House of Eclipses by Casey L. Bond

17

I spent hours on the roof where Father wouldn’t know to look for me and read every word of the book Saric had given me. The first thing that took me aback was that Sol didn’t become fixed in the sky until Father became Aten. Before then, the Atens wrote that she traveled her kingdom in a predictable pattern, rising and setting, leaving the land in complete darkness, only to reappear and bring the hope of a new day with her. It was how they measured time. No dark blemish was mentioned on her face.

In those days, the soil rested and did not burn.

Why did she stop? Or what stopped her? The feeling growing inside me that she was trapped, desperately burning to be free again, solidified with every word I read.

The Sphinx hadn’t given me a riddle, Saric had. Perhaps the lioness gave me the answer to the questions tumbling through my mind.

The second thing that stood out among their writings were that the Atens, from the first to my grandmother, who was Aten before Father was chosen, all added similar descriptions of their relationship with Sol. They were all meek, gentle, and kind. I immediately knew why Sol had chosen them.

And then I came to Father’s section.

What he added was as unexpected as it was heartbreaking.

My Sol, I am broken and unworthy of your blessing. Of serving you. Of your light and of your love. Please reconsider. Please choose another. I cannot be your Aten.

It was written by his hand. I recognized the sharp angles and shallow swoops. The last sentence was blurred as if his tears had fallen on the ink before it dried, spreading it across the parchment.

Why had Saric shown me this?

I read it again and again, unable to recognize my father in any word, yet knowing he’d penned them and plucked them from his heart.

Which meant that at some point, he was a different man. Sol knew that. She chose him because of the heart he had back then. What happened to him?

The only thing I could think was that my mother was somehow responsible. I’d often said to myself that she’d reduced his heart to a cinder. She was why he had grown to hate me.

I wiped a tear, remembering a few flashes of his smile as he picked me up and tossed me into the air, as I rode atop his shoulders eating a sweet treat, as he smiled at her.

My mother’s face was fading from my memory. The passage of every day, every year, erased her a little more. I could no longer hear her laughter. I couldn’t remember the color of her eyes. Did she give me the chocolate shade, or did I inherit her amber hue?

Father had written that he was broken. I wasn’t sure if he still was, or if he might have healed back wrong and the pieces of him no longer fit where they did before.

Was Sol leading me to the book that would finish his story, or would what it contained within the pages be the beginning of mine?

When I snuck back down to my rooms, Vada was there, hanging a gown on the hook inside my armoire. My mouth dropped and the only word I could formulate or breathe was, “How?”

She smiled, holding out one of the sleeves. “My sister is a very skilled seamstress. She came with me. I snuck out one of your gowns so she could fashion one that would fit as well.”

She was incredibly talented, and luckily for me, she also happened to travel with fabric, every inch of which was covered in moon diamonds. The gown glistened, even in the drab light that drenched the room. It glittered and shone, the cool blue equivalent to the warm, golden diamonds adorning my wrist and ankle.

“I might have mentioned to Caelum that I wished to have a gown made for you. He insisted on the best fabric – fabric fit for a queen. His queen, Noor.”

The phoenix in my stomach cried out for him, flapping her fiery wings and flying in circles, desperate for him.

His mother walked to me and cupped my elbow. “Please don’t hurt my son.”

I shook my head, my brows pinched. “Never.”

There had to be a way to stop Father without hurting Caelum. I just had to find it. I hoped Sol had paved such a path with the vision she granted me and the mission on which she was sending me.

Vada leaned in and gently hugged me.

Lumos had chosen his Lumin well. He’d chosen one with a heart of gold, passed down by a woman who was both wise and kind.

“Do you need help dressing?” she asked as she pulled away.

I shook my head, unable to speak for a moment because of the Sphinx-sized knot sitting in my throat.

She nodded. “I’ll see you tonight, Noor.”

She let herself out and I locked the door behind her.

I braided my hair down my back, lined my eyes with dark kohl, applied shimmer dust to my cheeks, and currant to my lips. Then I went to dress. The gown was exquisite. I undressed and slid it off its hanger, surprised that it wasn’t as heavy as I imagined. The fabric whispered as I stepped into it and slid my arms into the sleeves.

