Sapient Salvation 1: The Selection (Sapient Salvation Series) (21 page)

I felt Maya’s eyes flitting to me and then away, and I turned to her. “How are you enjoying the celebration so far?” I asked. It took all of my willpower to resist staring at her, examining her every feature greedily.

“The food is wonderful, and the ballroom is breathtaking,” she said. She shook her head and blinked a couple of times. “It’s like a dream.” Despite her enthusiastic words, her expression clouded. But she quickly recovered with a serene smile.

She looked up into my face, and my breath caught. The play of light emphasized the angles of her face, creating shadows over her eyes and darkening the slight hollows below her cheekbones, and it was if I’d caught a glimpse of what she would look like eight or ten years from now. After she’d discovered the dark, bold parts of herself that I’d sensed when I’d first seen her from my balcony.

She swallowed and licked her lips. “Will you be staying to enjoy yourself for the rest of the evening, or will your duties take you away early?” Her eyes flicked down to my waist and seemed to linger there for a moment.

I gave myself a mental shake. I should not be staring at her dumbly, expecting her to carry the conversation.

“This is the only thing on my agenda for the rest of the night,” I assured her.

Her lips parted as if to respond, but then she hesitated for a moment. “My Lord, may I—may I ask you about the belt you wear?” she said, clearly uncertain about her query.

“Please.” I tilted my head in interest. I couldn’t imagine what she might have to say about my clothing.

“Did it come from Earthenfell?”

My brows rose a fraction. She was treading close to a taboo subject—the Offered were not supposed to inquire about Earthenfell. But her inquiry was not really about her home, not exactly.

“In fact, it did,” I said. “And now you have me curious. How did you know?”

“I believe my sister may have been the weaver,” she said. The warmth in her voice was steeped in sadness, betraying her deep feelings for her sister.

My mind reeled as sympathy poured through me. Dark memories of being taken from my family when I was a boy mixed with the heady sensation of Maya’s energy in such close proximity, and for a moment I felt too light-headed to respond.

I blinked hard, pulling myself into the present moment. “If so, she is very talented. I own many similar pieces that were clearly made by skilled hands.” A slow, warm smile spread over my face. For reasons I couldn’t explain, the idea that I’d been wearing belts made by Maya’s sister for years before I’d learned of Maya’s existence delighted me.

The sadness melted from Maya’s eyes, and her smile seemed to echo mine. “She is indeed talented.” She gave a pleased little laugh. Then she looked up at me ruefully. “It is my misfortune that although my sister and I are identical twins, she seems to have ended up with the larger share of talents.”

Her eyes widened, and she inhaled sharply through her nose, obviously regretting that she’d let that bit of self-criticism slip out. It wasn’t a glaring misstep, but neither was it the elusive blend of humility and self-assurance that were the ideal for harem women.

Akantha let out an exasperated sigh at Maya’s comment, but I couldn’t help a soft chuckle. Maya was not following a script or taking on any affectation, and it was refreshing.

I tried to reassure her with both my eyes and my words. “You are currently second in the rank of favor, which certainly demonstrates that you possess talent.”

It was a compliment, and certainly meant as one, but her face and energy darkened suddenly. The muscles of her jaw tightened as she fought to hold the smile on her face even as her eyes hardened. Her posture became wooden, and she turned her gaze away.

We had started to build a connection, and just like that, the invisible bridge between us vanished, and she felt as remote from me as the farthest star.

My heart lurched in my chest, and I searched for something to say that would close the gap that had suddenly expanded between us, but my mind remained stubbornly blank. And then the quartet started up, and I lost my chance to speak.

Sitting through the first piece with Maya stone-like next to me was torture. When it finally ended and the musicians took a break to re-tune their instruments, I turned to her. But before I could speak, Akantha’s voice scraped across my eardrums.

“My Lord,” Akantha said, her tone dripping with undisguised annoyance. “Don’t you think it best to move on now and converse with the other ones? You’ve already devoted an inordinate amount of time to this one.”

