Divined (35 page)

But Clio’s thoughts stayed with Ashira. “She was a better champion than we.”

“Certainly. Better than I and much better than you.” Ixie winked and stood as Riece appeared in the archway. “I’ll come back for you later.” She nodded at Clio, then bowed to Riece before slipping from the room.

The bruises had mostly faded from his face. He wore the Emperor’s golden breastplate, but beneath it, Clio could tell he was uncomfortable. When the drape fell behind Ixie, he didn’t waste any time in taking the heavy armor off. Beneath, he still wore his golden warrior’s cloak.

“Your Highness,” Clio said, dipping her head in a bow to hide the smile growing across her cheeks.
Yes
. The word echoed through her mind. Surely Tirza delivered her message, surely he knew what it meant. She lifted her chin, unable to fight her grin any longer, only to find Riece frowning down at her.

“Don’t call me that.” He ran his fingers through his hair and stiffly strode to the window.

“But it’s true, isn’t it? You’re the Emperor of Morek now?” She wanted to stand, to go to him, but something in Riece’s posture kept her seated on the mat.

“I am.” He turned to her. “But you are a citizen of Sheehan, not Morek. And as your city is no longer subservient to mine, your king deserves the title, not me.”

“But I’m in your kingdom, your empire at the moment. I’m under your reign, Your Highness.”

“Clio.” There was something unexpectedly sharp in his tone. “Don’t.”

“You’re upset. Is it…” But she couldn’t bear to voice her fear. Perhaps Tirza
had
delivered the message, and Riece, now the Emperor, no longer wanted Clio as a bride. “What’s wrong?”

“
What’s wrong
? Deities, Clio. Don’t you know?” His gaze landed on her, and Clio flinched away.

“Riece, whatever it is, I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry for?” He rounded on her.

“I—I… A lot, I expect.”

“A lot.” He nodded. “Did you think I wouldn’t find out?”

She narrowed her eyes, no longer willing to endure his accusations. “Tell me what I’ve done or leave me to rest,” she commanded flatly. “I won’t have an argument with you when you won’t even tell me what you’re speaking of.”

He paced across the room, and for a moment Clio feared he’d pick up his breastplate and leave the room. Instead, he stopped somewhere behind her. “I’m speaking of how everyone else seemed to know about a certain Vision. Everyone except me.” His voice was soft.

“Oh.” She turned, finding Riece staring at her, his eyes pained.

“
Oh
. That’s all you have to say to me, Clio? Everyone in our party knew you were going to your death on that pyramid. Everyone except me. I had a right to know!”

“You knew it was a risk we all faced.”

His face reddened, and Clio caught the way his breaths had begun to heave in his chest. “A risk and a Vision are two very different things.”

“But they’re not,” she said quickly, bracing for his rage.

“Clio.” His voice had gotten frighteningly quiet. “You spent the night with me believing it was your last. You walked away from me. You let me walk away from you. I never would have left—”

She held up her hand. “It doesn’t matter. I’m not dead, am I? The Vision didn’t come true.”

“It wasn’t your choice to make! You can’t keep doing this to me. Not if…” He shook his head. “You hide these Visions from me, you let me believe what you want me to believe, and then you go on and make the decision for the both of us. You did it when you Saw my death, and now you’ve done it again. I can’t keep doing this. I can’t be kept in the dark, not if…” He trailed off again and stormed across the room.

“Not if what, Riece?” She rose to her knees, allowing a small smile to curl her lips.

He looked back at her. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”

She stood, ignoring the pain that flared in her side with each step, and crossed to Riece. “Did Tirza give you my message?” She took his hand.

He didn’t look her in the eyes as he answered. “Yes, my sister delivered your message.”

She felt his hand tense in hers. “And?” She leaned into him.

“And what, Clio?”

“Do you have anything to say?”

He finally glanced at her. “You can’t keep shutting me out.”

“Riece”—she took both his hands—“I knew you wouldn’t let me walk onto that pyramid if you knew, and I made a choice not to let any specter of what
could
be keep me from doing what’s right. I’m sorry it hurt you, but I’m not sorry I did it. Because, look, here we are. Alive. If we had let that Vision dictate what I did, then who knows how many would be dead.” He tried to pull his hands free, but she gripped them tighter. “I want to start living my life now. I would like it to be with you. I’m not the same girl who forced you away out of fear. Or the girl who said no to you because of what might happen in the future. I’m ready for this.” She leaned in closer to him, her lips brushing his. “The only future I care for is the one we could make, right now. Our words—they mean more to me than any Vision ever could. What do you say, Riece?”