The neckline was straight, grazing the tops of my breasts, and the back dipped in a deep square as well. I tugged the zipper up and held the broad skirt out to watch the fabric catch the muted light. Tucked inside the armoire was an unfamiliar black box.

I took it out and lifted a small hinge, opening it to find a necklace of pure silver. The metal felt cool against my fingers. I clasped it onto my neck and walked into the bathing room to look in the mirror.

I’d never worn anything in the blue crystalline color of Caelum’s eyes.

My fingers drifted over the fabric on my stomach. I took a moment to breathe, because I wasn’t sure when I might have the chance again. Tonight, Kevi and her girls had to execute her plan flawlessly or we would all be executed.

I breathed out.

I hoped Beron would keep Citali occupied so she didn’t notice what was happening or ruin the ball for me the way she was likely planning.

Drew another breath in.

Tonight, I would walk down the staircase and hope that Caelum was waiting at the bottom, that he would drink in the sight of me the way he had the night of the feast.

I pushed the air out again and turned on my heel. Golden sandals were all I had brought, so I slipped my feet into them and tied them on. When I stood, the gown’s skirts draped to conceal them. I strode from the room, locking it behind me.

A gasp came from over my shoulder. I turned my head to see Citali standing in her doorway.

Citali looked stricken. “Where did you get that?” she bit, hurt lacing her tone.

“It was a gift.”

“From Caelum?”

I didn’t respond. It was from him, but also from Vada, and from her sister who made it. “You look beautiful, Citali,” I responded instead.

She did. She wore a dress that was sleeveless and fitted at the top, with intricate golden beads strung over the bodice. Those beads gave way to golden feathers that cascaded from her hips to the floor. Her earrings were feathers, too, and the beaded collar necklace she wore matched her dress’s bodice.

“I look like I belong in Helios, but you… You look like you already belong to Lumos himself,” she said disgustedly. “How quickly you forsook Sol for her enemy.”

“I’m not forsaking Sol,” I growled, my bracelet warming against my wrist.

“I take it that this means Caelum chose you?” she said, looking down and worrying her hands. They were trembling as she wrung them.

“Don’t worry, Citali. I’m sure there are poisons in Lumina you’ve not yet considered.”

Her eyes widened a fraction.

I took a step toward her. She shrank away. “Don’t think I won’t figure out who helped you with that jam.” She was insufferable. “We are on the same side, Citali. We share a common goal.”

“We share nothing, and we never will.” With her poisonous words ringing in the air, she strode away, golden feathers fluttering in her wake.

I straightened my back and made my way downstairs.

There was no crowd waiting at the bottom of the landing. The great hall was open. The ball had begun.

There was only him, and her.

Caelum stood talking with Citali. She grabbed his elbow and gestured to the door with a wide smile, but he shook his head. “I’m going to wait for Noor,” he gently explained, extracting his arm from her claws.

“Then your wait is over,” I announced, starting down the final flight.

If Citali had only waited, she would have had the perfect opportunity to push me down them instead of embarrassing herself by showing how desperate and pathetic she truly was. She’d made it perfectly clear how she felt about me. Though I wasn’t sure I loved her as one sister should love another, I didn’t harbor hatred for her in my heart.

If anything, I pitied her.

But after those scathing words on what should’ve been a happy evening to celebrate peace, she made my heart feel more like warring with her.

She bared her teeth as I appeared. Pouting, she whirled around and left Caelum to enter the great hall, disappearing into the ball.

Caelum was dressed in deep blue from neck to toe. His tunic was fitted and didn’t hide the planes of his muscles. His trousers were tucked into polished, matching boots. He waited patiently at the bottom of the steps, dark hair sleeked back, pale skin contrasting his clothing like foam sitting upon the fathomless seas I hoped still existed.

His eyes tracked my every step, taking in the gown his aunt made for me, then fastened on mine and held.