“Soon.” I turned and drilled her with an unfiltered glare, but kept my voice mild so as not to alarm Maya. “Right now I would like Maya’s continued company while we sample the food and drink.”

Akantha’s eyes flashed darkly, and her cheeks flushed in splotchy patches. “As you wish.” She all but spat the words at me.

Her lack of respect was growing more blatant, and I would need to do something about it. But I needed to focus on Maya.

Passing through the bows and curtsies from the attendees, I led Maya to the largest buffet table. She was handling herself well, I thought, considering that nearly everyone in the room was watching us.

“My Lord, I have a message for you,” a business-like voice said behind me, and I turned in surprise. “Your presence is required in the war room. The presence of the Priestess as well.”

Catching the tone of urgency behind the messenger’s summons, my pulse quickened.

Stifling a sigh of regret, I looked down at Maya. “I apologize that I must depart to attend to some unexpected business. But please, continue to enjoy yourself.” As much as I hated the idea of leaving her, especially with Jeric in the room, I had to go.

Maya’s lips parted in a little O of surprise. “I regret that you must depart, too, my Lord.” She hastily placed her plate on the edge of the buffet table and curtsied.

I turned to the messenger. “Go to the master of the guard and have him send one of my elite guards to meet me at the war room immediately.” I was supposed to have two elite guards with me at all times, but I couldn’t bring myself to leave Maya with Jeric. Perhaps it was petty of me, and maybe an overreaction, but Calvin was going to stay right here with her.

I walked a few paces with Calvin and Palovich right on my heels, waiting until we were out of Akantha’s earshot. I turned to Calvin. “Stay here and make sure my brother does not bother Maya again tonight. And escort her back to her room at the end of the evening. I instructed the messenger to send a second guard for me right away.”

I could tell that Calvin wanted to protest my leaving the ballroom with only Palovich—Calvin was a stickler for following the law, especially when it came to my protection—but I turned on my heel before he had the chance.

With the Priestess drifting along beside me like a spirit in her pale robes and Palovich striding behind us, we quickly moved through the corridors.

“What do you think it could be?” I asked the Priestess. I’d known her since before she was ordained, long before she rose to High Priestess in the Temple of the Mother Earth. Her name used to be Laurel before she surrendered her identity to her calling.

“I believe the tide is turning in our battles,” she said quietly.

I nearly stumbled over my own feet as I gave her a sharp look, wondering how she could make such a guess. She did not say if the tide was turning for better or worse, but either way it was a momentous statement. We’d been battling for Earthenfell for many hundreds of years, and though there were small victories and defeats along the way, it had been centuries since there was a major shift in the momentum of the war.

My heart raced at the possibilities. By the time we reached the war room, I was literally breathless with anticipation.

Palovich stayed outside the door as the Priestess and I went in. The main feature of the circular war room was a large round table that could seat two dozen. But there were only four people who stood waiting for us—my mother, Master of War Xavier, Xavier’s first in command, and the Head of Council.

The three men greeted me with a chorus of “My Lord” and nearly identical half-bows.

The largest wall monitor was already illuminated. It displayed a familiar graphic, one which reported the status of every battle in the war by location. A section that had been red for many months—indicating that we were losing ground—was now white. In fact, several sections that had long been red were now white.

White meant victory.

There were still many other battles that were red, and a good number that were green which indicated they were going in our favor. But in my lifetime we had scored only one major victory, and it was back when my father was still Lord.

I stared at the monitor, counting again to make sure I had it right. “Seven victories?” I turned to Xavier for confirmation, making no effort to disguise my shock.

“You are correct, my Lord.” Triumph shone in his eyes.

I’d have to check the records to be sure, but I believed that seven battles won made Xavier the most successful Master of War in Calistan history.

I shook my head. “So suddenly? All at once like this?”

Part of me felt that I should be whooping in celebration, but I still hadn’t overcome my disbelief.

“A series of very fortunate events combined with several strategic moves made by our forces seemed to culminate at the exact right moment,” Xavier said. “The complete sequence will be detailed in tomorrow morning’s war report.”

