“’Family shares fangs’ is an old saying that uses a characteristic of venom to imply that families do not poison each other. I disagree.”
—Hssen Tyaniis Ssyri’Jiilits
“Issa, I can’t believe I have to tell you to hold still!” Ssiina groused.
“I am!” I protested. Nice as the clothes and makeup were, I really wanted to go jump into a pond or wrap myself in blankets. I was focusing really hard on how nice my bed was going to feel later, but apparently it wasn’t enough.
“Your face keeps twitching!” my elder sister said. “It’s messing with the array I’m trying to make!”
Already ready and waiting, Kyrae giggled. She didn’t need a magic disguise to keep people from seeing a family resemblance.
I pouted, and Ssiina hissed as the sigil array she’d been building flew apart in a burst of light. Blinking to clear the spots, I grinned sheepishly. “Sorry!”
“Little sister,” Ssiina hissed. “We have to start again. Hold. Still.”
“Aren’t you just doing minor stuff?”
“Minor to you!” Ssiina started to form the first sigil again, one I recognized for light. “Geliss is a genius when it comes to the scholarly side of sigil arrays, and Deziiya has enough inborn talent to nearly make up for all the air her head’s filled with. It needs to be simple, but it also needs to be perfect.”
I held in a huff and pout both, which was a very unusual—borderline uncomfortable—facial sensation. Apparently, though, I did a good job, and Ssiina merely frowned. With agonizing slowness, the array was built.
Worse yet, Ssiina double-checked her array—twice—and she found errors both times. By the time we were done, my face ached. Kyrae pulled me in front of a mirror while Ssiina looked on smugly, and I got a look at my reflection.
Gone were my green eyes and elegant features. In their place were sea blue eyes and roundness. I honestly looked a little younger. I opened my mouth, and even though I could feel where my fangs were retracted, all I saw were sharp teeth. I looked every bit like a ke’lania, probably. Ssiina hadn’t changed my build, but they wouldn’t be staring at that. Hopefully my scales wouldn’t be a giveaway.
“So?” Ssiina asked. I reached my hand up, but she batted it away. “Don’t mess with it! It’ll probably hold, but let’s not strain the array.
Rather than risk arguing and enduring another round of keeping my face still, I nodded. “It looks good, Sis.”
Ssiina smiled wanly. “Hssen Ssiina, Issa. We cannot afford a slip-up downstairs.”
Downstairs. That word had slipped into all our vocabulary.
“Hssen Ssiina.” I repeated.
My imperious sister nodded at both of us. “All ready?”
“I’ve been ready for an hour, Hssen Ssiina,” Kyrae answered cheekily.
For a moment, our sister’s mask broke and she snorted. Then, she covered her face with her hand and buried the sister I knew and loved under a layer of hssen authority. “Wait in your rooms, and do not push your face into anything Issa. Especially not your bed.”
I hissed, then smiled. I won’t.
Ssiina nodded. “It’s… strange not seeing your real face.” She turned and slithered out of the room without another word.
Kyrae waved and followed her with a smile.
I turned back to look longingly at my bed. Then I slithered to the shuttered window and opened it, looking out over the courtyard and into the garden in the distance. Birds, some of which I knew the names of now, flew or perched under a slate gray sky. Clouds had rolled in rather quickly, likely bringing one last big rain before the dry season proper. Then again, Uzh was known to have quite a few off-season rains per year.
The people downstairs are family. Not direct, but they’ve met me before I could remember. Not that they remember either—probably. Cousins Deziiya and Geliss.
And I’m hiding from them.
The newer part of me, what I’d nurtured these past years, wanted to reject that idea. I wanted to insist that they were family, and they couldn’t possibly truly wish me ill. But that well-spoken part of me was wrong and I knew it.
The street part of me, the one that’d only just accepted Ssiina and Tyaniis into my life, wouldn’t be silenced. They wanted power, and we had more power. So, it only made sense they’d look to drag us down to bring themselves up.
The current Jii’Hssen, Aunt Ssyii, didn’t push for hssen power like they wanted. Ssiina’s explanation was easy to follow. Really simple.
And it honestly pissed me off. I leaned harder against the sill and clenched my fists. The two jerks downstairs had everything anyone could ever need and damn near everything else besides. They could’ve made the whole extended family happier, but they didn’t care.
Relationships weren’t power to them. They weren’t worth more than prestige and emeralds.