When I reached the bottom, he blinked rapidly as if emerging from a spell. “Lumos, help me,” he whispered. His cool air calmed my burning skin. His cold hands ghosted down my back as mine found his chest and explored those ill-concealed planes. He leaned in and his lips found my temple, my cheek, my jaw – his favorite spot, and mine. His hands found my waist and clamped down on it like he was holding me to the ground, or perhaps using me to hold his own feet there. “I know we should go inside, but I can’t help but want a moment with you without the noise,” he said.

So we stayed there, remaining quiet and just holding one another. Until Vada came looking for us, smiling proudly when we parted and Caelum took my hand. “Your father is asking about you,” she said to me.

We joined her and Vada led us through the large double doors. The crowd seemed to part, Helioan and Luminan alike whispering over the sight of me and Caelum entering hand-in-hand. The division led straight to Father. He stood with Citali with a mixture of guardsmen from both kingdoms, Zuul hovering close by. I hadn’t seen him as often lately. I knew he never strayed far from my father’s side, so he must have become more adept at concealing himself.

Father’s dark coal eyes raked over my gown. A muscle ticked in his jaw and his fist clenched. The dress was suddenly too tight around my ribs for me to catch a breath.

“A word, Noor?” he asked with a smile, ticking his head toward a dark corner of the room.

Caelum’s hand tightened on mine, but I tugged away and straightened my back, following Father beyond that shadow and into the hall. He stopped and turned to face me, staring at me wordlessly with his chilling gaze locked onto mine. “What are you wearing?”

I tipped my chin. “It was a gift.”

“From whom?”

“Caelum’s mother, Vada.”

“You haven’t forgotten your kingdom in chasing his crown, have you?”

I tightened my heating fists. “I could never forget Helios.”

“Citali says otherwise,” he said, stepping closer. He pointed his finger in my face. “Do not disgrace me.”

Though my stomach churned in knots, I stood my ground. “I wore it to please him. Citali is only envious because I caught Caelum’s attention and he pays her so little.”

Father’s eyes narrowed. Quick as a viper, his hand clamped around my wrist, squeezing until I thought my bones might crack. “Do not betray me, Noor. What did the Sphinx tell you this morning? I want every word.”

“Don’t ever put your hands on me again,” I growled, something low and deep rumbling from my chest; a voice I didn’t recognize but knew so intimately it shook me. The fire in my chest flowed through my veins like water in a riverbed. I focused it to his hand, his crushing, terrible hand.

He cried out when the heat hit him, jerking his hand away with wide eyes, looking at me like I was a monster.

His lips gaped when he saw something in my face. “Your… your eyes.”

“If you lay your hand on me again, it won’t be Sol incinerating your corpse. It will be me.”

Father stumbled backward, his shoulder blades hitting the wall behind him. I left him in the hall and waded back into the celebration of peace.

Caelum stood in the darkness, waiting just inside the door. I wasn’t sure if he’d heard Father’s harsh words, accusing me of forgetting my kingdom while chasing the crown of moonlight. He rushed to me the moment I appeared at the doorway. “Are you okay?”

I gave a harsh word, still hot from losing my temper.

If Citali had shown up in the same gown, Father would have applauded her cleverness in stealing the heart of the Lumin. He would have said well done. He would have rewarded her with praise and the attention she so desperately craved.

But Citali meant nothing to Caelum. She not only tried to poison me but had succeeded in poisoning Father’s already-spoiled opinion of me.

I shook my head, eager to dispel my gloomy thoughts. I hadn’t had a chance to fully take in the room when we’d walked in with Vada. Fear had crept in and blinded me, as it always did. But as Caelum led me back into the room, my steps slowed.

Dark curtains severed the bland light from the terrace and draped elegantly over the few windows built into the wall. The chandeliers held silver candles whose flames weren’t warm like the fire I knew, but were also silver, painting the room with cool, white light. Someone had cut intricate shapes from parchment and hung them from the ceiling and chandeliers.

“Snowflakes,” Caelum explained. “You could catch and look at a million of them and never see the same shape twice.”

I gaped. “Are they made of ice?”

“Of a sort,” he said, looking wistfully at the glittering flakes. “It’s soft, where ice is hard and sometimes sharp.”

“I read that snow was like rain, but these flakes are so large! Do you get large snow in Lumina?”

