Page 16 of Oracle's Reign
Five
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About two weeksafter the oracles moved into the palace, the Assembly decided it was their turn to welcome the women vying for a position as the future empress. Yslie couldn’t decide if the Assembly’s event was better or worse than the feast in the palace. She wasn’t on display this time, but neither could she sit in silence.
The entire Assembly House had been set up for the evening with musicians, dancers, and other entertainments spread throughout, along with food and drinks that could be nibbled on while people mingled. Technically, Yslie could find a corner in which to hide, but not if she wanted to make a good impression. This wasn’t like at the palace, where she didn’t care that Triese basked in her popularity. Unlike the courtiers, the Assembly members actually had power. Their opinions mattered.
And they were forming opinions at a rapid rate that evening. Every time Yslie turned, another Assembly member introduced themself then immediately jumped into hypothetical questions about what she’d do as empress. It told her plenty about the topics of interest among the politicians, but she wasn’t sure what her answer told them. For her answer was always the same.
“I wouldn’t have the authority to make any decisions in such a case,” Yslie told Indalah, who wanted to know how she’d tax magical artifacts.
Like all those who had come before her, Indalah was momentarily stunned by Yslie’s response. Despite the fact that the Assembly was doing everything it could to strip away imperial power, none of the members expected Yslie to point out that she wouldn’t have authority to change the laws even if she became empress. While Indalah scrambled for a response, another member of their small group asked his own question.
“Then you will ignore politics if you become empress?” Brevin was not an Assembly member himself, but an incubus who worked from the sidelines, much as Pianti and Qilar did. Surprisingly, several people had already told Yslie about him, warning her not to underestimate him and that his allegiance was to whomever paid for it.
She considered his question. Her focus had always been more on stopping Triese from gaining influence as empress rather than what her role would be if she married the prince. But she had thought plenty about what horrors Triese could encourage, and that made her answer simple. She’d be the opposite. “No. If I become empress, I won’t hide in the palace and ignore the needs of the people. I wouldn’t have the authority to enact laws, but I could use my position and influence to help. I’d much rather work with the Assembly than interact with the court.”
Yslie wanted the Assembly to succeed. She knew progress would be slow now that the initial flurry of activity following the revolution had passed. The biggest changes had been made, everyone willing to compromise to get power out of the Emperor’s hands. Now, the various factions would push against each other more. If she became empress and ignored politics, it would be no better than stepping aside now and ceding the title to Triese.
Indalah’s eyes narrowed. “And which faction would you work with?”
“None. And all.” Yslie tilted her chin up the tiniest bit. “My focus will be the good of Pynth, not a single faction.”
They spoke for a few more minutes. Indalah and her allies wanted to learn Yslie’s stance on several issues, but for most, her honest answer was that she needed to learn more before she would make any decisions. Finally, they went on their way, leaving only Brevin behind.
He smiled at her, the glint in his eyes a little wicked. Yslie felt the tiniest pull of attraction, but though she couldn’t reason the feeling away, she knew it to be nothing more than a response to an incubus’s lure. She wasn’t usually drawn to wickedness. He wasn’t trying to seduce her, the lure too weak to be a true attempt to influence her. It was simply the natural state for an incubus. An aura of attraction she hadn’t felt until just now.
She might not have noticed the subtle lure earlier because her conversation was enough of a distraction, but Yslie didn’t believe that. If she hadn’t felt it, it was because Brevin had transformed his lure into something else. Lust might be the default, but an incubus could engender any emotion with a little more effort.
“You lowered my inhibitions,” Yslie accused. She hadn’t spoken so bluntly with anyone else who had asked for her opinions. She was well practiced in putting others at ease, becoming little more than a mirror that reflected back what they wanted to see and hear. It wasn’t a talent that allowed her to make a lasting impression, but—until Triese intervened—people usually remembered Yslie positively, if vaguely.
Brevin’s eyes widened. “You can sense lures?”
“I am aware of what my emotions should be in a given situation. I didn’t feel any of the anxiety speaking to Indalah that I did in all my previous conversations with Assembly members.”
“That was all I did,” he said. “I felt your nerves when we were introduced, so I gave you a little contentment and confidence. Nothing more.”
Yslie frowned. He had taken her hands in his when they were introduced, a common habit among incubi, for whom touch was natural—necessary. But though he would have been able to feed off her emotions with that contact, he shouldn’t have known what emotions they were. Those who had warned her were right; she needed to be careful not to underestimate Brevin.
She studied him. He wasn’t a mirror like her, but a chameleon who showed whatever colors felt safest. Right now, his green eyes were soft, his smile kind. Yslie didn’t believe the altruistic act. “Are you trying to convince me it was a selfless application of your lure?”
The spark came back into his eyes, and his lure strengthened just enough for her to notice. “Can we at least agree that it wasn’t a self-centered application? I should hate if you were to think ill of me.”
“Increasing the strength of your lure won’t help with that.”
He leaned close. “What if I were to flirt with you without the help of my lure?”
Yslie shook her head, but didn’t step away. “I wouldn’t flirt back.”
“I can be very hard to resist.”
“I’m in the city in order to try to marry Pe—Prince Peroen.”
“So are the other oracles, yet two of them didn’t hesitate to flirt with me.”
“Triese doesn’t know how to talk to a man without flirting, and I wager Odela flirted just enough that no one could ever claim she crossed over the line of simple friendliness.”
His eyes narrowed. “How did you know which two oracles I meant?”
