Page 24 of Blood Feast

“He arrived on your Gift Night. Somehow, he received word of the danger you were in. He waited with us until Lio cast his spell light over your tower to signal that you had made it through.”

Cassia wanted to give that prickly vulture another hug. “But he stayed after that?”

“He is still Prince Tendeso of the Sandira Kingdom, even when playing the mercenary. The sister states trust him to negotiate with Orthros to ensure their interests are not threatened by our growing alliance with Tenebra.”

Cassia arched a brow. “Tendo is here as a diplomat?”

“Admittedly, he spends more time knocking about with Mak and Lyros in the gymnasium than drinking coffee in my library, but we are making progress allaying the Empire’s concerns.”

“I knew he had it in him,” Cassia said. “He might have lost his throne, but he still thinks and acts like a king.”

“The Queen Mothers of the Empire see the same in him.”

“They’re still trying to arrange a marriage for him with the Empress’s daughter, aren’t they?”

“The Imperial Court talks of nothing else.”

Those must be the rumors Solia was bristling about. It was a promising sign that she was so upset by them.

If this war would allow her and Tendo a second chance. Tomorrow was not guaranteed for any of Cassia’s mortal loved ones. Not even for Hesperines, in a time of conflict.

Uncle Argyros paused. “Another vote took place in the Firstblood Circle while you were in seclusion.”

Cassia turned to him. “They can’t have reversed their decision on the Departure. Tell me we are not about to withdraw from Tenebra, not now.”

His ancient gaze rested on her. “When Lord Lucis and the Mage Orders declared war on Hesperines, we had to decide how to formally respond. The vote took place during the hours of your Gifting.”

“Surely, after how hard Lio and I have fought for Orthros’s new alliance with Tenebra, the Circle wouldn’t vote for isolation. Not while we weren’t even there to defend the treaty.”

“It was your plight that decided the outcome. All of Orthros kept vigil, waiting to see if you would survive your transformation. Even your political opponents would not allow your sacrifice to be in vain. The vote was nearly unanimous. For the first time in Orthros’s history, we will not withdraw to prevent violence. We will go to war and fight for Tenebra.”

Lio,she cried.Did you hear that?

Yes.His own astonishment reverberated back to her.I’m watching it happen, here and now.

Cassia’s thoughts spun.We’ve always fought for peace. We didn’t want Orthros to abandon Tenebra—but we didn’t want a war, either.

I know.

They had won the vote. But they had lost this round of the Collector’s game. They had handed him the war he wanted, and there was no going back now.

“What have we done?” Cassia breathed.

“What this moment in history calls for,” Uncle Argyros replied. “Sixteen hundred years ago, when Lyta and I halted the Aithourians’ army in this pass so our people could escape Tenebra, I held the unwavering conviction that retreat was the only choice. Here and now, I stand by my vote that the time has come for Hesperines to act. We cannot in good conscience watch this unfold without using our great power to help.”

Cassia knew what it meant for Orthros’s greatest diplomat to say that. “I never imagined you would be in favor of war.”

“I am never in favor of war.”

His emotions cracked through his veils. For the first time, she felt Silvertongue’s fury. He stood so still, but his protective anger seemed to fill the mountain passes where he and his Grace had halted an army to save their people. The force of his aura in the Blood Union made her new senses tremble, although she was not afraid.

“This is not what I wanted for you and Lio.” Their mentor’s voice resonated with mind magic. “After centuries of striving for peace, I wanted my successors to inherit a kinder era.”

“This isn’t what we wanted either. We thought our actions would lead to peace. Not play into the hands of an Old Master.”

THE COMPLICATION

Lio stood his groundbefore the First Prince. “Cassia and I cannot think only of our own safety. This war was the Collector’s plan all along. This is the second requirement: violence between Hesperines and the Mage Orders on Tenebran soil.”

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