Sapient Salvation 1: The Selection (Sapient Salvation Series) (17 page)

The rankings. I grimaced at the memory of negotiating the first round.

After the Offered had completed their introductions and the Priestess, Akantha, and I were alone in the chamber under the throne, my mind churned as I searched for a way I could champion Maya without giving myself away to Akantha.

As the Mistress of Tournament, Akantha had to agree to the ranks of favor I proposed before they could become official. The Priestess, as the embodiment of the sacred texts, also had to agree, but it had become convention for the Priestess to go with the rankings the Lord set forth most of the time. As long as the Lord’s reasoning for the rankings could be defended by passages from the sacred texts, the Priestess would not override the Lord’s decision.

But the Priestess served another critical function in these proceedings. We would call upon her to break a standoff if—or more likely,
when
, with Akantha involved—the Mistress of Tournament and I could not reach agreement. This was my second Tournament with Akantha as Mistress of the event. The first, six months ago, had gone relatively smoothly, but even then I’d known she was testing the waters and wasn’t yet trying to wield her power. Based on Akantha’s increasing assertiveness, I suspected that our days of relative agreement had come to an end.

I’d faced Akantha and tried to appear at ease. “Kalindi was the clear winner for the women—her introduction was impeccable. And Amet for the men.”

I wanted to choose Maya first, but it would be too obvious that I was attempting to favor her. By the interpretation of the sacred texts, there was no denying that Kalindi was the undisputed winner for the women’s rankings.

Akantha nodded. “Agreed, my Lord. They’re the obvious choices.” Then her eyes gleamed, and I could tell she was already relishing the thought of arguing with me. “It’s the next few spots in the females’ rankings that will take some hashing out. Who do you favor, my Lord?”

I disagreed with her use of “females” and “males” when referring to the Offered. Why couldn’t she simply say “men” and “women?” I also hated the way she said “my Lord.” It was always with her signature look—a slight twitch of her upper lip, the hint of a sneer. A look that reminded me of Jeric. Akantha got away with her sneering only because she seemed immune to insecurity and held power. Double power, in fact. The Mistress of Tournament
and
the favored lover of the brother of the Lord. If she figured out how to worm her way into any more power than she already had, I sincerely feared for the future of the Calistan race.

“Second . . .” I paused, pretending to think. “Meribel, perhaps. Or Maya.” I looked steadily into Akantha’s eyes, trying to remain composed while gauging her reaction to the mention of Maya.

Akantha’s face tightened into a shrewd expression, and my heart dipped. Had she guessed?

She snorted a laugh. “The sacred texts do
not
support choosing Maya over Meribel for second place. Meribel’s introduction was clearly superior.” Her tone dripped with haughty confidence.

I knew she was right—Meribel had exuded the grace and devotion to the Lord’s service that, though certainly not equal to Kalindi’s, was superior to Maya’s unusual introduction by the guidelines of the sacred texts.

But I looked to the Priestess, hoping she’d see something I’d missed. “I propose Maya for the rank of second,” I said. I knew I should have left it, but I couldn’t help myself.

“And I challenge for Meribel as second.” Akantha voiced her formal objection to my proposal.

If the Priestess felt the performance of two Offered were more or less equal by the sacred texts, the Lord’s choice was the default winner.

The Priestess sat very still for a moment, her gaze distant. “By the sacred texts, Meribel is more worthy.”

Akantha gave a satisfied little hum and flipped a wave of brown hair over her shoulder. I bit back my disappointment, but I knew that I couldn’t heavily vie for Maya again during this discussion. Even now, Akantha might already be suspicious.

I had to concede the third spot as well. But with a flash of triumph that I managed to hide, Maya was ranked fourth.

As I’d watched the Offered leave the throne room to enter the first official challenge of the tournament, the one Calistans informally called “the first culling,” I hoped Maya’s standing in the ranks of favor had provided her a boost of confidence. Given that she was untrained and had delivered an unorthodox introduction, her rank of fourth was a real accomplishment.

