Page 49 of Salt in the Seas
“That was just an attempt to save face after their initial alliance didn’t work out.” Brogdon stood, his booming voice so reminiscent of Jasperus’ that Aeliana felt tears tickle the back of her throat. “I’m not sure we should even acknowledge them as royals.”
“Sitting right here.” Gaeren lifted his hand in an awkward wave. “But I understand your hesitation.”
Aeliana squirmed. All Recreants agreed that they didn’t want the Elanesses on the throne, but half of them wanted the Wyndrens to replace the Elanesses while the other half wanted democracy, relegating the Wyndren authority to priesthood in the Sungazers. She couldn’t help liking the idea of a democracy, and not just because she was terrified of being expected to lead. Even if the throne should have gone to the Wyndren family a thousand years ago, what did it matter now? They were generations away from that feud, and dividing the kingdom would only make things worse. If they couldn’t figure out how to work together, they’d end up cannibalizing themselves before Mayvus even returned.
“We’re cleaning up Mayvus’ mess,” Sylmar said. “And now we’re weeding through her soldiers for Zealots masquerading as Recreants. We don’t need to add Loyalists in the mix.”
“One kingdom’s loyalist is another kingdom’s recreant,” Gaeren muttered.
Aeliana couldn’t help humming her agreement. Gaeren had been taught that Loyalists were loyal to his family’s crown and Recreants were opposed to all monarchies. She’d been taught that Recreants supported her mother while Zealots supported Mayvus. Except the Zealots had also called themselves Loyalists to keep Gaeren’s family from becoming suspicious of Mayvus’ growing power. The range of definitions started making the terms meaningless.
“We can’t just sit around,” Emeris said. “If we wait for her to return, she’ll win. She’s too cunning to return before she has the upper hand.”
Sylmar grunted. “I agree. We can build up our armies, and yes, we can play nice with the Elanesse family.” He glanced at Gaeren, who gave a mock bow in Sylmar’s direction. “But we need to have a weapon to defeat her.” His gaze flicked over to Emeris.
Aeliana’s chest grew cold. “If you’re suggesting my mother sacrifices herself to test a theory that her life is connected to Mayvus’, that’s not a weapon—that’s murder.”
The room went silent as everyone avoided her gaze, even her mother.
Rildan wrapped his arms around Emeris. “I could understand her willingness to test it in the heat of a battle. She was desperate.” His gaze softened as he studied her. “But now we have time to find a different solution.”
“How do we find a solution if we don’t even know what she’s really after?” Iris asked. “Clearly she wanted the throne, but to what end?”
“Power,” Brogdon muttered. “She’s always looking for more power.”
Sylmar shook his head. “Mayvus’ goals went beyond power. What was the use in having ultimate power if that power could come to an end? Aeliana’s on the right track with the winex research. Mayvus is after something much bigger. Maybe immortality, or invincibility, or maybe ascension as a Star.”
“That’s blasphemous,” Cyrus interjected.
Gaeren leaned around the others to grin at Cyrus, remembering their religious debates, but then his smile shifted to a jaw drop and his eyes grew wide. “The starbridges.” His gaze swiveled back to Orra. “What did it say about them inThe Sins of the Stars?”
Orra fiddled with the braid at her wrist and closed her eyes.
“It said something about the starbridges having the power of a Star. I don’t”—he patted his pockets in frustration—“I wish I had it on me.”
“‘The starbridges hum with unbridled power,’” Cyrus quoted, his gaze focused on the stone ceiling. “‘Power that’s both given and taken by the Sun. Some say that when combined, their power will bring down the barriers. Some say it will give that power to the one who wields them. But the truth is…’” He hesitated, either forgetting the last line or unwilling to voice it.
“The truth is,” Orra said softly, “no one knows.” She held the braid to her lips. “Not even the broken Star who documented their creation. But I suspect combining them will reverse all those wrongs.”
“What do the starbridges have to do with my mother being cursed?” Aeliana asked. “I feel like we’re losing focus. Even if Mayvus was going after the starbridges in her pursuit of immortality, which we have no evidence of, we need to find out the source of this curse and how to break it.”
“Wouldn’t Mayvus be wanting to break it too?” Gaeren asked. “Seems she’d be just as eager to be done with it. She’s more vulnerable if killing Emeris kills Mayvus too.”
“Unless…” Sylmar said softly. “Unless Mayvus thinks keeping Emeris alive keepsheralive too.”
It was a subtle twist on Gaeren’s words, but it gave a new ugly meaning to them.
“My mother can die just like anyone else,” Aeliana said. Why did something she’d been so certain of moments ago sound so uncertain coming from her lips?
Sylmar’s gaze drifted to Rildan. “Do you remember that winter before Mayvus came for Emeris?”
Rildan frowned. “Emeris had been sick. She was able to hide it well since Iris and Hen—I mean, Gaeren—spent so much time caring for Aeliana. Was Mayvus sick withsomething too?”
Sylmar nodded, his eyes focused far beyond them. “She grew deathly ill. She’d been experimenting with potions and blood, spells she’d learned from the witches that she wouldn’t even share with me. It’s why I first considered leaving her. The secrecy made it impossible to trust her. There was a night that she nearly died. I swear her heart stopped. But then she gasped and said Emeris’ name.”
Everyone turned to Rildan, his face now a stony mask.
“I can guess which night it was.” He shook his head, as if unwilling to bring up the memory. “Emeris grew so cold in her sleep, muttering Mayvus’ name over and over. Are you suggesting that their connection kept Mayvus alive?”
