When Thana turned the corner into the hall, Sylph blinked. Withher dark hair and clothing, she looked like a shadow come to life, truly araven who’d fluttered down the hall and become a woman. Such long, forcefulstrides. The sides of her cassock rustled like wings. Was it even within herpower to stroll? Sylph imagined her hustling a lover down the street instead ofmeandering arm in arm. Maybe she always hastened to be behind closed doors,just like Sylph. Maybe she would be as energetic in lovemaking as she was inwalking.
The thought would give Sylph’s father apoplexy.
But he would never know it.
As Thana came closer, her dark eyes shone like obsidian. Sylphsmiled, and Thana’s stride faltered as if someone had pulled her back. Sheblinked a few times before her stern expression softened, and she returned thesmile. It rounded her pale cheeks and gave her a winsome air.
“I…you’re…” Thana cleared her throat, ducked her head, and whenshe met Sylph’s eyes again, she closed to within a few steps, and the smiledropped. But a sparkle remained. “Thank you for meeting me.”
“Of course. Thank you for taking the time.” When Thana continuedto stare, Sylph’s confidence slipped. She searched her memory for any etiquettelessons on pyradistés but found her education lacking. Was there some sort ofceremony or initiation she was supposed to know about? The horror of beingunprepared for any gathering rose within her.
Thana blinked again, and her cheeks reddened as she looked away.“Sorry, I was…um, I was thinking about…” She waved vaguely. “I have a placepicked out for…what we’re about, but I was just…briefly reconsidering.” Shebreathed a nervous-sounding laugh and offered a smile of pure mortification.“This way.”
Sylph fell in beside her as Thana started back down the hall. Ittook everything in Sylph not to laugh at the realization that they were bothnervous. Perhaps Thana was also overjoyed that no one could read her mind.
She led the way to a door between the section of the palace wherethe courtiers were housed and where the servants’ quarters began, a place Sylphhad never visited. Inside was a room slightly bigger than her sitting room andbedroom combined. Musical instruments and chairs had been shifted into a cornerand partly covered with white sheets. A large window let in plenty of sunlight,though it looked upon an expanse of stone, the part of the palace now underconstruction.
“A music room?” Sylph asked.
“Yes, soon to be incorporated into a bigger ballroom after thenew construction.” She gestured beyond the window. “But for now, it’s got lotsof light, and no one comes in here. Unless they knock the wall down while we’restanding here.”
Sylph smiled to show she appreciated the little joke. WithThana’s words, though, she couldn’t help thinking of the moving wall that hadalmost killed her. She shook the thought off. “How shall we proceed?”
Thana removed a black satchel that had hung crossways around herbody and rested against her back. Sylph didn’t even notice it until she took itoff. “Well, even though you’re only interested in suppression, you need to knowabout the various pyramids and how to use them. This will help you control yourpower.”
When she started removing pyramids and setting them on acloth-covered table, Sylph’s heart began to pound. She’d pictured meditation orsomething of that sort, but this almost seemed like…weapon-craft. Still, shedidn’t want to argue and had to take it for granted that Thana knew more aboutbeing a pyradisté than she did.
Even if she dearly didn’t want to be one.
Even after learning her mind couldn’t be read?
She shook the thought away.
Thana pointed at the table. “Pyramids come in three basiccategories: destruction, mind magic, and utility.” She touched one pyramid thathad steep angles and a sharp point. “This is a flash bomb. Like most destructivepyramids, these are made by pyradistés but can be used by anyone. They onlyhave to be broken. Flash bombs create a loud bang and a flash bright enough toincapacitate those standing close to it when it breaks. There are otherdestruction pyramids: fire, disintegration, death, and explosive.”
Sylph fought a grimace. All of them sounded awful.
“I’ve made them all, but I don’t keep them on my person while inthe palace. Disintegration is particularly nasty. It completely eradicateseverything within its blast radius, taking the form of a black sphere, which,thankfully, is only the size of a single person.” She tilted her head back andforth. “Roughly.” By her lecturing tone, one would have thought she was talkingabout something as benign as the weather.
She glanced up, and something of Sylph’s distaste must haveshown. “They can be helpful,” Thana said with a defensive look.
“Something called a death pyramid can be helpful? Or a spherethat disintegrates everything in a space that is roughly the size of a person?”
“I didn’t invent them or name them.”
Sylph held up a hand. “I don’t mean any offense. Pleasecontinue.”
Thana took a deep breath, but her finger seemed to stab towardthe pyramids when she pointed again. “Destructive pyramids are hard to make.”She shook her head as if that thought caused her pain. “For many people.” Maybeshe wasn’t very good at crafting them.
Sylph gave her an encouraging smile. Not being able to makesomething with “death” in its name was a point in her favor as far as Sylph wasconcerned.
Thana returned the look briefly. “Some pyramids are a mix oftypes. Those that guard the royal quarters and the one you encountered in thegarden are trap pyramids, a mix of destruction and mind magic, sensingmurderous intent and then exploding.”
Sylph pulled back, her mind reeling. “I never had any murderousintent.”
“No, no,” Thana said, holding up her hands as if pacifying ashying horse. “I didn’t think you did. No, something definitely went wrongthere.”
Sylph forced herself to breathe. “I’m sorry. I’m just…” Shedidn’t know what to say, couldn’t begin to describe her feelings. She alsowasn’t used