He looked down at her, and Clio saw amusement flicker in his eyes.

“Perhaps I should give my answer to Tirza,” he muttered.

Clio grinned and brought her lips to his cheek. “If that’s what you’d prefer. I can wait here. Or…” She moved to his mouth.

She felt him shudder before he leaned back. “Clio, I will not be distracted.”

Taking his face in her hands, she met his gaze head-on. “One word from you and our futures will be set. No more lies, no more hiding. I’m ready.”

He studied her, but still his hands remained firmly at his sides.

She dropped her arms and stepped back. “If you don’t want me, tell me and I’ll go.”

She hadn’t managed to turn before his hand caught her waist and she was pulled into him. He didn’t say anything—he didn’t need to—as his lips found hers, sealing their fates.

When Clio pulled back she was grinning.

“No more games, Clio. No more leaving. If I’m to be yours and you’re to be mine, then you can’t keep running from me.”

“You’re right. No more running,” she said quickly.

His eyes widened with surprise even as his smile grew. “I’m sorry. Did you just agree with something I said?”

She laughed and kissed him quickly, lightly. “We’ll find something to disagree about soon enough, I’m sure. But not this. I won’t leave, Riece. I can promise that.”

“Will you travel across the Empire with me, burning every last temple of the Order to the ground?”

Clio nodded, grinning. “Yes,” she answered.

“That was an easy one.” He frowned, but his eyes grew brighter. “Will you rule with me?”

“Yes.”

His frown faltered. “Will you wed me?” His voice came out a whisper, and he dropped his gaze as if afraid of her answer.

“Yes, Riece.”

He looked back up at her with a single eyebrow raised. “Will you wed me as soon as possible? As soon as you’re recovered?”

She leaned into his lips. “Yes,” she breathed.

His hand found her face, and she felt his thumb brush her cheek. “Will you kiss me?”

She smiled. “Yes, Your Highness. Yes to everything.”

EPILOGUE

“I spent all evening cleaning Clio up—not an easy task as many of you know—but when Riece first saw her that night, I knew it would eventually come to this. He was beyond infatuated. It was really somewhat pathetic,” Tirza said with a wink at her brother.

“Pathetic?” Riece grinned. “Are you aware of whom you’re speaking, sister?”

“Yes, Your Highness.” She laughed. “Still, the Emperor was quite helpless when Clio came out of my room that night.”

They sat around a fire, the remains of their feast and the day’s ceremony at their feet. Clio leaned into Riece’s back, his arms wrapped securely around her, and looked at her friends. Tirza sat beside her brother, her gossamer skirt catching the starlight above. Atzi reclined nearby. Derik, Zarae, Ixie and Ealis—they all had returned to the city for the ceremony.

“Now, let’s let the poor Emperor be,” Derik said with a quick grin at Riece. “After all, it’s not as if Clio fared much better.”

“I don’t know what you’re implying,” Clio replied casually, slipping her fingers between Riece’s.

“I’m implying nothing. I’m
stating
that you were just as pathetic. When Riece walked into that throne room after your year apart, I’m pretty sure every guard in the whole room feared you were on the verge of losing your breath and falling into Riece’s arms.”

“A blatant exaggeration!” Clio protested.

Ixie shook her head.

Ealis laughed into Ixie’s ear, kissing her forehead quickly before facing the group. “It was the same in Cearo, I’m afraid.”

“I can attest to that,” Atzi added from her place on the ground.

“Please”—Zarae started—“none of you can complain. I had to sit around and watch them be complete idiots while they pretended rather badly that they didn’t care for one another.”

“I’m afraid I had to watch more than that, my queen.” Ixie’s mouth twisted in a sly half-smile.

Clio felt Riece’s chest shake with laughter. “I’m glad we’ve been able to offer you so much amusement over the years,” she said, grinning.

“Enough,” Riece said suddenly and stood. He picked Clio up in his arms and faced their friends. “As entertaining as these stories are, it’s time Clio and I retired for our wedding night.”

