temple was covered in murals that depicted every bird, fish, and animal in Becar. The colors shone more brilliant than in real life—the feathers of the birds were brighter than on any real bird, the flash of the animals’ eyes shinier than any real animal’s eyes. Even the black seemed blacker, and the white seemed whiter. By the time she reached the receiving room, Tamra’s eyes were watering from all the flickering colors. It was a relief to step into the cool gray of Augur Clari’s office.
Augur Clari, one of the many teachers at the temple, was a strikingly beautiful woman with black-and-white-streaked hair that seemed more due to choice than age, as if she’d instructed her hair on how to age elegantly. Her skin was smooth, as if the sun had never dared burn it, and her eyes were perpetually calm.
Tamra hated her, of course.
Not because of her beauty, but because she was the one who had identified Shalla’s talent. And because she never failed to act as if she alone knew what was best for Shalla, without any consideration of what Shalla—and certainly not what Tamra—wanted.
The worst part was that most people would say Augur Clari was right.
Even Tamra, if she were forced to admit it.
“Ah, Mother of Shalla.” Augur Clari graced her with a smile.
Tamra also hated that Augur Clari never used her name, even though she knew it, though she supposed she’d been called much worse things. As titles went, it was one she wanted. Bowing slightly, Tamra replied, “Augur Clari, thank you for seeing me.”
“I see all of you,” Augur Clari said serenely. “And I see you are concerned. Surely, it’s not with regard to Shalla. We are very pleased with her progress. She performed excellently on her exams and is proving to be a credit to the temple. And to you, of course.”
Tamra tried not to grit her teeth at the thought of the temple taking credit for Shalla’s brilliance. All the credit belonged to Shalla alone. She was the one who worked hard. She tried her best every day. Any victory was hers. But Tamra knew she was being irrational. The augur was only trying to be nice.
Augurs were very skilled at “nice.”
“I come with two requests,” Tamra said, forcing her voice to sound even and polite. “The first is for Shalla to reside in the temple for the next two days. I have been training a new rider and racer and will need to be away from home for their first race.”
“Of course!” This time Augur Clari’s smile seemed more genuine. “Shalla is always welcome to stay with us. Her teachers will be well-pleased to have the extra study time. I am delighted that you see the wisdom of not interrupting her studies.”
“Would you let me interrupt her studies?” Tamra asked, before she could stop herself.
“No, we would not allow it. But I am pleased to not have to convince you of that.”
Tamra winced. She’d had plenty of arguments in this very room over the years about how many days and how late Shalla would remain in the temple. They rarely went Tamra’s way. In fact, she wasn’t sure she’d ever won an argument with an augur.
“You mentioned a second request?” Augur Clari prompted.
“I would like to ask to defer the next tuition payment until after this season’s races are complete. As I said, I have a new rider and racer and—”
“I’m afraid that won’t be possible.”
“Why not?” She didn’t ask often, not even when they were so tight on money that she’d skipped meals, and she wasn’t asking to skip payment. “You don’t need the money.” The augurs of Becar were said to be wealthier than the emperor himself. “The temple—”
“The temple has rules. If we violate them for one, we must violate them for all.”
Tamra felt her hands curl into fists and forced herself to relax them. She had to stay calm and speak steadily—raging at the augurs never worked. “I am not asking to miss a payment, merely to wait a few weeks—”
Augur Clari held up a hand. “Mother of Shalla, you must allow me to express my concern.”
It took enormous self-restraint for Tamra to resist saying: Must I?
“Ever since your”—she hesitated, as if unsure how to put it delicately—“tragic change of fortunes at last year’s races, you have had difficulty meeting your payments. We note that you changed your living situation and are concerned that Shalla is not living in conditions that are optimal for her focus. To