I will itso.
But that wasn’t how magic worked. Once a pyradisté, always apyradisté.
A smattering of voices reached her, and she eased farther underthe sweeping leaves, glad she’d picked a green outfit. Even the gossamersleeves with their sprinkle of diamonds would help her blend with the dewygarden.
A group of courtiers strolled along the path beyond the tree.They were a privileged handful who were allowed to mix with nobility. They knewenough to be seen without getting in the way. Even without the leaves obscuringtheir faces, Sylph doubted she would have known them. The little she saw oftheir clothing gave away their station even before their conversation did.
Nobles only gossiped behind closed doors.
“Did you hear the prince will be putting in an appearance?” onecourtier asked.
All of them sighed, presumably over the prince’s beauty. He hadturned quite a few heads. And quite a few mattresses, Sylph had heard.
Behind closed doors, of course.
“No sign of the queen?” one of the courtiers asked.
“She’s too enamored of her new lover,” another said, and thetittering began anew.
Sylph rolled her eyes, wishing they’d go away. Their gossipwasn’t even interesting. She knew all about Lady Lucia, Queen Earnhilt’scurrent paramour. Sylph had memorized her features and every fact about herthat one could dig up. Her father had insisted she do so for every noble. Onenever knew what might be useful. And she had no doubt they all knew about her.
But they didn’t know everything.
“The prince is enough of a thrill on his own,” the first courtiersaid. “Adding in the queen would be too much loveliness and put the garden toshame.”
They all clucked in agreement, clearly besotted with theUmbriels. Sylph supposed she’d become too accustomed to the royals too long tounderstand the adoration. The queen was beautiful as well as boisterous and notafraid to pick up a sword when the situation warranted. Not Sylph’s cup of tea.Nor was the prince with his lazy drawl, half-lidded leers at most of the court,and glib wit. He’d always been friendly and courteous, but she’d never beeninterested in knowing him better.
Her father approved. In marriage, he wanted her to have thegreater title and the upper hand. As a future duchess, there were few aboveher.
“Look,” one of the courtiers said with a gasp. “It’s the prince.At the end of the hedge.”
They oohed and ahhed before one asked, “Who is that dour creaturein black beside him?”
“The queen’s pyradisté,” another answered.
They paused as if searching their memories for either theidentity of the person in question or perhaps for a definition of a word sooutside their sphere.
“Peasant,” one said dismissively, and that was that.
Sylph cringed and eased away, her cheeks burning. Her fatherwould say the same. No noble possessed such an ugly, common little thing likemagic.
Except her.
All thoughts of swearing and raging gone, she fought the urge tosag to the ground as she wandered farther into the scented trees.
* * *
Thana hated everything about this tea party, but she wasn’tsupposed to show it. Prince Gunnar had instructed her to smile and makecheerful conversation. She had promised to try not to scowl.
By the looks she was getting, she was failing at that.
“Why do I have to come?” she’d grumbled at Gunnar in hisapartment before the stupid party. “I’m the monarch’s pyradisté, the only oneshe has. Shouldn’t I be with her?”
“Mother is busy.” He sighed and shook his golden head, blue eyestwinkling as he added the final touches to his outfit. Even in the shadows madeby flickering candlelight, he managed to gleam. “She’s always busy.”
Thana couldn’t begrudge him the sigh and a touch ofembarrassment. His mother’s taste for beautiful women was legendary, and thoughshe never shirked her royal duties, her private appearances when a new loverwas on the scene were practically nonexistent. Even among her family.
“I should be here in the palace in case she needs me,” Thanamumbled.
Gunnar gave her a look but said nothing. She knew what thatmeant. What would the queen need her pyradisté for when she was safelyensconced in the royal apartments behind hallways full of protective pyramids?
But Thana added another reason the queen wouldn’t need her: Shewasn’t a very good pyradisté.
Gunnar would never say that, though.
He put a hand on her shoulder. “I need you. What if someover-amorous noble or courtier leaps upon me in the seclusion of the garden?”
“You can fight them better than I can.”
“What if they use magic?”
“A noble would never stoop so low.” She used a mocking tone ofindignation. “There are no noble pyradistés, and they wouldn’t stoop to use apyramid that some lowly peasant made for them.”
His affectional pat turned into a clap. “C’mon, Than. I need atleast one member of the Order at my elbow, even if no one knows it but us.”
Right. She couldn’t forget that being the monarch’s pyradistéalso meant being in the Order of Vestra, the covert organization that protectedthe Umbriels and helped keep the secret that they all bore a Fiend. It was anecessary but unpleasant evil that had to remain secret at all costs.
Thana could help repress the Fiends if needed—she had enoughskill for that—but could she subdue criminals or stop traitors? Hurldestructive pyramids of her own making and swing from the rafters into danger?
Give her a book and a cozy blanket any day.
She thanked the ten spirits that all the Umbriels wore a Fiendsuppression necklace under their clothing. Unless they became overly angry, itwould keep their Fiends safely out of the way. Legend said that a strong enoughemotion could break the necklace and let the Fiendish Aspect out, but she’dnever seen that for herself.
Since Gunnar had given her a pitiable look after his argument,she went to the spirits-cursed party. She’d taken an oath, too flattered whenthe queen had asked her to be the royal pyradisté for anything else. It hadn’toccurred to her until later that they’d only asked her because she was Gunnar’sfriend. She didknow everything there was to know about pyramid magic. She’d even studied withAllusian pyramid users, all the way to the east outside of Farraday’s borders.
But powerful and energetic she was not.
She supposed she needn’t be either to stand around in a
