Page 10 of Ties of Deception

“Where is she now?”

“Living in the suburbs of Fierro in her own villa, I heard. She attends parties for a fee and Blesses the people attending.”

I blinked in surprise. Could I just leave Hermon and Drusella? That would seem cruel after all their effort and work to look after me. What had upset the other goddess so much that she’d abandoned her family? And why would she sell her powers like that?

One of the men raised his eyes over his companion’s shoulder and saw me. He smiled. Something about his confidence put me on edge. “Hello, my lady. You must be one of the newcomers.” He took half a step forward.

The rest of the circle turned to face me, and I felt each set of eyes assessing me. I cleared my throat, mumbled something unintelligible, and strode purposefully away from the table. There was a small group of Graces not far away. Maybe there was safety in numbers?

My mouth was uncomfortably dry and still bereft of a drink, I sucked the juice out of the orange and choked down some pomegranate seeds. Food dribbled down my chin, and I looked for something to wipe it quickly, settling for a clean-looking napkin somebody had left discarded on the rim of a huge flowerpot. I put it back afterward.

The group of Graces barely looked up as I approached. I hovered awkwardly, wondering if leaving as soon as I’d arrived would be seen as rude by our royal host, but I also wasn’t sure what else to do. A tremble shivered up my arm, and a sharp crack startled me as my empty plate broke in two.

The Graces didn’t even look. It seemed like most people didn’t care about my emotional state here. The flowers next to the other goddesses were blooming brighter by the second. Maybe they would outweigh me.

A sudden fit of excitement made the Graces lower their voices in excited hushes. “Look, look. There he is!”

I followed their stares to see a man in a pure white tunic with a bright blue sash entering the room. He had striking, unusual features: black hair in loose curls, skin that was a warm, deep bronze, and eyes large enough to make any girl jealous. His smile was wide and infectious, and already a crowd was assembling around him. Gold bands wrapped around his muscular upper arms, and he wore a circlet of golden laurel leaves on his head. He fitted into this room of beautiful goddesses perfectly.

He had to be the prince of Atos. Prince Sebastian. The only child of the empress and emperor-consort. And clearly the center of every room he walked into.

One of the Graces sighed and then giggled. I frowned. This was not how I’d expected other goddesses to behave. We carried so much responsibility for the prosperity of our people. But maybe there was room for frivolity too?

A Grace with a serious voice hissed to the goddess next to her. “Charity, do you know who Prince Sebastian is favoring at the moment?”

The tall blonde Grace beside her pursed her lips in a grumpy expression. “I heard he was seen walking with Constance again yesterday. I’ve not spoken to him for three days.”

A few hushed gasps. “Again! How often have they been together recently?”

The first one didn’t seem at all amused by the news. “Has he called on her at her villa? Or is she still staying at the palace?”

A more excited goddess leaned forward. “I’ve heard the empress is impatient for a daughter-in-law and is going to single out a group of goddesses for the prince to choose his bride from soon.”

Another tapped her chin as she watched the prince laughing with a group of young men about his age. “His best friend isn’t bad-looking either. He’s sure to be looking for a goddess wife.”

A quieter goddess hung back with folded arms. She had dark hair, which according to Pris was unusual for a Grace, but her skin was still pale. “I think theotherprince is a far greater catch.”

Her comment was greeted by theatrical shocked gasps and giggles.

Charity threw her a scolding look. “Oh, please, Serene. It’s not seemly to shock people to get attention.”

The serious Grace looked more concerned. “Don’t even joke about the Aidis, Serene. Not even when he’s not in the room. Do you really want to end up in the realm of the dead?”

Aidis. Pris had never explained that term.

The group fell silent as they started glancing over my shoulder, subtly preening their hair and straightening their dresses. I looked behind me and saw Prince Sebastian had moved to the refreshment table and was now heading straight for us. His confident smile was pure charm, and a group of eager young men followed behind him.

My stomach clenched. If he talked to me, I had no idea what I would do. I discarded the two halves of my plate in the nearby flowerpot and noticed a doorway obscured by vines. I could make my escape before he got too close, and it would seem rude.

I pretended I hadn’t seen his approach and pushed through the curtain of passion flowers. Their scent was heavy and sweet, somehow reminding me of lemons yet with a hint of decay. The sensation was disorienting as I freed myself from the vines and found myself on a shadowed balcony overlooking the gardens. Torches on tall poles cast flickering light among dark, impenetrable shadows. It was much quieter out here. The chatter of cicadas made calming company.

I leaned over the balcony wall and breathed past the heavy scent of pollen, welcoming the fresh tang of citrus and pine. The stars were beginning to shine through the bruised purple clouds, and the sea breeze kissed my cheeks. Distantly, I could hear breaking waves. Yes, it was much nicer out here.

The balcony stretched onward in both directions, and I wondered if it curled around the entire palace. I walked slowly, tracing a hand along the marble wall. There were urns of flowers every dozen steps, and I walked to one, watching the flowers bloom and brighten as I neared, even in the dark. Beautiful. I wasn’t sure I would ever get used to that.

“I don’t believe we’ve been introduced.” The smooth male voice startled me, and I whipped around. Was there nowhere I could escape from these awkward interactions?

A man stood, one side of him gilded in torchlight, the other shadowed. I could see the black of his jacket and his glossy hair, short but thick and longer at the top. His arms were folded, and his stance was arrogant. Everything about him from his clothes to his features seemed foreign to me, and I immediately suspected he was an Aida, despite the poor light. I had never seen another individual wear black. I looked to the side, but nobody else was here. Drusella was going to be furious.

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