and Lexicon provided names and ranks for those I couldn't remember. Going over the five Royals, nine Ambassadors, and their Guardians was the last thing we had covered that morning and I had been beyond groggy.
Prince Konrath Razill entered the hall first, his Guardian, Nova, on his arm. Others were close behind, but they appeared to be keeping a deliberate distance from them. The twenty-five-year-old heir apparent stared straight ahead, looking bored. He didn't give Corda or Colier any acknowledgement when they opened the door for him.
"I do not like him either," Lexicon said.
I grinned. "I didn't know you had opinions like that."
"I wonder if he knows who is really making his succession possible."
"Why would Corvek pick him to begin with?"
"He is young, weak, easily swayed—a true traitor to his country."
"You can tell all of that by looking at him?"
"Tritteon's observations and opinions."
"I must have been dozing during that part."
"You were."
Princess Charlotte Aundran, her Guardian, Aeryn, on her arm, spoke in hushed tones with her Head Ambassador, Lady Hazel Thala, whose Guardian, Clade, walked close behind, scanning his surroundings tensely.
Two more Ambassadors and their Guardians followed several yards behind, deliberately maintaining a large gap between the women and each other. The Guardians eyed each other warily and kept up a continual watch of their surroundings, distrust thick in the air.
The men were all in either suits or fancy robes and the women wore elegant dresses. Each Guardian wore a dress, suit or robe similar to his or her charge.
"They dress up for breakfast?" I almost said aloud. I bit my lips together to hold onto any other near outbursts and concentrated hard on every face, putting a mental check mark next to every name, counting down to when I would have to actually go down there.
A small moment of relief went through me as the last of the guard sound-offs vibrated in my hand. I sent him my confirmation and stuck the Com in my pocket, hoping the vibration was strong enough I would feel it if it went off. There was no way I was going to hold onto it throughout this whole ordeal. I needed my hands free.
There was a hiss from the wall opening behind me.
My claws ejected effortlessly as I spun around, swiping backwards at the unannounced, protocol breaker. It was lucky Tritteon was so fast. He caught my hand, stopping it just short of slicing off the end of his nose.
"What are you doing here? I could have killed you," I hissed, yanking my hand out of his grasp. My claws retracted.
"Hardly," he said, peering over the balcony rail. "Are you ready?"
"Really? You left his side to ask me that?"
I felt a shield ripple to life around us. "No. I came because I did not get the chance to receive an undeniable assurance that everything would go perfectly today."
I squinted up at him, confused. "There is no such thing."
He didn't look at me but continued to stare down into the hallway below. Something about his countenance was different from this morning. "Last night was a disaster," he said quietly. His knuckles whitened as he squeezed the railing, and then released it. But his eyes remained their normal gold. He looked at me, his frown deepening.
I forced myself to ignore the need to take a step back. There really wasn't a lot of space up here and I didn't want to corner myself more than I already was.
"I hope you will forgive me for this later on. But there is too much at stake if I don't."
I wished immediately I had listened to my senses. I tried to dodge him, but I truly hadn't been expecting him to attack me. Hard, invisible air slammed into the back of my legs and Tritteon snatched the back of my neck as they buckled, throwing me forward onto my knees, and pressed my forehead against the icy, marble platform.
"Do not fight back," he hissed before I could so much as lift a clawed hand.
My brand burned and my body stilled, like someone else had stepped inside it and taken over, all will to fight instantly gone. The sensation was horribly familiar.
"Your will is your own whether you forgive me or not after this," Tritteon whispered, his mouth beside my ear. "But your will to fear I take from you. You will fear no one inside the Korbell Room. You will banish all insecurities from your mind. You will not dwell on any questions about your past. Answer yes if my commands have been accepted."
I wanted to scream at him, punch him in the face, push him off the balcony, claw out his throat. But I had no control over myself, let alone my vocal cords. I tried to fight it, to clamp my mouth shut, but the invisible force wouldn't allow it. It felt like white hot needles stabbing into every surface of my skin as the word formed itself on my lips.
"Yes," came my own breathy reply. It didn't really sound like me. I wondered if there had ever been a time I wanted to hurt someone as badly as I wanted to hurt Tritteon in that moment.
I blinked. I could wonder. I thought a question about my past. My mind, my thought process, was still my own.
"You might thank me later," Tritteon whispered. He let me go and took a step back. The sensation of another presence inside me and the white-hot, stabbing needles vanished immediately, but I stayed where I was, taking deep breaths.
I stared at my shaking hands. I balled them into fists to make them stop. I couldn't injure him right now. Rilyin needed him and I couldn't be in two places at once.
In one swift move, I kicked out and swiped up, knocking him clean off his feet. I was on top of him the instant he fell, my claws against his jugular, my knee pressed into the left over wound in his chest. His eyes turned black, but his face drained of color and there was a quiver in his jaw as he gritted his teeth to hold back what most likely would've been a pain fill roar.
"I won't forgive you," I hissed, trying hard to control the amount of pressure my claws were putting on his neck. It was hard. The shaking in my hand was getting worse. "And if I so much as consider thanking you for this later, I'll rip out your throat."
I pulled my hand away before anything really bad happened, punched him in the nose, and slammed my elbow across the side of his face. His yell escaped him this time, but I didn't wait around for his retaliation. I jumped to my feet, kicked him hard in the ribs, and dived backward over the railing.
Rose scented air rushed up around me and the marble walls became a white blur. Heat burned from my Thet point and the air vibrated as I threw the Veehm under me, halting myself three feet short of the marble floor, landing lightly in front of Corda and Dellsen, perfectly balanced.
As much as I wanted to be amused by their open-mouthed expressions, I was too furious. I didn't even wait for them to open the doors. I threw a Thet Veehm with an angry flourish and the doors flew wide. But I cushioned them with more Thet so they wouldn't bang against the walls on either side because I wasn't a heathen.
Twenty-three pairs of eyes turned my way as I walked inside. Earlier, I had feared this very moment. Now, I felt nothing.
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