Chapter 39: Calliope

The Duke of Vidura's Estate on the Northern Coast of Delos

"Again. Focus this time."

"I was focusing before," Calliope argued, narrowing her gaze at Aditya who stood on the other side of the small garden. Her red hair blew in the faint breeze, her dark eyes sharp as they remained on Calliope, narrowing at her growing frustration.

"It isn't going to come naturally," Aditya warned. "Your power is not about creation. It isn't about making things happen. It's about stopping them. You cannot think of what you want. You have to think of absence, a void, emptiness."

"Pleasant," Calliope quipped and Aditya's jaw tensed the way it did when she was annoyed. Calliope was finding it easier and easier to annoy her nowadays.

Aditya didn't like being away from the finery of the palace, that was obvious. And when Maverick had left her here with Calliope days ago, ordering her to keep her safe and help her practice, it was clear that Aditya viewed the mission as a demotion, a babysitting job if nothing else. And she was starting to resent both Calliope and Maverick for her time here. She was restless. She tried to appear wise and patient but she was just as anxious as Calliope was to leave this place.

Not that it wasn't nice here as well. The Duke of Vidura, Kael his name was, had a phenomenal estate on the northern coast. His grounds sat atop enormous cliffs, a white-capped foamy sea raging against the rocks below. The view was beautiful, the air was fresh, and the location was safe. Calliope should have been satisfied. She should have been grateful. But ever since she had tapped into the power that had been dwelling within her for so long, she had become a well of boundless energy and lazing about on a lovely estate day in and day out wasn't fulfilling her need to use her newfound magic. Neither was training with Aditya.

"Make a fist," Aditya said now. "Good. Clench hard. Harder. Think about that time in the forest when the Chaos had us pinned down. Those fireballs that he was hurling at us, the one that burnt Sebastian. Think about what he said to Maverick, how he was going to kill him, how he was going to kill all of us, how— how— Calliope—"

Calliope's eyes snapped open. She hadn't even realized she'd closed them. But Aditya was turning purple, gasping for air and crumbling to her knees.

"Let... go..." she wheezed and Calliope did, her chest deflating as she released her fists, staring down at Aditya with wide eyes.

Aditya fell to her hands and knees, breathing deeply to fill her lungs. Calliope knelt to help her but she held up a hand and waved her away. Calliope backed off and waited for Aditya to rise to her feet again of her own accord.

"Good," she spoke, her voice still strained, and sputtered a cough. "Your turn, Zephyr."

The soldier nearby stood from the bench he had been sitting on, sharpening his sword, and sauntered over to relieve her.

"As much as I enjoy spending all day squeezing the magic from you two," Calliope said with a sigh, "isn't there something more important we should be doing?"

"Maverick will come for us if and when he needs us," Zephyr reminded her for the hundredth time.

"I know but—"

"How's the training going?" A familiar voice called out and they all turned to see Kael making his way down to the garden, a smile on his face and hands clasped in front of him in a friendly manner. Aditya frowned his way and strode off to rest on the bench. She had been suspicious of him ever since they'd arrived. Calliope wasn't sure why. He'd been the picture of hospitality since they'd arrived on his doorstep unannounced. But Aditya seemed to have her reasons and, if she didn't trust him, Calliope wasn't so certain that she should either.

"Fantastic," Zephyr replied, voice dripping with sarcasm. "It's always been my dream to spend hours a day being magically suffocated from the inside out."

Kael snorted.

"Maybe I should step in today?" He asked. "Give you two a break?"

Zephyr and Aditya exchanged a glance.

"That's alright," Zephyr replied. "I've got it."

"It's really no trouble," Kael explained, striding over. "In truth, I've been curious about Calliope's abilities myself. A real Andhakaar. You two are probably the only ones alive who know what it feels like to be silenced by one of them. Well, you and..."

"We don't want to cause a diplomatic incident, Your Grace," Aditya said, politically. "You understand."

Kael looked from Aditya to Zephyr and nodded slowly, coming to terms with the fact that he was outnumbered.

"Of course," he replied, clapping his hands together with a smile. "Well, at least take a break to join me for lunch? My cook has prepared a lovely roast pheasant for us this afternoon."

