enjoy the company of mortals? As you can imagine, Lord Tsatach’s sense of humour is somewhat limited. After a few centuries one has heard them all.’
Despite his ill temper Emin pictured the few Chetse he’d known in his life and almost smiled at the image. Then he caught himself and realised it was the God’s attempt to manipulate his mood. He dug his thumbnail into his finger as hard as he could, something Morghien had taught him. Pain sharpened the mind, just as the glamour of the Gods dulled it.
‘Might I suggest you pay your social calls on someone with a little less to do? I have guests I must speak to.’
‘Ah yes, the intriguing Legana, that shadow of herself. One of many interesting new flavours to this Land. Still, when things get desperate and down to the bone I find it is ancient methods that serve us best.’
Emin’s eyes narrowed, sensing the significance of what he was being told, without understanding it. ‘The ancient isn’t really my domain; I leave that to others.’
The God wearing his sister’s face smiled indulgently. ‘Time you paid it a little more attention. This kingdom of yours isn’t what we planned for humanity, but some of us appreciate that change comes to all things. Mild impieties and direct threats to the greatest of Gods aside, it stands as a better future for the Land than others.’
‘Please, enough of the flattery,’ Emin said. ‘My queen would be upset if I started getting a high opinion of myself.’
‘I can remind you of your inadequacies easily enough,’ Larat said, ‘but I see no profit in doing so at present.’
Larat leaned forward and put one elbow on the table, resting her chin on one hand with a fluid motion that no mortal beyond a Harlequin could achieve.
Emin recognised the pose, from the painting of Gennay, but the gesture only hardened his resolve.
‘The Farlan are in chaos,’ Larat continued, ‘something that will only increase in the years to come. Lord Styrax is building himself an empire and collecting artefacts powerful enough to kill Gods. It is only a matter of time before he crosses your borders.’
‘That I know. I’m already making preparations.’
‘But have you yet realised why he is collecting these artefacts?’
‘I don’t know enough about them to deduce that.’
Larat’s young face was now stern and serious. ‘The Skulls are objects from the dawn of time. Aryn Bwr found them and reforged them to their present form, but they are far older, and the last king’s changes were not extensive, however ingenious.’
‘But what is their significance? Did Aryn Bwr upset the balance of the Land by reforging them?’
‘In unison there is very little they cannot do. It is no coincidence that they number twelve.’
‘Twelve?’ Emin hesitated. ‘The Upper Circle of the Pantheon? That little detail has been omitted from every scripture I’ve ever read. And does it go further than that? Are you aligned to a specific Skull, bound to it, even?’
‘The bearer of each is permitted to ask a question of the one aligned to it. Some knowledge should not be shared — the very act would upset the balance of the Land.’
‘I don’t understand what you are telling me, what you’re asking of me.’
‘There are forces in this Land that would like the balance to be upset, things to come undone.’
‘Who? The Vukotic family?’
‘Among others. What I am telling you is to survive — to keep the Land a place where the Gods are still welcome. It is the natural order of things; without it you will find this world far less of a paradise than it is at present.
‘Lord Styrax was a mistake of ours — when Aryn Bwr’s soul did not find its way to Ghenna we knew he had prepared some sort of contingency plan.’
‘If you’re so concerned,’ Emin broke in, ‘why not take a stand? Damned by Death or not, I’m not as powerful as a God of the Upper Circle. And somehow I suspect you’re not here to announce the Gods will march with me against Lord Styrax.’
Emin felt the room grow cold as Larat stiffened in her seat. ‘We have learned that lesson already.’
‘To let others do the killing for you?’
‘To not allow others to murder the divine,’ Larat said, a warning look in her eyes. ‘One of our kin has already died in this war; we do not intend others to run that risk.’
‘You would run such risks to avoid even one of your kin dying? This is a war