By the time Zinniz came to fetch me, I struggled to wipe the scowl from my face. In only a couple months, I could tell them exactly how I felt and the worst they could do was plot behind my back or spit venomous words of their own.
For now, though, I had to sit there and take it. Take being treated like kss’iir again. Student of Phaeliisthia or no, I “wasn’t hssen.”
My mood followed me into the dining hall like a chill wind, and it didn’t go unnoticed. As usual Phaeliisthia was seated at the head of the table. To one side, Ssiina coiled and Kyrae sat, the former close to the head, although both wore the same outfit I did—the white and gold Phaeliisthia usually had us wear. Between them was a space large enough for me to coil comfortably.
Next to my sisters was a wonderful morning meal spread, and across from that, staring at me with expressions I couldn’t figure out, were two kelaniel of differing proportions and vaguely familiar features. Their jawlines matched mine and Ssiina’s, but the curves of their chins and shape of their cheeks were just a little bit rounder and broader. Blue eyes met mine, and I bowed low.
“My apologies if I have kept you waiting, Hssen Deziiya and Hssent Geliss.” The words slipped out of me like cooking oil, and I realized I was frowning.
“It’s good to see you know your place!” Deziiya, the larger of the two, replied.
“You have not truly kept us waiting, please, sit,” Geliss invited, his voice pleasantly affable.
Ssiina said he was bad news, so I have to trust her. It was hard, though. He seemed genuine.
I rose from the bow at a lazy motion from Deziiya, and coiled up between my sisters, forcing down and away any gestures of familiarity. When I looked again at those present, I didn’t understand the scowl that adorned Phaeliisthia’s face. Instead, I turned my attention to the meal, taking modest portions of food I didn’t particularly like onto my plate.
“I am glad to see you are comfortable in my estate, Geliss,” Phaeliisthia said venomously. “Ssiina had told me you mentioned stopping by.”
“We care for our cousin’s wellbeing.” Geliss’s eyes slipped over to mine. “And are concerned for the wellbeing of her friends as well.”
Phaeliisthia set her goblet down with fluid grace. “I am surprised then, that you two did not think to give them a day of rest.”
“Wouldn’t our sister be comforted more by the presence of family? This is not the Emerald Palace.”
I glanced between the two of them. Something was going on, but I didn’t know what. A power play, maybe?
“This estate is as much a home to me as the Emerald Palace, Cousin,” Ssiina said coolly.
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Geliss’s composure broke for a moment, but anything that was underneath was drowned out by Deziiya.
“You cannot possibly think that!”
“I do. And I’ll remind you that the two seated further down the table from me are my friends—and not just for my status. Hssen means nothing within this estate.”
“I see,” Geliss deflected, taking a bite of fish. “Your friend Issa certainly seems angry about something, though.”
“She almost died last night!” Deziiya added. “I would imagine she’s furious at the lax security of the pitiable ussen you slummed it with during the play. You know our box would have been open, Ssiina!”
“Perhaps she didn’t recognize our colors after so long in Phaeliisthia’s care, Sister.”
I swallowed hard. Talking to me like I’m not here? That pissed me off—I wasn’t hiding anymore damnit! Worse yet, I had a feeling they’d insulted both Ssiina and Phaeliisthia. Kyrae, too by proxy of not even mentioning her. My elf sister was staring down at her food, quiet and demure like she’d worked so hard to grow beyond. I wanted to scream at them, but I wasn’t sure what. And that pause made me realize that might’ve been their plan.
Unfortunately, a glance at Phaeliisthia showed her to be taking an unusually long sip from her goblet. She’s leaving this to us.
“Had you made known you were in the city, I’d have made a point to seek you out. I said the same last night if you recall.” Ssiina continued over Deziiya’s attempt to interrupt, “And I believe it is imperative for a good ruler to mingle with their people, so as to understand them. Had you done the same, you could have easily met with me during Tuo’Antzin. Perhaps it is just such a quality that led to the coronation of Jii’Hssen Ssyii?”
“Perhaps.” Geliss silenced his sister with a visible nudge, before looking my way again with unreadable pale blue eyes. “Or Issa could tell us herself. You have my permission to speak.”
“I wasn’t aware I needed your permission, Hssent Geliss,” I hissed dangerously. “I’m angry because my friends and I were attacked and almost died. Friends are people you care about who have your tail, in case you’re unfamiliar.”
Deziiya narrowed her eyes and leaned forward. “You dare!”
“I do. We’re all at the same table, so it’d be nice if you treated me and Kyrae like we were here.”