Zephyr and Aditya exchanged another look. They were always doing that. Calliope rolled her eyes and turned to the Duke.

"We'd be honored," she told him and he smiled, extending an arm. She took it and let him lead her back into his home, the home he had shared with them without question for nearly a week now. What did Aditya and Zephyr fear from this man who had asked for nothing and given them everything? Why did every action of his ignite suspicion within them? What had he done to deserve such ire?

Calliope was determined to find out.

She waited until they were all seated around the dining table, until the servants had delivered each of their individual plates with smiles and bows, until she took her first bite and complimented the delicious flavors. Then she began her interrogation.

"So, Your Grace—" she began.

"Call me Kael, please," he said, that ever present smile positively beaming at her. "All of you."

"Kael," she corrected, "how long have you been the ambassador to Delos for your country?"

"Nearly twenty years ago now. Wow. It's crazy how quickly the time passes."

"So you're a friend of Maverick's mother?"

Kael smiled, swirling his wine in his glass as Aditya and Zephyr exchanged another look across the table.

"Twenty years at court, you make a few friends. I suppose I count Valencia among them, yes," he said.

"A very... diplomatic answer, Your Grace," Calliope remarked and he grinned.

"It is, isn't it?"

"I guess what I'm trying to get around to asking, Kael, is what does Maverick's mother have on you?"

Zephyr choked on his wine. The ends of Aditya's hair turned a white blonde, the way they did when she was surprised. She got control over them a moment later though and they turned back to fiery red.

"An astute question, my dear," Kael replied with a grin, leaning back in his seat and sipping his wine as if this were amusing to him in some way. "I take it you're very observant. A Yseult would be, after all."

"Yes, they would. I've noticed a few things in the week I've been here, Kael. Mainly how my companions, Maverick included, don't seem to entirely trust you. How you've been gifted this beautiful home on the Delosian coast and yet don't see fit to visit court in a time of war. So you're important. But it's also important to keep you at a distance. My guess is because someone at court doesn't like you. It isn't Valencia. It might be Maverick or... it might be the king. Either way, as you said, twenty years is a lot of time. Time in which you're bound to make friends and also enemies."

"Very impressive," he drawled but she wasn't finished.

"Given the fact that you've asked for nothing from us, despite how very aware you are of just how rare each of our magic abilities are, I assume you owe somebody something or care rather deeply for someone and, as Valencia is the only one who has been a verified supporter of yours..."

"I can see how you've arrived at your conclusion," he said, pausing long enough to take another sip of his wine. "And you're correct."

Aditya and Zephyr's lips parted in surprise as they both turned their full attention to the Duke. So they hadn't known his secret either. Calliope filed that information away for later.

"I do owe Valencia," he continued. "She helped me through one of the most difficult times in my life and, for that, I will owe her until the end of my days. But there is nothing nefarious in either what she gave me or how I have repaid her. We are simply two friends, looking out for one another, through two decades in the viper's nest. So, if she comes to me, or sends her son, to ask that I take in a few stray teenagers on their way to glory, well, how could I turn her down?"

Calliope's brow furrowed.

"Glory," she repeated. "What do you—"

"Duke Kael of Vidura," someone interrupted,and they all turned to see a contingent of soldiers in the deep Delosian green entering the dining hall.

"Excuse me," Zephyr interrupted, standing from his seat. "What are you—"

"We have a message for you," the soldier spoke. "From Prince Maverick Aphelion."

He handed the Duke a letter. Kael took it and read over it for a moment, his smile falling for the first time since they had arrived at his home.

"It appears your time here has come to an end," he said then, nodding toward the soldiers who stepped forward and began helping Aditya and Calliope out of their seats.

"Whoa, wait a minute," Calliope objected.

"Get your hands off me," Aditya snapped, pushing the soldier nearest her away and brushing off her gown.

"What is the meaning of this?" Zephyr asked, whirling to face Kael.

"Maverick," Kael said simply, tossing the letter onto the table. All three of them leaned in to view the prince's seal and signature at the bottom. "He's calling you back. To the kingdom."

Aditya started to argue but Calliope saw the handwritten note scrawled at the bottom of the regal summons and knew Kael was telling the truth.

Everything has changed. Come quickly. Tell no one.

-Maverick