In Reina’s grip, the blade became visible to the physical world. Celeste’s blue gaze doubled in size at the sight. Her jaw dropped; then she wavered, surrendering to the exhaustion. She collapsed right into Reina’s arms.
Reina supported her, welcoming her in an embrace.
Celeste had needed her after all.
Reina turned to the breaking dawn, her heart stronger than it had been since leaving Don Enrique’s study. Far in the distance, between her and the rising sun, were two figures rushing up the eastern side of the summit. One was crowned in two great valco antlers, and the other was short, wild hair swirling out in all directions, like a burning star.
30
Ambitions Converge
With her breaths coming hard and constricted as she ran after Javier, Eva twisted her hands in the incantation to swell her muscles with the strength of bismuto. The spell coursed through her, doubling the push of every stride, and she managed to match his pace hiking up the butte.
“She’s going to take her,” Javier had hissed before taking off after the women in the center of the summit, which Eva interpreted to mean that they had finally found Celeste. Despite the distance, the dawn light made it easy to see them. One had skin the color of sand dunes and braided hair with waves like obsidian eddies. She held a blade, golden and reflective like a mirror under the sun. By her feet was the fainted young woman she had lowered to the ground, who was dressed in richly dyed clothes, the antlers protruding from her tied hair testament that she was the one they sought.
Eva squeezed the pendant hanging from her neck, the iridio concoction swishing within as she moved it. Its power sloshed, abundant.
Javier unsheathed his left-handed sword and pointed it at the brown woman. He didn’t bother with introductions. He went straight for the kill. “How appropriate: the thieving duskling stealing Ches’s Blade from my niece’s hands.”
The woman’s face darkened. “Javier? What are you doing here?” she said. She was dressed in a vest, shirt, and pants, her boots muddied. The way she stood, with her shoulders rolled back and her grip on the sword sure, warned Eva of her strength. “This is hers, but she’s in no state to use it.”
“All I see is you wielding it,” Javier said as he drew closer without lowering his own sword. The woman watched its sharp edge apprehensively. She fell into a fighting stance when she saw he had no intention of easing. “Well? Don’t you want to give it a try?”
Javier didn’t waste a breath before diving into a flurry of attacks, and the woman parried with the golden blade. Trading one hit after another, they looked like performers in a choreographed dance, like it wasn’t their first time.
Javier stepped away, swiping locks of silver hair and beads of sweat out of his face. He regarded the woman with jealously bared teeth. “I see your absence from ?guila Manor hasn’t made you sloppy.”
“I see your absence hasn’t made you bearable.”
“Why don’t we trade swords to see if you can still hold your own against me? Or are you afraid I’ll best you if I wield it? How do I know all your strength isn’t coming from it?”
Was he going to wrench the blade away from the woman? He had talked about the legend of Ches’s Blade nonchalantly, without going into details, for Eva also knew the story. But that was as far as she had seen it: as nothing more than a tale. Witnessing the golden blade as a tangible truth in the woman’s hands, however, filled Eva with a rush of heat, for it was yet another confirmation that everything Javier attested was true. Rahmagut’s legend and his star in the sky. The legitimacy of Ches’s existence as ancient god of the sun. It meant that there was certainty to the future he promised her, despite the deceit about his real nature.
The woman didn’t humor his question. Instead, she asked, “Why are you here?”
To await his niece, he had told Eva, for Ches presented his blessed blade only at the moment of sunrise. So they had abandoned their traveling supplies and mule and had waited all night hiding in a crevice for the sun to rise. Celeste had come, only he hadn’t said anything about this other woman arriving as well.
Javier gave the woman a long look, then offered her a contemptuous bow. “Thank you for finding my niece. Now allow me take her where she belongs.”
“I—I’m planning on taking her back to Sadul Fuerte, eventually,” the woman said quickly. Eva didn’t know anything about her, but at that moment, she knew she wasn’t a good liar. “She’s just injured.”
“Is that so? Did Ursulina put you up to this?”
“Your brother.”
As Eva drew closer, the woman’s attention landed on her.
“Oh, her?” Javier said, “Reina, meet the newest addition to the ?guila name, Eva Kesaré.”
“What?” Reina said, easing her fighting stance. Perhaps she was well acquainted with Javier’s fickle aggression. Or perhaps her hidden strengths gave her the courage not to be afraid.
“I’m his wife,” Eva said loudly, owning her stupid mistake.
The news evaporated Reina’s unease. “So… you’ve been busy?” she told Javier, and Eva grimaced.
Javier had a smug air about him. “And you haven’t been?” he said, his satisfaction growing as a short, plump woman caught up to Reina and waited in the periphery. Though there was something off about the woman, a ghostly afterimage Eva couldn’t shake off even as she blinked and squeezed her eyes. “Why did you bring the dama from Apartaderos? What are you plotting? You’re taking the damas, aren’t you?”
Reina didn’t answer. Glaring at Javier, she moved her free hand in the elaborate motion of an incantation. Slivers of bismuto wrapped around her hand and slithered into Ches’s Blade, a blue glow enveloping her body and weapon.
Eva massaged her hands, cataloging the soft slosh of geomancia potions stored in her capped rings. She knew the counter to bismuto enhancement. With galio she could cure Reina of the high, reverting her to her natural state, should she prove to be too much for Javier. But first Eva wanted to see how she would feel about it, seeing him suffer.
“Are you betraying Brother? Is that what this is?” Javier asked, unconcerned. “And what, you’re going to fight me? Kill Enrique’s heir?”
“Celeste is the caudillo’s rightful heir.”
“Are you sure you mean that? Because if so, you know a nozariel like yourself doesn’t belong with a woman of her rank. You wouldn’t be more than a bedroom distraction.”
“I am not a doormat to be made fun of anymore,” Reina said between gritted teeth. “Especially not by a leech living in his brother’s shadow!”
“If I’m such a leech, then what does that make you, who can so easily be defeated by my sword?” Javier closed the distance between them. He sliced at her where she stood.
The film of blue surrounding Reina flared. Her golden blade blocked him in a blink, the metals ringing and shattering the summit silence.
“I’m tired of your jokes!” Reina growled, giving her blade a slash with the intent to cleave him in half. “Stop pretending that’s all I care about! Just stop.”
They reeled away from each other, one step back and two steps to the side, parrying as if each knew the other’s choreography.