Chapter 16
Inkiri
Two days later.
The Raikenga waiting for me in Hove’s office smiled pleasantly in his impeccable dust-gray robes of the makers, his dark braids flawless in their intricacy. His eyes narrowed only the tiniest fraction when he saw me.
“Brother,” Zeddira said, the delay of his greeting as smooth as the slow movements he went through to stand up from his seating cushion at Hove’s table.
Zeddira was hangu, older than I, and from what I knew about it, my father was close to Zeddira’s hangu father.
Zeddira visited home often—much more often than I did—and had the bearings of a head of House when it served him, the bearings of second high counselor of the Raiken when that served him better.
I inclined my head. “Zeddira. I was surprised to hear you had come here to offer your support.”
Zeddira clicked and bowed in turn. “The report I read left no other option but to come to your aid and bring a whole company of our best along. Although Visdena Hove has made quick work of strengthening the fortifications and interrogating the prisoners taken during the attack.”
Hove had hired Vergis to refortify the wall and also to reapply fire protections to all structures that did not currently have them, something that was keeping our mage busy for long hours each day.
Hove laid plans and executed them with finesse and a certain ruthlessness that made me think he was visdena rather than dena only because he preferred it that way.
“You flatter me with such praise, Second High Counselor.” Hove showed his political acumen by using hangu honorifics of a High House rather than those of the Raiken.
Zeddira looked pleased. “Not at all. Visdena Hove, might I ask to borrow the privacy of your office while I speak with my brother? We have not seen each other in a long time, and you will understand how some matters between family are best handled in private.”
“Of course, Second High Counselor. My rooms are yours.” Hove stood, then strode out the door. He’d chosen to wear a short dagger strapped to his sash to show his warrior’s prowess to Zeddira. I didn’t think Zeddira cared.
“You won’t sit?” Zeddira asked when we were alone, dropping to familial address right away.
“I would rather not stay long, Zeddira. My mate is unwell, and I wish to be by his side.”
Zeddira poured himself some of the tea laid out on the table. “One of your sentenmen is with him, yes? Our fathers agree you think those three more family than them, so you must be confident they will take the best of care with your mate. You can have a cup of tea with me, Brother.”
Zeddira was fishing. I decided to bite. I took a seat at the table and let him pour me tea into a finely made cup.
I waited until he was finished before I said, “There are four in our sentenmen beside me and my mate. We’re counting Vergis as ours.”
“Is that so?” Zeddira pushed back his sleeve to take his own cup.
I said nothing because I knew it would annoy Zeddira the most, not that he would ever show it. I sipped my own tea, prompting him to follow suit.
After a brief stretch of silence, he put his tea down with just a bit too much force. “I came because I imagine you are not aware of some of the incursions we have seen from the human side. The Koa Esher who attacked Esaka were working with humans.”
I nodded. “Theirs began as an uneasy alliance born of need, though I cannot say what it is now.” I said it because I had to, in my duty as protector. Besides, the captured Koa Esher had already confirmed as much, and Zeddira would be aware of the reports.
“The humans wanted your human mate.”
“That is what the prisoners say.”
“Your human mate can do incredible things.” Zeddira spoke with exceeding politeness about Rory, which made his angle all too clear.
I was glad that only Lissir, Nokim, Fellisse, and Vergis knew what Rory had been used to do at the Stone of Destiny two years ago, and that all but Vergis had been in full agreement on not putting that into a report.
Vergis had simply stated that it wasn’t his business at all and he had no reason to tell anyone anything.
The bagu was sentenmen to us and acted like it, whether he accepted it or not.
I cast my gaze to the table. “It’s unclear yet what he can do. None of that matters, since right now, he cannot do anything.”
He nodded. “I have brought the best doctors and our mages. I know that Earth-born Vergis of yours is skilled, but I thought no skill is wasted when my own brother’s mate is hurt. The best the Raiken has to offer is here for your mate, Brother.”
“I thank you for that, Brother.” Which would have been true if Zeddira had a selfless bone in his body.
I knew that anyone who examined Rory would report right back to him.
Fellisse wouldn’t let anyone touch Rory, and Vergis wasn’t beyond claiming Rory had promised himself as Vergis’s exclusive conduit to keep those mages at a distance.
“Had you and your mate discussed your future together? Our parents would be delighted to welcome you and even your sentenmen, should you wish to retire fully from the Raiken. On the other hand, the Raiken would cherish such a rare and uniquely skilled individual as your mate. He will need to be trained in at least the basics, of course, but that can be easily achieved.”
“We had not discussed it,” I said.
This precise thing was one reason why I had distantly hoped that Rory would prefer staying on Earth, where none of these politics would ever play a role in either of our lives.
Right this moment, I didn’t care about any of it.
All I cared about was him finally opening his eyes and looking at me, saying my name.
The urge to run to him now and leave Zeddira behind was like a fire in my blood, and it took everything I had to remain calm. Thinking of everything Rory had done for our sentenmen made it easier.
“I see. Our fathers do want me to extend you all an invitation to the House so your mate might recover there if you prefer that. It’s temperate this time of year, and you know how competent the healers there are.”
Zeddira was flawless. Overly familiar when speaking with me directly, yet utterly polite and using hangu honorifics when speaking about Rory.
I did consider the offer, not least because I could see how my Sadir would love being pampered by the staff of an entire House.
He wouldn’t enjoy a House’s expectations in return for that pampering, however.
“Thank you, Zeddira. I will consider that.”
He nodded and sipped some more of his tea rather than dismissing me.
“You do not want to inquire about the incursions?”
“Forgive me. The mate call is new still and has barely settled. I find myself having a difficult time focusing on anything that has not to do with my mate’s welfare.
” I bent my head in apology. He’d just wanted to know whether I was desperate enough to ask if he had any information on the humans making deals with the Koa Esher. I was not.
“I can imagine. Most of the humans the main Raiken has had to deal with are not at all well equipped, though some few are. Protectors who have experience fighting in and guarding the border regions with the Koa Esher like yourself will be needed in the future. It seems the veils are merely borders in and of themselves, and like all other borders, demand special attention.”
I inclined my head. “I understand. But you must know—”
“Yes, yes. What kind of protector would you be if you did not wish to protect your mate first? Well, I will not keep you from him any longer. Attend to the human. I will send my staff to call on you and your mate soon.”
The dismissal made him look like the haughty hangu of the higher echelons of a House once again, and I left as if none of it bothered me. That, I knew, would annoy Zeddira as much as I could ever hope to annoy him.