Page 59 of A Wrecking of Salt and Fire

Kohl walked up to the dais, where a priest in flowing white robes stood with two golden and jeweled chalices. One for him and one for Ember. Katrin’s sister stood to his right, her long blonde hair braided tight behind her back. Her clothes were an inversion of his, the material golden with turquoise stitching. A single bronze, curved sword hung from her hips, the delicate and simple golden crown of the Prytan sat upon her head. Her normally warm amber eyes were still and violent, as were her blood-stained lips. Kohl had to admit that she looked lethal.

He ascended, standing on the opposite side of the priest. The people in the crowd began to hush over. Ajax and the five senators remained behind them. Ready to strike if there was a threat. Kohl could see his father toward the back of the courtyard, his ebony eyes encompassing all the white. It had always been strange how his father’s eyes darkened in such a way, how Kohl’s eyes could as well, sucking the life and light right out of them.

The priest began to speak, his voice old and raspy. “We are gathered here to swear in these two individuals to their rightful positions. When they speak the word of the Grechi they accept the immense responsibility to protect those of Alentus from the wrath of others. Our King, Kohl Athanas. Our Prytan of the Spartanis, Ember Drakos.”

Ember would speak first. She stepped up to the priest, kneeling in front of him, leaning her head forward. “From the blood of the gods I drink. From the bones of the gods I eat. For power, for peace, for prosperity.” Taking a sip from the first chalice and a piece of fleshy meat from the second, Ember accepted her responsibility. The priest nodded and she rose, stepping back toward her side of the dais.

Kohl followed suit, kneeling before the priest, saying the sacred and binding words. Sipping the warm, thick red liquid, eating a piece of the bloody flesh of a beast killed in the mountains. Lifting his hands toward the clear blue sky, the priest declared, “Let the Grechi bless their humble servants.”

Just as quickly as it started, the ceremony was over and Kohl Athanas was king.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Ember

Agiant feast occurred following the coronation as expected, even with Katrin still missing. Tradition stated that you must honor the new king or queen with a lavish assortment of food, liquor, song and dance. But now it was over, and Ember was seething.

Not once had Kohl mentioned her sister during his speech to the people of the isle, no gratitude, no empathy at her loss, no mention of a plan to find or rescue her. Instead, he let young women fawn over him, no doubt vying for the position of royal mistress.

She had sat across from him, reluctantly shoving the spread of food down her throat as she glared at the new king, her mother’s crown now atop his head.

At one point, Ajax had even leaned over to beg her to change the angry expression crossing her usually perky face, and to possibly stop chewing her food so loud that everyone could hear her jaw crunching. Ember had not even noticed that she had been that loud or looked that distasteful, but instead of agreeing she flipped him a vulgar gesture.

The commander could go rot in the dungeons of Aidesian for all she cared. He had been a complete ass to her since the meeting with Kohl, his father, and the senators—ignoring training sessions, avoiding her in the halls. Ember did not understand what she had done wrong. The entire time since she had decided to begin training he had been so supportive of her, then King Athanas nominated him for her position and everything changed.

Yes, Ajax would have made an exceptional Prytan with his extensive knowledge of battle and years of training. It was clear he was a better option on all fronts. But he had never voiced that he would like to assume the role, that he personally thought he was better suited for the position than her, or that he disagreed in any way with the succession.

If he wanted to ignore her, then Ember would pay no mind. She could just as easily ignore him.

But Ajax’s disappointed stare was not half as bad as what she saw at the end of the night, Kohl walking away with one of the many women who had fawned over him. A golden-haired girl who looked around Ember’s age, her blue eyes sparkling in the light of the flames around the courtyard.

“That gods-damned fool!” she yelled to no one in particular. Her sister was missing and he was happy to spend the night with some other woman. She started after them, avoiding Ajax’s hand as he attempted to stop her.

“Don’t do it, Ember. It’s not worth causing problems tonight,” Ajax pleaded.

“Oh, and now you care, do you?” She took off behind the newly crowned king and the whore.

“Kohl! Kohl, get back here!” she shouted after them. The murmurs of the guests leaving the courtyard still lingered, but she knew he was choosing not to hear her. “Kohl! Kohl, I need to speak with you!” He continued ignoring her as she chased after him down the hall. “Kohl Athanas, you stop right there or I swear to the gods!” Her breath was heavy as he finally stopped, turning toward her.

“What, Ember? What could you possibly want at this hour?” he replied flippantly.

Apparently, all the men in this castle were keen to act like narcissistic pigs. The young woman looked frightened as she stared back at the angered leader of the Spartanis. “You can run along, miss. His highness won’t be needing you tonight.” The woman took off as quickly as she could back to the courtyard.

Kohl rolled his eyes. “You’re joking right? You have no place to send away a guest of mine.”

Ember stepped closer to him, looking up at his pissed off expression. “You realize my sister has been taken and you have done nothing to find her these past few weeks except steal her place on the throne?” Her jaw was clenched so tight she thought she might burst.

“I told you, Ember. We needed to wait until after the coronation. Tensions are too high in the isles right now. We couldn’t risk an attack with no one on the throne.” The same words he had repeated to her day after day.

“And waiting until after the coronation involves bedding some whore? You claim to love my sister and yet you forgo your duties to her for that girl.”

“Don’t be so naive, Ember. You really think one night will make a difference?”

Ember’s blood began to boil, and in that moment she wished she had been gifted her father’s power, not Kora’s. Wished she could wipe that smug grin off Kohl’s face, shroud him in fiery starlight and choke him with darkness. He was a liar and a traitor.

“My son is right, one night will not make a difference.” Ember jumped. The Viper slipped out of the shadows, still dressed in his black overcoat and trousers. She had not even heard him approach. “However, now that he has assumed the crown he will take a small unit of soldiers to follow the leads we have hunted down these past weeks. He sails for Lesathos in the morning.”

“Yes, I will set sail tomorrow with my crew. Is that sufficient enough for you, Ember, or do you still think I am not doing enough to find my love?” Kohl might have spoken the words, but Ember could tell this was the first he was hearing of that plan. “And while I am gone, I leave my father in charge of all diplomatic decisions.” King Athanas smiled.

---