Kyrae looked up, and I saw the ghost of a smile play across her lips when I glanced down at her.
“You should know not to insult your betters,” Geliss hissed. “I will forgive you, this time, if you answer a few questions for me, and present a sincere show of apology.”
“I know not to insult my betters, jerk. Who said I did that?” I smirked. “I’ll answer your questions if I want to, and I’m not going to apologize unless I’ve actually said something wrong!”
At my words Geliss’s composure cracked, and Ssiina glanced my way with panic in her eyes, mouth moving wordlessly.
“Student of Phaeliisthia or not, you will regret saying such words!” Deziiya hissed.
“I agree with my sister.” Geliss said with a hard glare, even as his voice gained an eerie calm. “I would think you would teach your students manners, Phaeliisthia. And that they would know their place. They will not be under your protection forever.”
“Presumptuous of you to think my student in my estate needs not only your permission to speak, but that she cannot then speak her mind,” Phaeliisthia said calmly.
“I merely wished to make clear where no guidance was provided, Phaeliisthia, and to outline your students’ deficiencies,” Geliss replied smoothly.
“And I had assumed you intelligent enough to read the room as your sister has. A pity.”
Geliss’s eyes flashed for a moment, and even I caught the emotion, fury. But, what could he do? Insult Phaeliisthia in her own home? I savored the moment, staying silent to watch what happened next while I thought of what to say to the question of why I was angry that wasn’t “because you’re the reason kss’iir and ssen’iir make fun of nobility.”
“Do not insult my intelligence, Phaeliisthia.”
“Or?” Phaeliisthia leaned forward, and it was Deziiya who recoiled, suddenly looking a lot smaller. “Please, break decorum. Make another threat against me or my students. Take your venomous, petty little power games just a hairsbreadth further. I’m wont to ignore you, as one would ignore a fly, but I am a shallow, vindictive woman. Give me a chance, Geliss.”
The hssent’s eyes went wide, and he paled visibly. Phaeliisthia didn’t use magic. She didn’t even raise her voice, but her tone left no room for unsurety.
Just as soon as it came, however, Geliss recovered. “My apologies, Phaeliisthia. I will make no excuse.”
“Good.” Phaeliisthia inclined her head to me.
“To answer your question again,” I said calmly, extending an offer of truce. “While my fellow students and I were able to overcome the assassins sent for Ussen Ysta, I resent the difficulty of the task. I should be better—stronger—than that. That is all.”
“A noble sentiment,” Geliss replied, putting unnecessary emphasis on one phrase. “Deziiya?”
Deziiya huffed, clearly still angry from my outburst earlier. “Truly laudable for someone of such low birth to defeat an assassin sent to kill even an insignificant ussen. That you almost died is a pity, but that you are not dead is a triumph.”
They’re feeling me out. They have a hunch. I knew that already, Ssiina had told me. But I’d almost forgotten with the intensity of the conversation.
“Pray tell, what techniques did you employ, Issa?” Geliss continued. “That goes for all three of you. Phaeliisthia is training you as sigilists, yes?”
“She is, yes,” Ssiina replied. “And while I will not apologize for my fellow student’s outburst, I will say that, at this table, it would be best to dismiss the trappings of class treat each other as peers. That sort of respect should go both ways.”
I lowered my head slightly at Ssiina’s gentle admonishment of my actions. She was, after all, aiming more criticism at them than me. “As well as more mundane tactics.” I answered mostly-truthfully. I ignored the way the shadows called to me when I thought of them and continued, “I wrestled one assassin and killed them with a knife I had bought earlier—a real one, not a trinket. I was injured by their own efforts, but mostly the fall.”
“How savage!” Deziiya exclaimed. “I knew you were lowborn, but… I bet you’d have bitten them too if you had fangs!”
“I bit one of them, Deziiya.” Ssiina said. “There is no reason not to use every tool available to you.”
While Deziiya scoffed at Ssiina’s remark, Geliss was staring at me. Hard. “Fascinating. What of the elf?”
“Kyrae,” Kyrae said confidently, her posture straighter and eyes brighter than earlier. Her tone was formal. “I used a basic sigil array to direct raw force, and another to shape it. A third simple sigil directed at joints unbalanced the elf assassin and allowed for Ssiina to kill them.”
I smiled despite myself at Kyrae’s enthusiasm. Was insulting a hssen a terrible idea? Probably. It was absolutely worth it to see my sister smile. Evidently Ssiina thought so too, because her hand risked finding mine under the table for a brief squeeze.