He barked a laugh and my heart fluttered at the sound, followed by the sight of his genuine smile. The worries he normally carried were gone, at least for now. “No. This is just for decoration. Snowflakes are tiny, for the most part.”

“Are you homesick?”

He took my other hand. “Not right now.” The look he gave me was indecipherable. “Dance with me?”

“Okay.”

We carved a path to the area where others swayed to an elegant rhythm. The Luminan musicians played instruments I’d never seen. Their strings sang such a haunting and beautiful melody, I couldn’t look away from them.

Then, Caelum’s hand brushed my back. His hand clasped mine and he began to sway as the beautiful music carried us away. He looked at my wrist, at the sun diamonds twinkling there. “You need moon diamonds to match,” he noted.

“I have them. Just look at my dress.”

He smiled. “I can’t stop. You’re so…” He seemed at a loss for words. “I’ve seen waterfalls and the great, vast sea, rolling hills and snow-capped mountains, and millions of stars in the inky sky. But you, Noor, are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” He bent his head and leaned in. “May I?”

I craned my neck, pushing myself taller with my toes and pressed my lips almost to his. “You may.”

His lips were soft and cool and he tasted faintly of mint. His scent, that unnamed fragrance, wrapped around me and made my eyes flutter closed as we kissed and swayed, allowing the world and all its machinations to fade into the background where it belonged.

For a moment, there was only me and Caelum. His hand pressed against my back so that our chests met, the other curling my hand against his chest.

Then he pulled away and I realized that the beautiful music had stopped and the entire room was watching the two of us. A woman nearby clutched her chest, her eyes swimming with warmth. Beron and Citali walked over.

“Brother,” Beron said. “The Aten would like to steal you away for a moment for the announcement.”

Caelum glanced at me; an apology written on his face. “Go to him. I’m fine,” I promised.

“I’ll hurry,” he promised. He reluctantly let go of my hands and strode to where my father stood near his men. Fear crept into my throat. I didn’t like Caelum being anywhere near those cruel, crushing hands, or around so many of Father’s loyal guards…

I will reduce this house to dust if Father hurts him.

The thought rang true, ricocheting through my chest with surprising vigor. At some point along this twisted journey, I’d developed real feelings for Caelum. The logical part of me said they were far too strong to have only known him a handful of days, arguing that they couldn’t be real. That I was merely being foolish. After all, he was the first man I had been given permission to pursue and who showed an interest in return.

Kiran and Saric moved to stand with Father as two of Lumos’s priests rose and went to Caelum’s side. Kiran glanced at me, swallowed thickly, and thankfully looked away. I missed his friendship, but no longer wondered what things might have been like if he hadn’t been called to the priesthood. Caelum had erased such thoughts.

And hopefully my chastising words had stopped his actions.

My heart shone for Caelum now; like it was a sun diamond and I’d been lost, she pointed straight to him.

Kevi slid up to me. “Atena,” she said in her sultry voice, “are things in place?”

I nodded once.

“Then we will proceed.”

“Good,” I answered, not looking toward her before she slunk away.

Citali and Beron watched Caelum and Father address our peoples and announce that today, they had signed a treaty for peace, trade, and a better future for both kingdoms. They declared that tomorrow would be a day for goodbyes – for now. The Aten and Lumin would put their agreed-upon plans into motion once arriving at their respective homes.

Citali and I clapped as Beron put his pinkies in his mouth and let out a shrill whistle. The entire room celebrated the announcement. Word traveled fast, and everyone probably already knew what Father and Caelum were announcing publicly, but that it was being presented as a unified message was significant. Historic.

Change was on the horizon for both Helios and Lumina, and these attendees were the ones gathered to bear witness to its conception. It was a beautiful thing.

If only it were real. If only Father meant the lovely, venomous words pouring from his mouth.

Carrying a bottle of expensive wine, Kevi made her way to Father’s table as the two men bowed to one another and told everyone to eat, drink their fill, and dance until their feet were sore. Caelum knew the plan. He knew not to drink down what he pretended to sip when Father proposed a toast. Kevi filled both goblets, Father drinking from Luminan silver and Caelum from Helioan gold.

Caelum winked at me as he eased his glass down.