Derik let out a cheer, and Ixie whistled suggestively, drawing the attention of several nearby warriors. They’d opted to perform the ceremony in the hollow lands between Morek and Sheehan. Clio knew they would have to repeat the ritual in Morek, for their people to see, but she and Riece had agreed they’d wanted to celebrate their first evening in private, with only their closest friends. Above them, on the horizon, Morek shined with hundreds of torches in honor of her new ruler. And behind them, Clio saw the warm glow of Sheehan. But it was the light in each of her friends’ eyes that made Clio happiest.

Riece carried her toward their tent as the group laughed and toasted their drinks in Clio’s direction.

“Don’t get too comfortable,” Zarae warned. “Remember the promise I made to you on my wedding night. I intend to repay your interruption.” She laughed under Riece’s glare.

Riece stopped just outside the tent. “Anyone who disturbs us before sunrise will be treated as an enemy of the Empire, leaving me with no choice but to use the forces at my disposal for retaliation.”

They crossed into the tent to the sound of their friends roaring with laughter.

“Think they’ll listen?” Clio asked when she’d been set back on her feet.

Riece shrugged. “Considering Ixie’s among them? No. But I handpicked ten warriors and swore them to make sure their Emperor and Empress aren’t disturbed.”

She stepped into him. “What foresight you have, Your Highness.”

Riece was laughing when she kissed him.

Pressure built behind her eyes as Clio slept. She furrowed her brows, trying to push it away, but the pain built and built until it burned. There was something familiar about the pain, something Clio hadn’t felt in a long time.

She opened her eyes to search for Riece at her side, but instead found the dying embers of the fire. She stood outside their tent. Everyone was gone—her friends, the warriors. The field was empty. Except for a single figure. She stood behind the fire, the dark smoke curling up and around her face. Clio squinted through the night, until she could make out small dark eyes and a soft smile. Her breath caught, and Clio stepped forward.

“Hello, Clio,” Ashira said. Her voice sounded somehow deeper. She was wearing white robes that billowed in the breeze, and her face seemed to glow even while the fire died under her feet.

“This isn’t real.” It wasn’t what Clio had meant to say, but she couldn’t find the words for the hope that flamed in her chest. “Is this a dream?”

“I came to congratulate you on your wedding.” Ashira smiled, and Clio realized she’d forgotten the way the corners of the girl’s eyes always crinkled with the slightest grin. “I’m sorry it took so long for me to come to you, but I only just learned how.”

“Learned how to what?”

“You remember Daizon’s story? About how he was able to visit his beloved in her dreams? I’ve been trying for a while, but I think I wasn’t strong enough until now.”

Clio shivered as she approached. She reached out, expecting her hand to pass through Ashira, but instead she brushed the girl’s cheek and immediately recoiled. It was as if Clio had put her fingers in the fire.

“Sorry. I forget my strength sometimes.” Ashira frowned. “It grows every day as more and more gather to the shrines in my name. My story has even begun to spread outside the Empire.”

“Your story?” Clio’s eyes widened. “No… It’s not possible.”

Ashira smiled. “We’ve done the impossible together before, you and I.”

“But a Deity can’t be made. You were mortal.”

“I don’t know what I am. Likely not a Deity, at least not like the ones we’ve known. But there was power in the ether before them. The spirits around us, the gods of the
cenotes
. Power has taken many forms.”

Clio felt a tear roll off her chin. “I’m so sorry, Ashira. It should have been me. Are you—are you in pain?”

“No apologies, Clio.” Ashira waved her hand. “No, I’m not in pain. I’ve never felt better actually.”

“But you’re on the other side all alone. Could you come back? Walk among us like Daizon?”

Ashira’s gaze slid to the distance. “Perhaps I could. Perhaps I will. But not yet, I think. There’s so much to see here. So much to feel. I’m connected to everyone who worships my name. And watching you and Ixie find happiness—it’s been more than I could ever wish for. I can See the joy that awaits you both in the future.”

“You can See?” Clio’s mouth went dry as she understood.

Ashira nodded. “But that’s not why I’m here. I simply wanted to congratulate you. And if you wouldn’t mind passing along a word to Ixie—tell her Ealis intends to ask her to move to Cearo with him. It’s in her nature to resist him, but tell her adventure awaits her in his city. She won’t be bored.” Her grin was suddenly girlish, and Clio remembered how young Ashira was.