Page 3 of The Half King
“Darling,” called her mother, at once setting her teacup on the serving table and striding forward with her silk-draped arms open wide. Her amber eyes, which Cerise had inherited, were so bright with excitement that Cerise nearly forgot her worries. At least until after the embrace, when her mother pulled back with a silent question lifting her brows.
“Nothing has changed,” Cerise admitted.
Her mother took an abrupt interest in the floor. Her father had dropped his gaze as well. Their disappointment was nearly as thick as the heated moisture in the air.
Still looking down, Father cleared his throat. “There’s plenty of time, my dear.”
“That’s what the Reverend Mother says,” Cerise told him.
“Well, she’s right,” came a new voice, and a lady’s form stepped out from behind a vine-covered lattice near the rear wall. Tall and slim, the woman was dressed in silk finery and wore a dark veil that concealed every inch of her hair and face. “I’ve been telling you that for years.”
Cerise gasped. “Nina!”
Temple rules forgotten, Cerise bolted to her sister and threw both arms around her neck in a running hug that knocked their bodies into the latticework. Nina didn’t seem to mind. She drew Cerise more tightly against her and whispered, “I missed you.”
“I missed you, too,” Cerise muttered around a mouthful of veil. Now she understood why her parents had come: Nina was visiting. None of them had seen Nina since last spring, when she married a wealthy fourth-born Calatris gentleman and moved away to live on his estate.
“How long are you here?” Cerise asked.
“Long enough to visit you one more time before I leave.” Nina stood back. “Now let me look at you.”
“No, let me look atyou.” Cerise reached for her sister’s veil. When Nina stiffened, Cerise glanced over her shoulder to ensure their family was alone. “No one will see.”
“All right.” Nina sighed. “But only for a moment.”
Bouncing in anticipation, Cerise lifted the veil from her sister’s head—and then promptly forgot how to breathe. Her blood refused to flow. Words lay dormant on her tongue. All she could do was gaze in wonder at the flawless contours of her sister’s face because Nina wasthatstunning. She always had been. Nina had inherited their father’s chestnut hair and emerald eyes, but she wore them in a way that made it impossible not to stare. No one could turn away from Nina, and no one could resist her.
That was her firstborn curse.
Not that destructive beauty seemed like much of an affliction. It was also rumored that firstborn Solons were unlucky in love, though couldn’t the same be said of most people? Either way, Nina claimed that her appearance caused nothing but trouble, but the Solon allure was certainly preferable to the Petros bloodlust or the Calatris delirium. Firstborns in those families would eagerly trade places with Nina. And then there was the Mortara curse. Theirs was truly chilling.
“That’s enough.” Nina let the veil fall back into place.
Cerise protested, causing their mother to intervene.
“Come and sit down, both of you. The Reverend Mother will be here soon.”
As if on cue, the noise of swishing robes approached, and the Reverend Mother glided into the room wearing the polite smile she reserved for nobility. As High Seer, she outranked Cerise’s father, but noble families had deep pockets, and the temple couldn’t thrive on taxes alone.
“Welcome,” the Reverend Mother said. “May Shiera’s light shine upon you.”
Everyone dipped their heads, chanting in response, “And may her wrathful eye look away.”
Cerise sat in between her parents on the divan while Nina took the chair opposite the Reverend Mother. When everyone had settled, Cerise waited to hear the usual report regarding her progress or lack thereof. But as the Reverend Mother opened her mouth to speak, she gave a grunt of pain instead. Her posture slouched, both hands falling onto her lap as her head lolled forward.
Cerise extended her arms in front of her parents. “Don’t touch her,” she warned. “You’ll break the trance.”
“This is no ordinary trance,” Nina whispered, watching the High Seer begin to tremble.
Nina was right. Any force powerful enough to drain the Reverend Mother had to be a revelation, an incredibly rare gift. Cerise had lived at the temple since birth, and she had only witnessed the phenomenon twice. The process was more delicate than a soap bubble—one errant move and the spiritual connection would pop.
The Reverend Mother drew a raspy breath and spoke in a guttural voice that raised the hairs on Cerise’s arms.“As above, so below. The flame you seek to dampen will consume you.”
As Cerise leaned forward, eager to hear more, her mother gripped her hand and squeezed it hard enough to grind her bones. Cerise wrenched her hand free. Glancing at her parents, she noticed they had paled. A revelation was a frightening thing to watch, especially for the first time.
“Don’t be afraid,” she whispered.
As abruptly as the trance had begun, it ended. The Reverend Mother snapped to attention in her chair, her chest heaving and her eyes wide with an emotion Cerise didn’t know how to read. The Reverend Mother had always been so perfectly composed that any display of feeling on her face seemed foreign.