Some of Kevi’s girls brought more bottles and began pouring it for all Father’s guards.

Citali kept stealing glances at Beron when he was watching his brother. Caelum waved him and their mother over and hugged each of them, then both together, the two squashing Vada in the middle, who playfully swatted each of her sons as she laughed at their antics.

I didn’t miss what Father and Caelum failed to announce –that Citali and I, along with priests Saric and Kiran, would be traveling to Lumina with Caelum. That our kingdoms might be united in a more intimate way, by family, and one day if the union was blessed with children, by blood.

I smoothed my sweaty palms along the diamonds on my stomach. It was probably best they hadn’t shared that yet. If Lumos rejected one or both of the Aten’s daughters, it would spare Father the embarrassment of telling people we were found unworthy by the moon god.

Besides, it would soon be made clear when we boarded the ship to Luminos, and to our brethren when we were missing from the Helioan ship.

Caelum strode to me and whisked me into another dance, holding me close. “Has it begun?”

I nodded.

Caelum, steadfast Caelum, held me tight and told me, “All is ready on our end. Yours and Citali’s rooms are cleared and your trunks are already aboard our ship. We leave as soon as possible.”

I glanced to Citali, dancing with Beron, then sought out our priests. “Did anyone tell Saric and Kiran we were leaving so soon?”

His brows kissed.

“Our priests. They’re supposed to escort us.”

“You should probably tell them, Noor. I can send someone to load their things.” He cleared his throat. “My mother and two of Lumos’s priests are going to sail to Helios with your father.”

Vada? My body stopped swaying. “No, Caelum. That is not wise.”

“The peace we’ve forged is tentative. Your father is sending his daughters and two priests into Lumina. He would not agree to allow you to come without some assurance, a show of good faith, if you will.”

“You should leave us here, then. Get your mother and priests and sail south with all haste,” I breathed, pressing a hand to my abdomen. “She won’t be safe there.”

“She will be, as long as you and Citali communicate that you’re being treated well. He won’t harm her.”

“You have no idea what he’s capable of. And the sun… Sol is harsh to those who are not hers.”

I expected no warmth from Lumos for the daughters of the Aten. He would expect us to adjust to his cool light and biting frost.

He tipped my chin. “Believe me when I tell you that my mother is more than capable of handling herself. She has been trained by the guard.”

My mouth fell open in shock.

He grinned. “She’s one of the best swordswomen I’ve seen. People make assumptions based on her position and age, but she’s nimble and more agile than Beron or I, and what she lacks in brute strength, she makes up for with cunning and speed. Mother will take her blades and won’t hesitate to stick anyone who threatens her or Lumos’s priests.”

“If she defended herself against my father, it would be her last act in this life.”

He shook his head resolutely. “Lumos guides her. Just last night, he told her to go. He promised her safe passage.”

“How did she speak to him?”

“He sent a message to the Wolven. Lumos will see her through this journey.” He took a deep breath and coaxed me to relax, swaying with me once again. “I know you don’t know our ways or our god, but he is more than capable of ensuring her safely to – and from – Helios.”

If Sol wasn’t stuck, would she also be with me? Was she with me despite the distance between us? I thought back to the light that streamed through my diamonds in that thick maze of wood, then of the Sphinx who flew here just to speak to me, and how I knew it was Sol working through her to allow me time with my mother. I could still almost feel her heat when the memory surfaced. A sense of calm washed over me.

“It will be okay, Noor. I wouldn’t have agreed otherwise. I wouldn’t knowingly put my mother in danger.”

“I know. I just…”

His thumb drifted over my jaw. “You fear for her.”

I did. So much.

Despite the fact that I didn’t know Lumos, and Sol seemed so incredibly distant even when she was close enough to blister and burn anyone without the Aten’s blood in her veins, I knew my father, along with his cruelties and deceptions, far too well to feel at peace with this arrangement.

Citali slithered closer, dragging Beron with her. “You’ve stolen enough of the Lumin’s attention, Noor. Stop being so greedy.” She said it teasingly, pushing between us and moving to dance with Caelum.

Beron shrugged good-naturedly. “Waltz with the second-best option?”

