Page 15 of Bane of the Wild Hunt

“I always knew you would choose well. I look forward to meeting her,” Dio assured him, lowering his voice a little as several griffins filed through the door behind him. “Now, good luck. I am glad to have you back.”

Riordan smiled in response, but I could already see his stoicism stealing back over his features as the chamber began to fill, and he prepared for what came next.

I watched everyone, sinking back into my proud role as my friend’s living shield with great zeal as I protected his back. Everyone, even the new captains, still knew not to try and walk behind him, and I was rather pleased that my effectiveness had made such an impression.

I could almost forget that nothing would ever be the same now that he’d returned with the witch.

The newest of the Imítheos captains, who all had to know that their unearned ranks were on the line today, merely nodded at the king. None of them were brave enough to blatantly ignore him, but only some deigned to verbalize their greeting. A few Imítheos who Riordan had served with and promoted, like Dio,grasped hands with him and seemed genuinely glad to have him back.

In contrast, my people were so enthusiastic to see him that I had to intercept several who might have tackled him to the floor if I’d let them. I knew all of them had been gradually demoted in the years since he elevated them. They were glad to have him back, but they were also happy to be back in this room, in this place where he had given us the space to be respected and esteemed.

I was watching everyone, both the griffins inside the room and the ones still arriving, so I saw Nikos entering the chamber before Riordan noticed him.

I’d never liked Nikos right from the first time we met when we were mere fledglings with tufts of down feathers still visible in our wings. I was no better than an orphan thanks to a violent father and an alcoholic whore mother, and there was nowhere for children like me to go. I only survived because of my brother and because I was willing to fight for it tooth and nail. I was willing to risk robbing a trio of Imítheos children who thought they could sneak into the Rookery. Nikos wanted to take my hand as a punishment, but Riordan had given me all the coins in his purse instead while Rhea watched in deep uncertainty.

Riordan had remembered me the moment we met face-to-face in Ergastiri, and perhaps that was why I had given him such a hard time. He was a reminder of where I’d come from, the shame and anguish of my past that I had managed to put behind me after I got into the military. Nikos had never recognized me as the child who tried to rob them, and I preferred it that way.

My utter distaste for Riordan’s cousin had not lessened since the last time I saw him when he came to personally demote me as the chief advisor to the general. I’d been confined to my cot, still healing from being wounded in the battle that killed Riordan’s brother. That was the only reason my foolishskiáhadbeen able to sneak away without me to get revenge on the blood witch who was responsible. I had been so consumed in guilt and anguish, knowing that he was trapped in Uile Breithà, that the demotion barely stung me at the time. But it was only thanks to Dio that I wasn’t severely punished for letting our new king go off and get himself cursed.

Nikos sneaking by on your left, I warned, and a ripple of disgust came back from myskiáas he turned his head.

“Cousin,” Riordan called rather loudly, and I could not help smirking when so many people turned to look with bated breath. The animosity between the two males was known in both court and army. “I am surprised to see you. I always thought that you preferred politics to war.”

Nikos managed his composure well, although I knew he was irate that attention had been drawn to him for attempting to sneak by the king.

“I do. But the two are intimately intertwined, Riordan, as we have discussed often before,” Nikos pointed out.

“Indeed. I look forward to hearing your input today,” Riordan advised him. Nikos bowed quickly and rather deeply but probably only to conceal his expression.

Useless, snivelling cunt,I thought as he walked away.

Riordan cast an exasperated glance at me over his shoulder that reminded me how much he disliked it when I cursed so colourfully in his head. I shrugged a shoulder in apology even as my brows rose in an invitation for him to disagree. Which he declined to do with a suppressed grin before redirecting his attention forward.

The room was filled far beyond its usual capacity once everyone had arrived, and there was a very notable divide between the Ktínos on the left and Imítheos on the right. It also did not escape my notice that the Imítheos who had served with Riordan stood as a buffer between my people and their own.Most of them were even shaking hands with the Ktínos and seemed happy to have us back.

“Thank you for coming so promptly,” Riordan called, effortlessly bringing the loud, overcrowded room to heel. “I do apologize for the unexpected meeting, but I feel that our kingdom’s security is a matter of some urgency.”

I watched my half of the room, tracking every shifting step and disgruntled frown. I noted every pair of arms that were crossed and glances that were cast, and I relayed it back to Riordan. Both of us were perceptive on our own, but it was impossible to seeeverything. So we’d learned to map more of the room more quickly together. I took half while he took the other, sharing our snap judgements and impressions so instantly we were like one entity with an expanded mind. There were few shields between us whenever we exercised this skill, and I had missed it so fucking much. Missedhim, the extension of my soul.

“We are glad of your return and eager to move forward under your leadership,” declared Heraklees, who was one of the Imítheos captains Riordan had promoted. He was also one of two who were demoted along with the Ktínos. He and Xantho had simply refused to be quiet about the systematic suppression of my people after Riordan left.

Someone, more than likely a Ktínos, thumped their fist against their armoured breastplate, several deep shouts of agreement rang out, and I saw Nikos roll his eyes. It did not escape my notice that he was as far from the Ktínos in the room as he could get.

“I would like to begin with a detailed report on the current structure. And introductions for anyone new with whom I am not familiar,” Riordan advised them.

Dio stepped forward to accommodate before one of the new commanders could, and I listened as he began to list the officers in their new hierarchy. He started at the top with theother city-state commanders who had control of the garrisons at the five city-states, and all of them were elite Imítheos. Dio was sure to also detail their previous military accomplishments and experience. A seemingly innocuous gesture except that it highlighted just how unimpressive their credentials were. The only exceptions were himself and Nyssa Petros who were appointed by Riordan decades ago. Based on the information that managed to trickle down through the ranks, I knew the two of them were the only reason our kingdom still stood. None of the others had any business being in control of a garrison. Especially not the blind, confused old bastard stationed here in ourcapitalof Kórinthos.

Next were the division colonels, four of them for each city-state, and again, all of them were Imítheos nobility who were grossly underqualified for such a critical role. Then came squadron and company lieutenants, and by this point, the Ktínos in the room were becoming visibly agitated by the blatant favouritism. We knew it happened, but listening for an hour while Dio recited the names and their underwhelming qualifications was wildly infuriating. Especially when most of us had decades or even centuries more experience than most of them.

Riordan did not interject, he listened with a frown and his arms crossed over his leather breastplate. The only sign of his growing agitation was the speed at which his tail flicked back and forth behind his right leg.

At last, several Ktínos were named as squad captains, including Ares who was not present, but they only had other Ktínos under their command. They were the best of the previous lieutenants and colonels who were demoted.

Riordan was quiet for a moment as his eyes tracked across the room. Most of the Imítheos could not bring themselves to meet his gaze, and I was not sure if that was due to shame or fear.

“There are still many more people in this room that have not been given designation,” he noted finally.

“There has been an influx of advisors since your time as general, Your Majesty,” Dio explained. He maintained a rather spectacular poker face in spite of how I knew he felt about inexperienced voices in the war room.

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