Page 74 of A Wrecking of Salt and Fire

“King Athanas, a pleasure to have you join us.” Iason winked at Ember, taking the attention away from the Viper’s words. There was not another moment she would be more grateful to Iason for. “Let’s turn our attention to more pressing matters than the love life of our Prytan.”

“Or lack of one…” Ember muttered under her breath, crossing her arms in front of her chest, the tight navy leathers she now so often wore squeaking at the movement. She could have sworn the commander’s lip twitched up slightly. Ember blinked, and any semblance of a smile disappeared.

Iason continued. “It has come to our attention that you have ordered a meeting of the representatives from the surrounding isles without a vote from the senate. Is there a reason you bypassed our laws, Khalid?”

King Athanas flopped down in the chair at the head of the table, his eyes deepened to only the pupil and lip curled in a snarl. A chair that was meant for a Drakos, adorned with carvings of the Triad mountains, and the river that led into Aidesian. One side of the arms depicting the night sky and the storm that could be unleashed. The other the fiery sun, flowers in bloom.

“Yes, well I would have if the matter was not urgent. Would anyone here have disputed the request when we have a dire need to bring the smaller isles together? Would anyone here leave those isles unprotected, while Nexos sails their fleet in for destruction?”

“I am not implying anything of the sort. But laws are laws, even for a king.” Iason held the Viper’s stare.

“I’ll take that under advisement for the next time.” King Athanas leaned into the table, propping his elbows up and clasping his hands. “I have new reports that Nexos plans to attack within the month.”

“A month!” Ember yelped, her hand clasping over her mouth.

King Athanas merely lifted a brow at the outburst. “Their fleet is strong. However, I have it on good authority that they are waiting for someone before they launch the attack.”

Ember began to bite her nails again. A month was not enough time to prepare their forces. To train the reserves from the smaller isles. There had been minor skirmishes here and there, attacks from pirates, but never a full scale assault on the isles. They would not be ready. She would not be ready.

Iason’s clear voice broke the perpetuating silence in her mind. “Who exactly are they waiting for?”

“I am told it is the Prince of the Lost Isles. No doubt the deal they brokered when taking our dear Aikaterine included coming to the aid of Nexos in their rebellion against the rest of Mykandria. We can only hope that my son returns with his future bride before then.”

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Katrin

The bow and arrow had never been Katrin’s weapon of choice. For some reason she just could not get the hang of it, always missing her target. Throw a punch. Throw a dagger. Wield a sword. Those the princess could all do with a level of precision unheard of for her age. But pulling back a threaded string and letting a quiver soar—impossible. Which is how she landed herself in yet another training lesson, this one with Thalia.

This was not to say she wasn’t grateful for training—sparring in the ring and learning proper swordsmanship was what brought her back from the darkness all those years ago. Now—her body had felt rejuvenated by the daily exhaustion as she pushed her physical limits in the mountains. She relished the feeling. Each day on Skiatha she learned more about the Olympi, more of this cause, and with the passing time, felt a deeper desire to be part of it. Even if it meant putting up with archery for the time being.

The Skiathan soldiers had explained that the seer was the best archer of all the men and women who fought to protect this isle. Katrin wondered how a chaste maiden from Delphine came to excel at such a skill, but quickly shoved the thought away as a thin arrow whirled by her ear, landing in the dead center of a target.

Katrin scanned the area for Thalia, or Mykonos, or any sign that the seer had shown up on time for their training. She was a notoriously late individual, abiding by her own rules of civility. There was no sign of the lithe woman and her moon-white hair, nor the little creature that clung to her side.

Two more arrows flew by, landing on each side of Katrin’s boots. She knew no evil resided in these woods, or on this isle, but still the princess’s heart began to race. Not knowing where the potential threat came from unnerved her to a degree she couldn’t explain. It made her insides sour and a sickening heat flowed through her veins. She could hear the thumping of her blood through her heart reverberating in her ears.

A laugh came from behind her. “Thalia tends to do this to unsuspecting people who come to learn from her.” Katrin jumped at the words. She had not heard the nauarch approach through the brush either. “She says it’s because it is funny, but in reality she just wants to show off.” Leighton’s voice boomed from the base of one of the many cypress trees that laced through the woods, where she had not even seen him. Her guard was down here, not something one would want as they approached a potential war.

“And yet, I don’t see Thalia anywhere?” Katrin chuckled back, attempting to mask her unease. She could see it though, that the lithe seer would play tricks on unsuspecting soldiers to show off a talent many men had failed to acquire. Thalia was quick and sly and feral, just like the creature her psychí became.

“Lesson one—” a light voice came from nowhere and yet everywhere all at once as the princess heard a soft thud land behind her. A little tap followed after. Katrin whipped around to see the moon white haired seer crouching on the ground, an arrow strung up in hand, the little cat flipping its tail back and forth beside her. “—expect the enemy to strike from anywhere.”

“Gods, Thalia! You don’t just creep up on people like that. Especially when you’re armed.” Katrin tried to calm the incessant pounding of her heartbeat with deep breaths.

Thalia snickered. “That is kind of the point, Princess. Lesson two—don’t question the teacher.” Thalia stood, turning the bow around so it hung from her back on an attached bag of arrows.

“And how many lessons exactly are we learning today? I did think it was meant to be just archery.”

Leighton shook his head in his palm. “Lesson two, Princess. Forgetting so quickly, are we?”

Thalia looked frightening in all black, a shimmering blue and purple scaled corset hugging her waist. Katrin had never seen the seer so prepared for battle before. Usually she was in simple cotton trousers and a tunic, that is, when she was not wearing one of her elaborate gowns. But this—this was deadly.

Leighton shook his head at Katrin as she fumbled to catch the wooden bow and a quiver of arrows that he tossed to her. The bow was beautiful, made of a pale, worn wood with ancient markings carved in the center. She ran her fingers over the markings, a heat trailing up her arms as she outlined each one.

“What are these?” The princess recognized some of the symbols—from Ander’s sword, the maps, from the delicate comb she had held onto so dearly, never realizing its significance.

Katrin could hear a low thrumming in her ears as the symbols began to glow. At least she thought they were glowing. But as soon as she blinked, the dim sparkle around them faded.

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