I hoped he didn’t truly feel that way, but then again, I was third born. Would I feel the same if I couldn’t find the crown and returned home to find Zarina chosen as our new Aten? “Only if you’re okay dancing with the third born, and therefore, third-best.”

He bowed deeply with a flourish, then rose with a teasing glint in his eye. “I would be honored, third-born. But more importantly, as we are amazing dance partners, I was hoping you’d consider showing them up for a dance or two.”

“I’d like nothing more.” I smiled and placed my hand in his.

With an ornery expression, he clamped a hand on my waist, jerked me against his chest, and whirled me away. “Our proximity will drive my brother to the deepest pits of insanity,” he confided.

Inwardly, I wasn’t sure he would even notice. When I told Citali she was beautiful, I wasn’t understating the fact. She shone this evening, like a beam of light arcing from Sol’s unearthly face.

I wished I could’ve enjoyed the dance as much as Beron seemed to, but I could only think of Vada’s fate, then of Kevi and her girls, who still hovered around Father’s table, making sure the glasses were filled. Father was getting drunker by the minute. His face was flushed. His movements were exaggerated and sloppy. His eyelids drooped.

“My brother looks miserable,” he chortled.

I searched for them and found the gold of Citali’s feathered gown. It reminded me of a mortal’s attempt to mimic the Sphinx’s wings. After seeing them in the flesh, I knew no one could possibly capture their translucence, but her dress properly paid homage to Sol’s lioness.

I didn’t think Caelum looked miserable at all. He talked to her as they danced. He smiled and grinned and seemed to be enjoying himself. Perhaps Beron was trying to ease the sting of seeing them together. Happy.

“Are you poking fun at my sister?” I faked offense.

“Absolutely. Although, she is interesting. I’ll give her that much.”

“Interesting how?”

We swung around and around in broad circles, whirling around other couples and turning around the room to more of the heart-rending music. He finally answered. “She would make an incredible actress.”

“Actress?”

“We have players who pretend to be characters. Citali is a master of acting and pretending to be something she isn’t and never will be,” he mused. “My brother favors you. She knows that. But she’s convinced that with enough time, coaxing, and acting like she’s a far superior choice than you, he might change his mind.”

“She told you that?” I asked.

“She has and she hasn’t. A lot of what Citali doesn’t say with her lips, she says with her eyes. They burn, though differently than yours. Yours glow a rich, bright gold sometimes. Hers is a dark fire. A flame sealed in shadow.”

I’d never heard anything truer, and despite the gold haloing my eyes at times, I couldn’t help but wonder if she and I carried the same shadow flame. Maybe we inherited it from our father.

Beron had certainly spent ample time studying my sister. Interesting. And dangerous –

for him…

He glanced at something over my shoulder and then moved me to a different area of the floor. “Would you care for a drink?” he asked.

I agreed, realizing my throat was parched. “I’d love one, but first, I need to deliver a message.”

Beron walked with me to Kiran, where I whispered a quick, urgent message into his ear. Confused as he was, he nodded once and replaced his curious expression with a bland one. I left him behind and Beron and I strolled to a table where bottles of wine had been uncorked and sat ready to be poured. Beron gestured to the spread. “I’ll admit, I’m not sure what’s best or what you might like.”

“Then let me choose for both of us.”

He playfully quirked a brow. “You think you know what I’d like?”

My cheeks flushed. He was such a flirt. The table was trimmed in shiny silver fabric that was cool to the touch when my fingers brushed it. I chose my favorite from among the others and poured two glasses, handing one to Beron.

We moved aside and found a place to stand along the wall, watching the dancing couples glide across the floor. “Are you hungry?” he asked.

“Not really.” I was too nervous to think about eating. Nervous about the plan. Nervous to leave this dull place for a kingdom I knew so little about.

Watching how the silver candlelight flickered and cast cool light over the space, I wondered what it would be like in Lumina, to see the face of Lumos in his half of the earth. To see darkness and wonder if it felt the way I did inside sometimes.

Caelum and Citali still seemed to be enjoying themselves.

