Chapter 18

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

We ventured downstairs long before that hour but still found ourselves the last to arrive at the table. I was surprised to see not only Morrigan but Quinn and Conor seated with the others. Quinn sat opposite the senator with Conor on her right. They tried hard not to stare at us as we passed but I could sense the tension coming off of them in waves. If they could have jumped us then they would have, but right then it was all about optics.

We took our seats and I noticed our host was a little pale. He held his glass of early-morning wine with a hand that had a slight shake to it. "Good morning," he greeted us with a tense smile. "I trust you slept well."

"You've provided comfortable enough sheets for anyone to sleep well," Tegan assured him.

"I am surprised to hear your sleep was without issue," Beringer spoke up as he studied the two of us. "I had overheard from the gardeners that you had quite an eventful evening."

Cordelia lifted one thin eyebrow. "Did they? Do tell."

"We have other matters more important than them staying out late," Lusio spoke up with a sharpness to his voice that made everyone sit at attention. "The next trial is tonight and we must decide who will be first."

Cordelia folded her arms over her chest and smiled. "Well, I know I'm not going to go first."

Fidel grinned at her. "Perhaps you wouldn't mind doing it again?"

She scoffed at the young man. "Not a chance."

"We will let fate decide," Lusio announced as he rummaged in his pocket. He drew out a small object which he set on the table for all to see. It was a simple six-sided die. "Each of you will throw this cube down on the table. The lowest count will be the first to test their magic against the trial."

He picked up the die and held the item out to Cordelia. "Would you care to do the honors?"

She sweetly smiled at him and shook her head. "I would rather go last this time."

He nodded and offered the die to Beringer who accepted. The man gave the die a mighty shake before he tossed the shaker onto the table. The counter rolled to a stop and revealed a six.

Beringer chuckled as he passed the die down our line to Morrigan. "It appears luck is with me."

I reluctantly gave the die to her, careful not to let her touch me, and she gave a brief shake before tossing the object onto the table. The gods of luck granted her a four. She had to stifle a wrinkle of her nose. "Well, it appears we are in the running for first."

Fidel laughed as he scooped up the die. "Then we'll see if I usurp you." He tossed the counter and revealed a two. His face drooped and his chuckle was strangled. "Well, damn."

Cordelia was all smiles as she took up the die. "Terrible luck." She daintily tossed the die and the counter rolled to the center before coming to a stop.

On one.

A strangled laugh escaped Fidel and the rest of us had to cover our mouths to hide our amusement. Cordelia's cheeks turned red and her whole body shook.

"It appears you will be the first one for this trial, Miss Blost," Lusio commented.

Cordelia leapt to her feet and stomped her foot. "This is unfair! I have already been forced to go first! I demand a reroll!"

"Fair or not, we will abide by the die," Lusio told her as he scooped up the trinket and put it in his pocket. "Today at noon, you will be the first contestant to partake in the next trial."

The lovely woman's face was marred with disgust as she crossed her arms over her ample chest. "There is some trickery here! Someone is working their dark magic on my luck! I never lose in die!"

I turned to Tegan and noticed that he hadn't joined in the mirth like the rest of us. Instead, his focus lay on where Lusio had tucked the die.

"Come, come, miss," Beringer soothed as he smiled up at her. "I swear to take your place should your luck falter again on the final trial."

His offer assuaged some of her ire and she resumed her seat. "Alright, but I will keep you to your word." Beringer didn't speak but inclined his head to her.

Fidel turned his attention to the newcomers of the table and offered them a smile. "I'm glad to finally get a chance to speak with you, sir. Your wind magic is impressive."

Quinn studied him with a slightly disinterested expression. "And your birds made quite a scene."

Fidel's good humor faltered a little at the backhanded compliment but he managed to keep his smile on his face. "I look forward to seeing the same from you, sir."

I was in the middle of drinking my milk and snorted out some of it at the return insult offered by Fidel. Morrigan turned her nose up at me as I wiped mine with my napkin. I winked at Fidel and he returned the gesture.

"Quinn really is quite good, isn't he?" Conor chimed in with his boyish excitement as the sarcasm flew over his head at a very high altitude. "He's the best wind user in-"

"That's quite enough, Conor," Morrigan scolded him, and the sharpness in her voice cut his admiration off like a knife through fruit.

Beringer cleared his throat and leaned forward over the table to catch Morrigan's eye. "Might I ask why the senate decided to send one of their representatives to the trials?"

"An outreach of sorts," Morrigan admitted as she daintily took a bite of food. "The trials are very popular with many of our Key patrons and we sought to humor them by entering one of our best to show their money is put to good use in our training programs."

Beringer smiled and nodded. "An admirable idea. And you chose young Quinn here based on his skill set?"

Her eyes flickered to Tegan and me and her smile widened slightly. "Among other reasons."

Cordelia turned her focus to Lusio. "If I must go first, will you not at least tell me where the next trial is set to begin?"

Lusio shook his head. "Not this time. The last two trials will be kept secret in order to avoid any unfair advantages. All guests and contestants will be ferried to the locations an hour before the trial is set to begin."

"Too late. . ." I heard Cordelia mutter under her breath.

I didn't appreciate that look but the rest of the breakfast thankfully passed without any more incidents. We stood and our host was last to rise. "If you'll excuse me, I have some final preparations before the next trial." He bowed his head and left the room.

Tegan took my hand and guided me past Morrigan and company and into the entrance hall. Lusio was just about to head outside when Tegan called to him. "Lusio!"

Lusio paused and half-turned to us with a frown. "What is it?"

Tegan led me up to our host. "We'll need to know the location of the next trial."

Lusio narrowed his eyes at us. "Why?"

"To investigate the area so we know your life won't be in danger," Tegan explained as he folded his arms over his chest. "That is, unless you want to go blindly into danger."

The corners of our host's lips tightened but he adjusted himself. "Very well but I will do so only in private. Follow me."

Lusio led us down the main hall and into one of the rooms on the right. The space turned out to be a small office with a heavy desk and a few bookcases on either side. A few large windows looked out on the grassy yard and the dunes that surrounded the property.

Lusio grasped a large rolled-up paper and took a seat in the high-backed chair behind the desk. He unfurled the parchment and revealed a map. "This is my estate," he informed us as he tapped a finger against a square parcel several lengths from the house. "This is where the next trial will take place."

Tegan studied the coordinates a moment before he rolled his eyes up to our host. "And the one after that?"

Lusio frowned and released one side of the map, allowing it to roll shut. "There's no need to worry about that area. We won't be interrupted by anyone there."

"Are you willing to risk your life on keeping a secret?" Tegan challenged him.

Lusio leaned back against his chair and nodded. "I am."

"Then you don't believe your life is in danger?" Tegan guessed.

Lusio shrugged. "Perhaps the assassin was scared off." His demeanor changed for the worse as he leaned forward and eyed Tegan with a sharp look. "Or perhaps something happened to them last night to frighten them enough to leave me alone."

A crooked smile slipped onto Tegan's lips. "We don't have anything to do with this, but someone is certainly trying to control your fate. Take the die, for example."

Our host's eyebrows crashed down. "What about the die?"

"It decided the order for you, fate be damned."

Lusio stared incredulously at him. "Are you mad?"

Tegan held out his hand. "Allow me to prove it to you by handing me the die."