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One of the kitchen staff who survived the Order’s massacre goes up to say a little about Julita’s early life living on the estate, and Stavros comments on her commitment as a student and dedication to her classmates. Then we all stand in silence while the cleric offers the final blessing.
When the mourners move away from the grave at the end of the burial ceremony, I spot Voleska standing at the outskirts of the cemetery. As I head over to her, she offers a sympathetic smile that pulls at the scar on her cheek.
“I thought I should pay my respects to the woman who was meant to be in my position,” she says. “They’re big shoes to fill. I wish I’d had the chance to actually meet her rather than simply knowing of her family.”
She doesn’t realize that in a way she did meet Julita, while I was harboring the other woman’s soul. I’d bet my ghostly friend would have approved of my choice of countess. Throughout the uprising, Voleska proved herself just as devoted to her country and this county as Julita was, with leadership skills to spare.
I give her arm a quick squeeze. “From what I hear, you and Emor are already doing a fantastic job.” Her former co-leader has joined her as her chief of staff, without any resentment about the main title going to her.
“She can wear the fancy clothes and do the public appearances,” he said with a laugh when he first heard about the appointment. “I’m happiest behind the scenes anyway.”
Proving my point, Voleska leads the whole gathering back to the estate to enjoy refreshments and music in Julita’s honor—exactly the way I’d expect my noblewoman passenger would have wanted it.
As the wine flows, more stories emerge about Julita’s escapades around town and at the college, with all her usual spirited charm. By the time we call it a night, I feel as if I know her even better than while she was sharing my head.
There, I can almost hear her say. Now everything’s as it should be.
It's a long trek back to the capital, but at least it’s more comfortable now that we’re traveling as respected members of Queen Petra’s inner circle rather than fugitives. Our two carriages with their softly cushioned benches rattle along the roads with an escort of half a dozen guards around us.
Some people still have hostile feelings toward the riven, unsurprising when the hatred was so entrenched. Technically I could topple any foe faster than those guards if I needed to, but Petra has made it clear that she never wants to put me in a situation where I feel I have to defend myself or the people I care about with magic, not again.
As we approach Florian, Rheave leans out the window for a gulp of fresh autumn air and to grin at the guard riding next to us, who’s one of his fellow captured daimon. “It’s an interesting thing, being perched up on an animal, isn’t it?”
The guard chuckles in return. “Not like anything I knew before. I’m glad I listened to you and stayed to find out more about this side of the world.”
Only about half of the daimon whose animated clay bodies survived the various battles decided to hold on to those bodies rather than returning to their former existence as purely spiritual creatures. As far as we can tell so far, the magically animated bodies are aging the same way regular ones do, so they can have close to normal lives for as long as any regular human being.
Quite a few of the daimon who remained opted to serve the new queen. Rheave has become a sort of captain of the guard for that specific segment.
He’s still delighting in every aspect of his new physical existence, from the breeze to the sway of the carriage to the butterfly that swoops through the window and lands on his sleeve. Rheave laughs and holds it up to show me before it flits off across the fields again.
At the moment, my other companion in this carriage is Alek. The scholar has managed to open a map, a textbook, and a pad of notes on his lap all at once while also consulting a language reference he’s spread out on the bench beside him.
The tension on his face echoes the worry coiled in my gut. I grimace around the question. “Do you think there’s any chance the Darium delegation has good intentions?”
Alek snorts in a not particularly Alek-like way, which only highlights how absurd the idea is. “If there is, it’s so small you couldn’t make it out with a magnifying glass. I’m sure this trip is mainly about the emperor’s people feeling out Petra—with an eye to identifying weaknesses they could exploit to drag Silana back under his control.”
The idea of that ever happening makes me guffaw. “I expect they’ll be sorely disappointed then. I wish we could tell them to stuff their delegation up Emperor Tarquin’s ass.”
“So do I,” Alek says dryly. “But Petra can’t simply throw the offer of negotiating a peace accord in their faces when so many people would benefit from an end to the constant conflict with Dariu. I suppose it’ll give her a chance to feel out the emperor’s representatives too.”
Rheave hums. “Casimir will be able to sense what they’re really after quickly enough.”
Technically the courtesan has been appointed Petra’s arts and entertainments advisor, but she often ensures he’s on hand for any particularly uncertain meetings so he can make use of his gift on her behalf.
I clasp my hands together on my lap. “They’ll be wondering about her entire cabinet of advisors. Do you think word has spread about my magic?”
Alek hesitates, his gaze softening with compassion. “I think it’s unlikely that not a single spy has brought back word of the divine spectacle at the end of the trials. But they’ll also be reporting that Silana has ended capital punishment for the riven and started a new habilitation and training program for any who are identified. And Petra will be introducing you as one of her magic advisors, after all—it’ll be obvious she stands with you.”
So they might think nasty things in their heads, but they’ll probably refrain from saying them out loud. I guess that’s a small comfort.
I’ll have all of my men by my side as well. Petra appointed Stavros her lead military advisor and put Alek in charge of overseeing royal scholarship while he finishes his own studies. Rheave will tag along in the guise of a regular guard for additional protection.
I sigh and slump back in my seat. “Well, we’ve got until tomorrow before we really have to worry about it.”
A small, sly smile touches Alek’s lips. “The only part I’m looking forward to is seeing the emperor’s representatives come face to face with our new Signy. They don’t know what they’re up against.”
I scoff, but a warm glow spreads through my chest at the same time.