“Do you think you’ll be happy in Lumina?” Beron asked quietly. He looked from snowflake to snowflake, then turned to me, waiting for my answer.

I wanted to say I could be happy anywhere under the right circumstances, but I wasn’t sure that was true. “I’m not sure. I’ve never been happy,” I hedged.

“You’re still unsure of my brother,” he observed.

“I didn’t say that.”

“Citali is the one who told him you were only pretending to want him because you wanted power and a crown to match his.”

My fingers tightened on my glass. “Citali is a liar. But a very good one, unfortunately.” I shook my head. “Does he believe her?”

“I’m not sure,” he said, taking a sip. “This is delicious. You chose well.”

“Do you believe my sister?”

He pursed his lips for a moment. “I’m not sure we can trust either of you just yet. I’m reserving judgment.” He sipped from his glass. “But if you are just after his title, know that you don’t deserve him. My brother is actually a very good man. As rare as those diamonds on your wrist.”

“Lumos would not accept me if the only thing in my heart was greed and a hunger for power and status.”

He shrugged. “He hasn’t accepted you yet, though, has he?”

No, he hadn’t. He wouldn’t. But I couldn’t let him know that.

“What do you think lays inside what you seek tonight?” he asked cryptically. His mood had shifted from jovial to questioning.

“I’m not sure, but as Lumos guides your mother, Sol guides me, and she pointed me directly to it.”

He sucked in a breath. Took a drink. Remained quiet for a long moment. “Sometimes, it’s difficult being chosen by the gods who war among themselves and drag us into their fights.”

Beron spoke as if he wasn’t only speaking about his brother. I supposed he wasn’t. Lumos guided his mother. Perhaps he also guided him.

He glanced to me. “Your father is leaving the room.”

I stood up straighter from where I’d slumped against the wall, watching as two of his men supported his weight, his arms stretched over their shoulders. Kevi shot me a knowing look and followed behind them.

My heart thundered.

“What will he do when he finds that what you seek is missing?”

“I may not need to take it. I just need to see it.”

Beron’s dark brows slanted just the way Caelum’s did when he was confused and concerned.

“I want to ensure your mother’s safety, as well as that of your priests. I just need time to look through it.”

“A book, then?”

“Caelum didn’t tell you?”

“He said the less I knew, the better regarding this.”

“He shielded you,” I told him.

Beron straightened. “He shields me when that’s the last thing I want or need. Thank you for considering our mother and Lumos’s priests. Caelum was concerned that the draught they gave him wouldn’t last long.”

“I’ll figure something out,” I promised. I would also figure out a way to shield Kevi and her dancers as they fled.

“Will you keep watch for me?” I asked. “Caelum has to stay here. Besides, he’s busy.”

He was still laughing with my sister, swaying slowly with her. He even tucked her hand against his chest like he had mine.

“He doesn’t harbor the same feelings for her,” Beron said, sincerity in his tone.

“Neither does he feel nothing for her,” I replied wistfully.

When he gave me an apologetic look, I knew I was right in my assumption. Citali might be his second choice, but it wouldn’t break his heart if Lumos chose her over me.

Was he doing as I suggested and keeping us both at arm’s length until he knew which, if either, of us Lumos would choose? It made sense. It meant he was shielding his heart against breaking over one of us.

I sat my glass down on a nearby table and glided from the room. Beron fell in behind me. Caelum didn’t notice.

“We have to be careful of the men who brought him inside,” Beron warned as we strode through the shadows.

“This gown is like a glittering blue beacon,” I worried.

He shook his head, voice crumbled to gravel. “That gown was meant to be worn by you.”

I glanced at him, but he never returned the look. Did such a sentiment come from Lumos or was it a personal opinion?

Two male voices came from Father’s room just as we drew near. “The guards!” I whispered, frozen.

“Dance with me.” Beron asked, tugging one of my wrists and spinning me close to the wall. My shoulder blades hit the cool stone. He pressed his cool body flush with mine and bent his head. He leaned closer, his warm breath striking my lips.

My heart thundered as the guards drew near, their sandals slapping the stone. The two noticed us. “Is that the Atena?” one asked the other.

