Page 104 of In the Ravenous Dark
Japha gives her a quick but sincere kiss on the cheek. They’re wearing a deep indigo peplos twined in russet leather straps almost like an armored strophion, with more kohl on their eyes than usual—Japha’s attempt at subtle. Their dark gaze flits around her, no doubt seeking me. “I’m okay, Cousin. I’m in facthappilyunprotected, if you know what I mean. Have you come alone?”
Lydea grins. “Free of my guardianandmy babysitter, Marklos.”
“I won’t ask what happened to the captain,” Tumarq says gravely. “For now.”
“That’s for the best,” Lydea says, giving him a nod. “Hello, Uncle.”
He nods in return, his tone just as formal. “Niece. If you’re here, I imagine you also support a coup?” He smiles grimly. “You would become queen regent, after all, until a son of yours came of age.”
Her expression turns to ice. “And you think that’s what I want?”
Tumarq gestures at Japha. “How else could you support such an outlandish claim as this? That the king is not only a bloodmage and a wielder of death magic in disguise, but a…revenant…as you so call him? Did this accusation originate in Skyllea? Did Alldan put it into your heads?”
Lydea opens her mouth angrily, but Japha grips her arm. “Father, you know the king hasn’t been himself, not since he was crowned.”
“And yet not to the extent that I could suspect him to be adifferent person entirely.”
Japha raises their hands, as if they’ve been over this before. “He sent Crisea—yourdaughter—and Delphia, his own, to die in the necropolis, never mind that he always humored Aunt Penelope and Crisea’s training as warriors, and Delphia was his favorite!”
Tumarq’s face has grown stonier after the mention of Crisea. “Are you sure you’re not upset because he’s no longer humoringyouand your inclinations… or lack thereof?”
Japha takes the question in stride, their voice calm. “Frankly, I drew the luckiest lot in getting betrothed to Helena. I knew I would have to get married sooner or later after I inherited the bloodline. But you’re right, Uncle Tyros often indulged me, just as he did Penelope and Crisea. He respected those in his family who wanted to forge their own paths—as long as it was a path that didn’t conflict too much with his own,” Japha adds. “Don’t get me wrong, the man had a heart of stone, but not like this.”
“He never indulged me,” Lydea grumbles, folding her arms.
Japha rolls their eyes. “Because you hated him. Tell me, Cousin, have you not noticed a difference?”
“I have indeed. Because now he hates me, too. I can feel it.” Lydea frowns in thought. “And I once overheard Father in one of his darkest moods telling Kineas that he would never inflict a marriage like his own on us. That he would never force someone to marry a Skyllean like he was forced to marry my mother. That he pitied his sister Penelope for being bound to Silvean against her will.” She shrugs. “And yet, what does he do as soon as he’s crowned? He not only punishes Aunt Penelope for trying to rebel against her fate, but betroths Kineas to Silvean’s daughter, a half Skyllean, and me to a full-blooded Skyllean prince. True, he never liked me, but not even I thought him capable of doing to me what he so hated having done to himself.”
It’s Tumarq’s turn to frown, and I feel a flare of hope. “And now you argue this… revenant… has no issue doing it in your father’s place.”
I take this as my cue. I let the shadows around me dissipate and step forward as he takes me in, his mouth dropping open and his hand reaching for his sword.
“Just like Old King Neleus wanted—because heisthe old king. Kadreus is the same king who’s ruled Thanopolis for four hundred years, and he’s always wanted Skyllea’s power,” I say. “He wants their bloodlines for the polis. He claimed Cylla’s. He wanted my father’s bloodline. And Lydea’s betrothal to Alldan was a safe way to gain access to more of Skyllea’s knowledge. But the king may be regretting his choices now.” I rub my chest. “He made it clear he was getting sick of Skylleans when he stabbed me in the heart.”
“You stabbed yourself in the heart.” Tumarq shakes his head, eyes wide. “I saw your body. What witchery is this? No blood magic can resurrect the truly dead.”
I raise my arms. “Because this isn’t blood magic alone. It’s also death magic. I’m a revenant, like the king. Here is your proof, at least, that creatures like us exist.”
The general draws a few inches of steel. “You’re not proof of anything. You’re a traitor. You assassinated the crown prince—”
As he’s been talking, Lydea and Japha have both sidled closer to me, their hands at the ready to protect me. A burst of warmth in my chest lends strength to my voice. “Thekingkilled Kineas to protect his secret, and then he killed me. I’m not the liar. The king is.”
“Why should I believe you?”
I extend a hand. “Because you don’t have to take only my word for it.” Ivrilos’s palm slides into mine. The general gasps as he appears. “You once saw Ivrilos defend the king from my father. Now hear what he has to say.”
I can’t help but notice it’s the four of us facing Tumarq in a line: Ivrilos, me, Lydea, and Japha. I’m so grateful for them. My odd, wonderful little family.
Ivrilos gives the general a short bow. “General Tumarq, I have long admired you as a man of strength and integrity. I like to think of myself as one, as well. So please believe me when I say the king you serve is my brother, Kadreus. He was my father Athanatos’s legitimate heir; I’m a bastard. We both died over four hundred years ago—I was sent to the chopping block with my mother and sister, because my mother tried to hide me from him. But, unlike my brother, I found my way to the underworld, where I was pressed into my father’s service. Kadreus remained here, bound to my father as Rovan is bound to me, ruling the living world, while Athanatos rules below.”
Tumarq’s eyes widen, and he shakes his head. “Even if what you say is somehow true, Athanatos is worshipped as a god in this city. If we rise up against him and his son, would that not be a greater treason than a simple coup against a mortal king?”
“My father is seen as a god because that’s how he wants it,” Ivrilos says. “I’m here to tell you that he’s just a man, if a monster. He is trying to supplant the goddess. He has reshaped the underworld to reflect his tyranny, and he has used the essence not only of his people, but of the living world to do it. To sustain his dark city, he’s caused the blight that swallowed the kingdom you were once heir to. To stop him—to stop the blight—we must first remove my brother and sever my father’s connection to the living world. Otherwise, more kingdoms will be devoured like your own.”
True fear—or fear of the truth—flashes in Tumarq’s eyes.
“And if we don’t remove him ourselves, Skyllea will,” I say. “Because they’re next to fall to the blight. They’ll be forced into war with us instead of an alliance. They’d rather have us as allies, though. Think about how many lives we could save, fighting back the blight togetherinsteadof fighting Skyllea.”
