Page 25 of Between Wrath and Mercy

Lavenia snorted. “If she doesn’t do it herself first, Hanwen help her.”

I cringed, remembering how I had told Lavenia I loved Faxon in a way. The thought tasted like sulfur, slimy and disgusting. He was a traitor. He betrayed me, and he betrayed our daughter. There was no punishment I could think of to fit his crime. I wondered if I had tried to love Faxon, maybe he wouldn’t have done what he did. But there was no point even thinking about it. We were in this situation because of every decision the two of us had made over the years. The choices he made all those years ago made it impossible for me to love him. And the choices he made now were unforgivable. Maybe I would find myself praying to the God of Wrath after all.

“You could do it together—it’s a unique bonding experience.” Dewalt deadpanned over his shoulder, placing a tray on the table. Something about the way he said it made it seem like he spoke from experience, that he’d shared a kill with someone before. The tray he carried was filled with an assortment of meats and fruits, as well as a pot of what smelled like chowder. As he began to divide out the food in plates and bowls, I inspected the room and wondered where we could all sit and eat and not make a mess. I ended up cross-legged on the floor with my back against the foot of the bed, and Lavenia plopped down on the floor next to me—you’d never know she was a princess. Rainier sat across from me, back to the closet door, legs outstretched. As Dewalt started bringing over our dinner, I suddenly grew curious about his and Lavenia’s relationship. I needed a distraction, and their love life was a welcome one.

“So, when did you two perform the ritual? You were most definitely not in love when I saw you last.”

“I was wondering if you noticed.” Lavenia’s smile was almost shy. “It’ll be ten years ago in the spring. And no, we were notinlove then or now. He’s my best friend and has been for a long time. We know each other’s minds and love each other. It’s enough for the ritual. You know how rare conduits are.” Lavenia shrugged.

Though conduits themselves were rare, it was rarer still for anyone who performed the bonding ritual to not be in love with their partner. Conduits not only shared divinity, but they shared their lives after they performed the ritual—forever connected emotionally, physically, and spiritually with the person they chose. Because the Myriad gave bonded conduits access to the font, the life-giving gift from the gods, the lives of conduits were long, spanning hundreds of years. It wasn’t unheard of for royalty to perform the rite to form alliances or to gain power, such as what was supposed to happen with Rainier and Lucia, but as a second-born child, I’d always expected Lavenia to choose someone for love. Though I supposed she was right, conduits were a dying breed.

Dewalt brought his meal over and sat on my other side, across from Lavenia. “We love each other like we always have. She is my best friend, and I am hers. I would do anything for her, just like I’d do anything for Rainier.”

“The only reason he didn’t pick me is because Lavenia asked him first.” Rainier chuckled.

“If I’d have known you were interested . . .” Dewalt’s eyebrow arched, a lascivious smile on his face.

“Firstly, I have no interest in doing the Body aspect of the ritual with you. Secondly, your abilities are too weak to help a future king.” Rainier smirked at Dewalt, who in turn gasped in mock offense.

I was sure Rainier was joking about Dewalt’s abilities being too weak, but I wondered if it was why he had never completed the ritual himself. I couldn’t help but feel a small pang, knowing how pathetic my own divinity was compared to theirs. Healers weren’t uncommon at all, as far as conduits went, and I wasn’t even close to being one of the best. And, though my ability to listen to hearts was rare—I’d never met another with my gift—it wasn’t exactly useful. Had Queen Shivani not been able to find someone for him with adequate abilities? Lucia had been more than suitable, but was there no one else for him? I didn’t know what came over me, but I decided to ask him.

“Why haven’t you performed the ritual, Rainier?” I took a bite of a strawberry as I watched him, oddly nervous for his answer.

“That’s an awfully intrusive question, isn’t it, Highclere?” One of his eyebrows was raised, and the smirk he’d been wearing only a moment ago was gone. I glowered at him, knowing he only used my family name to irk me. I tried my best to be nonchalant and shrugged.

“You don’t have to talk about it,Vestana. I’m just curious. I figured there would be courtiers lining up to bond with Crown Prince Rainier.” I saw a hint of a smile when I used his own family name but Lavenia cut in before he could speak.

“Oh, don’t flatter him.” She groaned, and I saw Rainier’s eyes flash something close to relief. I decided to let the topic drop; I’d get it out of him later.

“Anyway, the conduit pool is rather low, and, at the time, nobody was doing anything for me.” Lavenia laughed as she continued. “Dewalt was a choice made in desperation.” Rainier started chuckling, and I was relieved to hear the sound of it.

“Excuse me!” Dewalt’s words didn’t match his face, full of laughter, as he looked at Lavenia.

“But you do what the ritual demands?” After the Mind ceremony, they would have had to be together physically for the Body, and they’d be connected from then on, continuing to renew that bond regularly. It was part of the ritual where the mind, body, and soul of the conduits would meld and combine to make them both stronger. I couldn’t imagine doing that with a friend, no matter how close we were.

“We do. We are not monogamous though, if that’s what you’re truly asking.” Dewalt grinned.

“Don’t tease her. Dewalt and I, well not so much Dewalt, but I pursue relationships outside of the bond. If either of us were to find another conduit to perform the ritual with, we’d revisit our arrangement.” Lavenia smiled at Dewalt, who glared at her after her comment about his relationship status.

“But so far, it hasn’t been an issue.” Dewalt finished for her.

“So, what did the Myriad make you both do for your tasks?” I’d never seen any part of the ritual performed. Rainier and Lucia were to be the first one I’d ever seen. I wasn’t completely ignorant, though. Each partner was given a task from the Myriad to complete, to prove their worthiness to the other before they’d be allowed to proceed with the ritual. Sometimes it was a quest, sometimes it was settling an old grudge, and sometimes it was something as simple as bringing a smile to your partner's face with a unique gift. I had no idea how the Myriad Masters decided this, and honestly thought it might have been purely political. For matches they didn’t want to occur, they’d assign impossible tasks, forcing the conduits in question to give up.

“They made me meditate,” Dewalt said derisively. I snorted.

“I’m sure it was no small task. For how long?”

“Until I had a vision. Which, given that I had smoked draíbea before I left, it wasn’t long before I was hallucinating.” Rainier started laughing hard enough he had to wipe a tear from his eye.

“Tell her what you told them.” Rainier grinned at me, raising an eyebrow and nodding. I knew whatever he said, it was going to be good.

Dewalt grinned. “I told them I saw my dead mother, telling me I’d made a good choice in Lavenia.” Lavenia rolled her eyes as I joined Rainier in his laughter. Dewalt’s mother had famously hated the royal family, disowning him when he chose to join the royal guard. During the time I knew him, she’d sent a yearly letter, asking him if he had come to his senses yet.

“Well, there’s no way that’s what you actually hallucinated.” I was grinning at him, but the moment I saw Dewalt’s features close off, I felt my smile fade.

“It’s nothing worth mentioning.” He stared down at his hands.

“He saw his own death.” Lavenia’s voice was sharp, cutting through the quiet with a bluntness which surprised me. Dewalt was still looking at his hands, but I saw his slow blink before he focused on me.

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