Beron’s lips dove toward mine. Our noses touched. His sweet, wine-soaked breath fanned my cheek as his lips moved. One of his hands braced against the wall, the other slid up my waist. His kiss wasn’t soft. It was like he’d decided that if this was happening, he was making it convincing. It certainly felt convincing. His tongue swept out to part my lips and I gasped, my eyes widening as they met his.

He kissed me, watching my reaction, until their footsteps trailed away. When they did, I pushed at his chest and he took a step back. “What was that?” I hissed, so low I wondered if he would hear it.

“That was me providing them a reason why the Atena was lingering outside her father’s door.”

“They’ll think we’re lovers!”

He grinned. “You’re welcome.”

I shook my head, upset, though not just at the kiss. The kiss was unexpected, but I’d never been kissed before Caelum, and he had never kissed me like that. “Is this some sort of game you and your brother concocted? Play Citali and me against one another to see who’s loyal and who isn’t?”

“It was exactly what I said it was,” he said patiently. “I was protecting you and protecting my family. I want to know what you learn in there.” He pointed to Father’s room.

Kevi cracked the door and peeked out, waving me inside.

“You’re supposed to keep watch. Out. Here,” I told him, leaving no room for argument.

I slipped in with Kevi and she handed me a small book bound in black leather.

“You must hurry!” She hovered near Father, gesturing urgently.

Cracking the book open, I fanned the pages and my heart sank. “It’s empty! There’s nothing written in this.”

Kevi hurried over and glanced over the parchment. Beron knocked at the door, then slipped in. “What is taking so long?”

“It’s empty,” I told him, holding it up to show him the blank pages. “Why would Sol want me to have an empty book?”

He shook his head. “In Lumina, we have ink that only reveals itself by Lumos’s light. Could Sol have done the same?”

“I wanted to read it and leave it with him to keep your mother safe,” I gasped.

He shook his head. “Mother knows the risks. Beyond that, she can keep herself safe, as will Lumos. Take the book.”

Father’s breathing changed.

Kevi looked stricken.

With wide eyes, I asked, “Do you have any more of the draught? His body is burning it away.”

She tugged a vial out of her skirts and dropped to her knees beside him, tipping the last of the sleeping draught into his mouth. It would buy some time, but how much?

Beron peeked outside. “It’s still clear.”

Kevi ran to Father’s trunks and found a small book. It wasn’t the same size as the one she’d pulled from his pocket, but it was close enough that it might fool him for a time if we switched them.

I took up Father’s quill and scrawled inside the tome.

Father,

You wanted to know what the Sphinx showed me? She gave me a vision of the book you keep in your kilt pocket, always so close. She told me to take it from you. That it belonged to me.

She also showed me where to find the crown…

If you harm Vada or either of Lumos’s priests, you’ll never see the book again and I’ll keep the crown for myself.

-Noor

“We have to go,” I told them.

I tucked the small book into my pocket, stretching it to its limit.

Outside Father’s room, I hooked my arm through Kevi’s. Beron escorted us down the hall and somehow, we didn’t encounter a soul. He slipped into the ball room and whispered into Caelum’s ear.

Few Luminans remained. Vada stood near the front, flanked by two priests. She caught my eye and waved to me, inclining her head with a ferocious glint in her eye. She was strong. I whispered a request to Sol to keep her safe in our kingdom and safe from Father, hoping that just this once, she’d join Lumos in this effort.

In the short expanse of time that we’d been gone, the Luminan musicians were replaced by Helioans, who now played one of our livelier songs. Father’s guards were asleep at the table where he’d left them, most believing them passed out from imbibing too much wine.

Caelum took Citali’s hand and followed Beron. Kevi waved her girls toward the doors and they slithered from the room using different doors, all meeting us outside. Saric and Kiran stood outside the doors. They walked with me away from the House of Dusk and into the dull gray. A dreadful weight was in my pocket, but it wasn’t as heavy as the feeling inside my chest.

Within minutes, everyone who should have been was aboard the Luminian ship. I stood in the stern’s back corner to keep everything and everyone in sight as the ship was unmoored. The sails snapped as the wind filled them and dragged us southward.

Vada walked outside, waving to her sons.