It was tradition for the Lord to throw a commencement party during the first challenge. The attendees—nobles, dignitaries, officials, celebrities, women of the harem, and the royal family—milled in small groups or sat at tables. The wine and brew flowed freely. I had to watch along with a few hundred others as live images of the Offered were projected onto the walls of the largest social room in the palace.

I wished more than anything to escape to the privacy of my chambers so that I could observe the Tournament without worrying about masking my reactions, but it was my duty to be at the party. I stayed at the royal table as much as I could during the event. I was in no mood to entertain idle small talk and knew that most of the guests wouldn’t approach me if I appeared to be in the middle of a meal or a conversation with one of the royals at my table.

When Maya nearly fell from the platform, I sucked in a breath and squeezed the armrests of my chair in a white-knuckled grip. A glance at the audience reassured me that everyone was transfixed on the action and no one had seen my slip. Except for one person: my sister Cassiopeia. She raised her brows at me, clearly curious. But Cassi wouldn’t use what she saw to torment or betray me. She was not Jeric. In fact, she was so unlike Jeric it was difficult to understand how the two of them had come from the same set of parents.

I scratched the edge of my jaw with my right hand, and Cassi replied by tapping her left index finger to the side of her chin. I allowed myself the faintest grin at our childhood signals. When we were young, we’d devised these particular gestures to be the equivalent of wagging our tongues at each other. There had been times when we’d employed them so vigorously during royal dinners that we’d both gone to bed with bright red marks on our faces.

But with Cassi, things were always in good fun. Even our childhood bickering had usually ended in laughter.

My sister had often been my sounding board and confidant. Perhaps I could confess to her something about my intense reaction to Maya? It might be safe. But certainly not here.

The culling challenges of the Tournament always turned my stomach. Not for the first time, I wished my father were still alive so I could ask him how he’d approached the Tournament. As the Calistan Lord, I was supposed to be the royal example of dedication to the sacred texts, and I believed that in nearly every way I was. But watching young Earthens die brought me no satisfaction, even though the culling challenges were required in the texts.

Some of the more fanatically devout attendees actually cried out praises when an Earthen Offered—Larisa, who’d fallen from the platform and been knocked unconscious—lost her life early in the challenge. And the ones who truly enjoyed bloodshed—Akantha and Jeric among them—often applauded or cheered the deaths, poorly masking their enjoyment behind insincere shouted quotations from the sacred texts.

During past Tournaments, I’d always managed to steel myself during the culling. I’d remind myself that this was the way of things, it had always been the way of things, and as Lord it was my duty to continue to uphold the way of things. While young Earthens died, I would repeat that thought over and over to myself. But this time, my heart lurched and pounded with every dramatic turn of events as the Offered fought for their lives.

As the late evening wore on, some of the attendees grew tired and went home. But many stayed through the night and into the morning, partying as the Offered suffered injuries and fended off dangers in a wild forest of a neighboring planet under Calistan control.

Just before dawn, Cassi came to sit next to me. “How do you find these Offered, my Lord?” she asked. Her words were formal, but she leaned over, resting her elbow on the arm of my chair and propping her chin on her hand, grinning up at me in a girlish fashion.

“I find them as suitable as any others,” I answered.

“And have you been entertained by this first challenge of the Tournament?”

“Entertained, yes, Lady Cassiopeia.” If entertainment meant having my heart jump up my throat every few minutes, then I was certainly entertained. I couldn’t help a quick glance up at the projection on the wall that was trained on Maya.

I reached for a goblet and sipped sweet wine. “How are you, Cassi?” I asked quietly, dropping any pretense of formality.

She sighed, but it was a sigh of contentment. “So well. So
very
well.” She leaned in and bit her lower lip for a moment, her eyes sparkling. “We’re expecting. I haven’t even told Mother yet.”

My lips parted in surprise, and then my surprise melted into joy. I gripped her hand, giving it a brief warm squeeze. “I’m so happy for you and Ralor.”

I should have noticed that she had not partaken of any wine or brew all night. At any other Tournament, I’m sure I would have noticed, but tonight I’d been very distracted.