“A massive victory, Master Xavier.” I inclined my head in homage to his prowess. The Guardian Lord of Calisto and Earth was subject to no one and nothing except for the sacred texts, but Xavier had earned my deepest esteem. “How does this figure into the larger war to reclaim Earthenfell?”

“The coming weeks and months will tell us whether this is simply one very large step forward, or if it is the beginning of an unstoppable momentum,” Xavier said. “Of course we will pour every resource and effort into ensuring it is the latter.”

The room went silent, but I was certain that every one of us was thinking the same thing. The possibility that we would live to see the Return had become a glimmer on the horizon. Even the tiniest chance of it was nothing short of a miracle.

My mother was looking at me with eyes full of pride and shining with emotion. If these victories were indeed signs that the Return was near, her son would be the Lord to lead the long-awaited reclamation of our ancestral home. She stepped close to me and reached up to briefly place her hand on my cheek. I gave her a quick smile.

But we could not make assumptions, even in the glow of such news.

“This is a tremendous day for Calisto,” I said. “We will need to address the nation. Congratulations, Master Xavier, on this immense step toward victory.”

Though the Priestess had said nothing during the entire exchange, her usual serenity seemed somehow charged through with agitation. I needed to speak with her alone.

“I must excuse myself to my prayer room now, to contemplate this momentous change of events and ask for our further good fortune,” I said. “Priestess, would you do me the honor of joining me in prayer?”

“Of course, my Lord,” the Priestess said.

A flash of disappointment passed over my mother’s face. I knew she wanted to talk about the victories, about the future, but I would have to appease her later. I squeezed her hand. “We will speak soon, Mother.”

“Yes, my son,” she said.

I kissed her cheek and turned to go.

Outside the war room, an experienced guard named Tullock had joined Palovich. They fell in step behind me and the Priestess for the silent walk to my chambers.

Two more guards stood outside the main entrance to my chambers, and Tullock and Palovich accompanied us inside and then stationed themselves on either side of the door.

“Priestess, please join me in my prayer room.” I gave her a slight inclination of my head, which she returned.

We passed through the formal entryway of my private chambers, a receiving room, through the short hallway to my bed chamber, and then into my prayer room. Once we were in the tiny space with the door closed, I turned to her.

“This is unprecedented. I hardly trust that I can believe it’s true. I ask for your wisdom and guidance, High Priestess Lunaria,” I said. I kept my voice low, as if someone might be listening at the door, even though I knew we were safe here.

My heart pounded an anxious rhythm. I could tell by the Priestess’s demeanor that she was similarly stirred.

She drew a deep breath and then sank to my prayer mat, sitting cross-legged and settling her opalescent robes around her. I sat too, facing her in the same posture.

“My Lord,” she said. “You know I cannot see the future. My wisdom comes from the sacred texts, meditation, and prayer. Not from any facility for soothsaying.”

I nodded, wondering why she felt the need to preface with such statements.

“However,” she continued, “we are most certainly on the threshold of a new day in our battle for Earthenfell and the right to return to our homeland in peace. The victories you just learned of are the start. I am certain of it.”

Detecting the conflict in what she’d just said, I gave her a narrow-eyed look. “How do you know this?”

She looked intently into my eyes, and her fingers flexed in the folds of her robes. “There is another volume of the sacred texts. A secret one.”

My mouth dropped open as I stared at her. I was positive I’d never heard mention of secret volumes. “Who else knows of this?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know. I only became aware of it recently. On the day of the Selection, shortly after the new Offered arrived on Calisto.”

“How did you learn of it?”

“It was delivered to me along with some inconsequential items I had ordered.”

I blinked several times. “I don’t understand. Who sent it? How do you know it is genuine?”

“I am making inquiries to try to discover who supplied it, and so far I have come up empty. But I do know that it is genuine. I can only guess that there is someone somewhere who holds a secret position of responsibility. Perhaps even within my own Temple. And somehow he or she knew this was the time to reveal the new volume to me.” She seemed reluctant to say more, but after a moment she continued. “My Lord, it contains a sort of map for taking us back to Earthenfell.”