Deziiya looked like she was about to speak, but Geliss beat her to it, and she glared at him. “Marvelous. What did you use to form the base frameworks for each array in such a short timespan?”
The grin melted off his face as Kyrae gleefully explained, in great detail that went far, far over my head.
I took the time to finally eat. Not that what I had in front of me constituted a real meal, and my hope that it would keep me formal by virtue of discomfort proved completely misplaced. Now I was stuck with it, and my stomach resented me mightily—though thankfully not audibly.
From there, the conversation stayed incredibly awkward and unmercifully busy. I was grilled about all sorts of aspects of life at Phaeliisthia’s estate and of my life prior. I kept a lot of the details to myself, but admitted to living on the streets of Ess’Siijiil with Kyrae.
“A lamia living with an elf on the streets. How deplorable!” Deziiya said with such honesty that I wanted to punch her even more.
“Sister, we shouldn’t be so callous. It’s clear they’ve both had an unfortunate life until now, even for ssen’iir, but have survived and made the best of things. I do not know what Hssen Tyaniis saw in them, but clearly at least Kyrae has the potential to become a brilliant sigilist.”
Kyrae perked up at the unexpected compliment.
I strangled a hiss, but not quite. Does he know who and what I am? Is he guessing?
“Issa? Is something the matter?” Geliss asked.
I would have rather anyone asked that other than him.
“Hssent Geliss, I am simply reminded of the hardships Kyrae and I faced. That is all.” See, I can do my own subtext. Aggressive Issa’s not always in control!
“Of course,” Geliss replied,
Was that… a real smile? No way, right? It was gone as quickly as it came.
And with that, the conversation tilted back again to mundane topics, and away from things that made my blood boil. Well, less so. Deziiya was clearly spoiled even more so than Ssiina had been. In a cruel way, Sire Tyaniis’s neglect might well have shaped my sister into a better person. Though if Mother had lived, I was certain both of us would have turned out far nicer than our cousins.
A thimbleful of empathy couldn’t be found between the pair, even if one of them was good at faking it. Despite how long it took, I saw through them by the time the conversation and the meal were winding down. Cynicism has its benefits, I guess.
“Will you be staying the night?” Phaeliisthia asked, her posture not the slightest bit friendly.
“We do not wish to impose,” Geliss answered. “Besides, Tuo’Antzin is over and we are needed back in Ess’Sylantziis.” He glanced from Phaeliisthia to my sister. “It was good to see you well after so long, cousin Ssiina. And to meet Issa.”
The pair rose, and Phaeliisthia did as well. Zinniz appeared out of somewhere, ready to escort them, and other servants moved to clean the table.
“You know, Issa, your eyes seemed greener from afar last night,” Geliss said as he exited the room behind Deziiya.
My blood ran cold. He knows. But… what can he even do? And why would he hate me?
I had the feeling he hated me.
I had nothing to back it up, but a crawling sort of sensation. Shadows in the corners twitched just out of view, and I wanted to send some after him, if only to hear anything he might say when he and his sister were alone. But I reined it in.
“Goodbye, cousins Geliss and Deziiya,” Ssiina said coldly. “I will see you in Ess’Sylantziis for my coming of age ceremony.”
“We look forward to it,” Geliss said, and then was gone, tail tip swishing as the doors closed behind him.
I realized I was shaking, and Kyrae put her hand in mine. Ssiina did the same a moment later.
“it’s okay, Issa, we’re here,” Kyrae said.
“They don’t know for sure. They’re just trying to get under your skin,” my hssen-raised sister whispered.
“Perhaps,” Phaeliisthia added from right next to us, and I jumped a little. “Or perhaps they know more. We’ll see if they’re confident enough to let anything slip on the way out of Uzh. Your sire and I have prepared for this, just in case. Make ready to leave, and then go practice. Today might just be your last day here for a while, my students.”
“What of where I wanted to visit?” Ssiina asked.
“If other plans must move first, then so be it. I intend to keep that date, and the Spring of All Life is not taking new acolytes until Tuo’Esuzin anyway.”
“Where is your spot anyway, Ssiina?” I asked.
She stuck her tongue out at me, but it wasn’t quite enough to make any of us giggle. We were all too nervous. What had seemed like the future might be here immediately, and I didn’t know if I was ready.
But I’ll be able to talk back to them, I thought, and that made things a little more pleasant.