Cassi’s eyes shone. All she’d ever wanted was to have a family of her own. She and Ralor had been married barely a year, but when it came to children they’d both been eager from the start. A part of me envied her. She’d married the man she loved, and she was starting the life she’d dreamed of since we were little.

“How are you feeling?” I asked.

“I need to get to bed, I’m absolutely exhausted. But other than that, I’m wonderful.” A tinkling laugh escaped her lips. Then her expression grew wry. “Well, aside from all the vomiting. But even that can’t get me down. I’m just so thrilled. And so is Ralor.”

“I am thrilled, too. I quite like the thought of a little niece or nephew running through the palace hallways.”

She tilted her head to one side. “What about you, brother? You are nearing the time of choosing a Calistan wife to bear your heirs. Then you’ll have children of your own.”

I shook my head and flicked my fingers back and forth as if shooing away a fly. “That is still months away.”

“It will be here before you know it.”

I took another sip of wine to avoid responding. At the age of twenty-eight, the Lord was obligated to take a wife. It wasn’t a union of love like Cassi and Ralor’s, but one of necessity. The Lord must bear children—at least one son, in particular—so that a new Lord would be ready to take his place if the Return to Earthenfell did not occur within his reign.

I was not eager to go through with the process. The woman had to be Calistan, and she had to be approved by the Council, High Priestess Lunaria, and the immediate members of my family. That meant Jeric would have a say, and the thought turned my stomach.

In many ways, it was a strange position to be in. The Lord’s harem women would bear his children in the event of the Return and the reclamation of Earth. But as long as our enemies still attacked and we were bound to stay here on Calisto, more Calistan children in the bloodline of the Lord must be produced.

A shout went up, and I jumped and quickly scanned the projections. Had another Offered perished?

No—the sun was rising, and the challenge was almost over. But there was a commotion, and the stalwart revelers who still remained were all gathering under one projection.

It was the one trained on Maya and the others near her. And Maya was in trouble.

With my heart banging in my chest, I watched her fight. The giant carnivorous birds of the forest had surrounded her, but she wasn’t giving up.

When three other Offered came to her aid, it took all of my strength to suppress the encouraging shout that threatened to burst from my throat.

A bead of sweat dripped down my temple as I watched, riveted.

When the portal opened, I cursed under my breath. Akantha should have positioned it closer to the Offered. Instead, she’d placed it several yards away. She could have made it easier for them to escape—she had complete authority to do so. They’d survived the night, and they did not need one more test.

After Maya disappeared into the light of the portal, my shoulders dropped with relief and I began breathing again. One of the young men with her wasn’t so lucky. I closed my eyes for a long moment as the unfortunate boy was dragged away. Akantha was at least partly responsible for his death, and I truly did not understand her cruelty.

But I couldn’t help the new warmth that spread through me. Maya had made it. She’d survived. And she’d shown bravery, quick thinking, and benevolence toward her fellow competitors.

“Take care, Toric,” Cassi whispered. In the tension of the final moments of the challenge, I’d nearly forgotten she was there. I turned to her, and her serious face cooled the glow of victory I felt for Maya’s performance. “Do not betray your personal preference. Nothing good would come of it.”

My face hardened, and I silently cursed myself. I did not have to be told of the danger, but I clearly had not concealed my feelings well enough if Cassi had detected them.

I nodded. “I know,” I whispered back.

*

“What say you, my Lord? Did Kalindi sufficiently meet your favor during the culling to retain the honor of first place?” Akantha lounged a bit too casually on the divan, considering it was in my private receiving chamber. She twirled a strand of hair lazily around her finger, but I wasn’t fooled. Akantha was always out for blood, even if it was just for the sport of it.

Kalindi had performed well, using a large section of the fallen platform as a shield under which to hide from the prowling, bloodthirsty tredaks. She and two young men had managed to survive there. But beyond figuring out a way to survive and allowing two of the young men to share her hiding spot, Kalindi had not displayed any exceptional valor.

I’d been debating with myself since the challenge ended a half hour ago. I believed Maya had performed well enough to take first place in this challenge, but strongly preferred that the suggestion came from someone other than me.