Rune and Ruin

17 - Goddess

391 B.C.E. - Bandittica, Ruins of the City of Caere, Island of the Fyrrin, Coast of the Tasurian Peninsula, Spring, Month of Maius

Thania

My eyes catch on Tems's soft brown ones as Vivina catches me up with the battle that will take place tonight. "So," I say quietly, tearing my gaze from my lover's to look at my best friend. "Tonight, Falx will take back the entire Flight." I swallow hard in memory of just why Falx lost control of the legion of winged demons in the first place. "And Ulster accepted this challenge?"

"I don't know what that winged imbecile is thinking," Vivina huffs.

"He is trying to win you," I respond, knowing she's speaking of Ulster and not the Warlord of Rune - or, Caere now, I suppose - who is, at this moment, laughing uproariously with several of his belators as they paint his skin for the fight tonight.

"Is he? He sees Acera females as less than him. As nothing important." Her words are seeped in bitterness.

I examine my friend closely. Vivina has no demonic qualities that mark her as a Tasuri or half-bred, but I have always wondered about her heritage. "Yet, he will fight Falx and lose the Flight he is so proud of," I point out gently, "all for the chance you will choose him."

"No," Vivina shakes her head. "He's doing this for pride. Already, he bargained for the bitch Corrine to be free again. And," she glares at Tems, "the Warlord just... just... let her go!"

"He has a plan," Tems points out mildly. I side-eye him. If any of my three men are plotmasters, it's this one. He's not sharing, however.

"Hmm." I turn back to Vivina, disagreeing with her stance on Ulster's intentions, but I don't know him as well as Vivina does. "The choice is still yours." I look out among the busy crowd, only to feel my breath catch in my throat as I meet a burning red gaze in the perfect, pretty blonde face of Lady Corrine.

Keep calm, Thania, I tell myself. You are no longer a powerless slave. She can't touch you here.

The vicious Tasuri noblewoman glares back at me. The hatred in her eyes is plain to see. I meet her eyes, refusing to quail in front of the Tasuri noblewoman who has come to my city to try and claim my man.

Men, I correct myself as Tems wraps his arm around my waist and tucks me into his side. "Corrine will get her due, sweetheart," he promises.

I break our staring contest to glance up at my grim-faced lover, his eyes burning red as he stares across the Banditiccia at Corrine. It's embarrassing, but I take more than a little comfort in his presence. From the little I've gleaned, this lover of mine is powerful and wealthy, or at least his family is. Surely, Tems is experienced with dealing with someone like Corrine, while Falx and Quintus aren't as... practiced.

The Tasuri noblewoman either doesn't care or doesn't notice the foreboding expression on Tems's face because her glare doesn't lessen as she starts to strut toward me. She suddenly notices Tems at my side, halfway to us. To my shock and uneasiness, his presence seems to bolster her. A spike of uneasiness shoots through me, but then the goddess speaks.

She sees love where there is only loathing.

"She's mad," Tems mutters to me just before she is within earshot. She's moving more quickly now, but I don't take my eyes off her again, trusting that Falx is preoccupied with his fun and Quintus is with Leda. My family is safe, and Lady Corrine is alone here, in my city, with only a small retinue of servants and slaves to protect her.

"Tems!" Corrine breathes. I stiffen at the familiarity in her voice, and Tems's fingers dig more tightly into my side.

Silence falls over our small group. It stretches uncomfortably as Tems refuses to return her greeting. Corrine's expressions as her face falls into confusion, then hurt, and then pinched in anger and disgust are fascinating.