Page 15 of Sunsplitter

Their business that day was in Thomaskweld, at the rebuilt capitol building. This meant, once again, Fi had to dress respectably. Her coat fell to her calves, black wool with red ombre sleeves. Eyeliner drawn to fierce black points. Her boots had a heel that clicked pleasantly against granite tile.

Antal, by contrast, dressed simply. The Lord Daeyari had a closet full of intricate fabrics. Opting for casual clothing made him more approachable, as much as claws allowed. His dark hair was tousled between unadorned antlers, bare feet silent as he walked, his heels raised more like a cat than a human. His shirt was dark blue with a high collar, a modest three buttons left unfastened. Dark trousers clung to muscled thighs.

How dare he have the audacity to look so hot when Fi was mad at him.

More so mad at his father, and Antal by spineless extension. This was the daeyari who’d murdered and eaten the first human Antal had loved. Who’d banished Antal to the Winter Plane, then neglected him for decades. And Antal wanted to go back?

Were Fi in his place, she’d commission a portrait of herself brandishing two middle fingers. Send that home instead.

They entered a wing of the capitol that had been rubble not long ago—and no, Fi still wasn’t accepting full responsibility for that, even if she had smuggled the bomb inside. Skilled architects had reconstructed the vaulted ceilings, the aurora stained glass. Light fixtures shaped like starbursts glinted off copper-plated wall decor, fed by energy conduits with glass viewing windows, a flow of silver magic produced by human Shapers in the city’s power factory.

But the life of this place was its people. A year ago, the mere sight of Antal had sent mortals scurrying for cover. But when Fi had kept at it, forced the daeyari to walk his city instead of teleporting through shadows…

“Good morning, Lord Daeyari.” A secretary in midnight blue nodded as he passed, on his way from the council chambers.

Antal returned the nod, curt.

“The governor is expecting you, Lord Antal,” greeted a patrolwoman down the hall.

Antal replied with a “hmph”and continued past.

If he wasn’t careful with that teeth grinding, they’d lose their hard-won progress. Fi hadn’t seen such a wet cat aura in months.

The governor’s office had tall windows overlooking the Capitol Plaza. Files and binders lined the shelves in flawless organization. Behind the desk sat a woman with brown skin and short black hair, built like a wolverine. Her midnight jacketfastened with two lines of silver buttons. Her dark eyes glinted equal authority.

“Temporary” had been a word used a lot when Antal had asked Kashvi to step in as interim governor. Just to get the capital running again. Just until they organized a proper election.

Only… Kashvi had taken to the tasktoowell. A new arena, larger than their quiet village of Nyskya. A new tavern near the river that her wife, Iliha, had snapped up as a fixer-upper. A slightly-inebriated wager of, “I’ll just put my name on the ballot and see.”

She’d won the election in a landslide.

Now, Thomaskweld’s elected governor rose from her chair with a stiff arm stretch. Her nod to Fi was brief. Her attention latched on to Antal.

“Council meeting just ended,” Kashvi said. “Here’s your work for the week.”

The next half hour was a drone of supply reports, requests from local mayors, economic tables that made Fi’s eyes glaze over. Antal, she’d learned a while ago, listened to every Void-damned word—even when his gaze sank to the carpet. His tail hung low, twitching.

Kashvi finished with a stack of papers, all signed and certified. New donations. Bodies volunteered to feed the Lord Daeyari, when they died. A slow bank to accumulate, and longer still to pay off. But progress was progress.

“More votes of confidence, daeyari.” Kashvi splayed a hand atop the papers. “Time to earn your keep. Energy foreman in the Spruce District reported one of the conduit breakers acting strangely last night. We should get that fixed first thing.”

Antal mulled the request. Nodded. Kashvi’s eyes narrowed.

“We’ve also got a new council member from Sunip,” she continued. “She wants to meet you later this week.”

Antal’s tail fell still. “That… may be difficult. I’m afraid I need to take some time away. A few days at most.”

Kashvi straightened like a rising bear, the cock of her head more brazen than most humans would risk on a daeyari. “Is that so? Didn’t realize you were up for a vacation.”

Damn. And Fi thoughtshe’dbeen in a prickly mood that morning.

“Vacation?” The word cut on Antal’s fangs. “Hardly. I must visit my family.”

Kashvi blinked. “Your family?”

“They’ve requested my presence on the Twilit Plane.”

“The same family who ate your last boyfriend? And you want tovisit?”