is lovely, is it not?” Calling him brother was not inappropriate, since she was a priestess herself. Had she been a layperson, sεravion would have been more appropriate, but both terms were denoted by the shortened, honorific S’ placed before the spoken name of all who’d sworn holy vows to the Lord of Night.
The priest looked at her, turning his head enough that she could see his face beneath the hood. He was indeed young and very handsome, despite the twisting scars that ran from his right temple to his jaw. “Yes, siflion , the dawn is nearly as lovely as you,” he said, his lovely, light tenor voice rippling lyrically in the still morning air.
Ave felt the heat in her cheeks as she blushed, surprised and flattered by the unexpected compliment. “I am S’Avetina, of the Arrai,” she said, almost too quickly, then wanted to sink into the stones of the wall. How forward could she be? How obvious? The violet glyphs of her Arrai robes were perfectly visible, after all, just like the verde glyphs of his Thezi garb.
The priest’s thin, perfectly sculpted red eyebrows arched, but he didn’t call her on her faux pas. Instead, he inclined his head with a gravity that was belied by the twinkle in his peridot eyes. “Well met, siflion-sεravion Avetina,” he said with mock formality. “I am S’Rak, of the Thezi.”
She was grateful to him for responding in kind, even though their sects were plainly writ upon their garb for all to see. It allowed her to look up from the stones and smile at him.
He continued on, apparently oblivious to her recovery. “And if I could be so bold as to ask, how is it that a lovely Loftoni lady, with such marvelous tesserine wings as I see you have, ends up an Arrai and not a Thezi?”
Ave sighed, surprised he hadn’t already heard the story. She thought everyone knew about her dragonless state. “I’m only a quarter Loftoni, my sweet Thezi. My half-Loftoni mother married for love and not for race, and as a result, I inherited my father’s talents and her wings, but no dragon ever came for me, for that ability is one I lack.”
Rak murmured, “Surely that is one of the only lacks you have.” He looked at her for a silent moment, a faint smile playing on his lips. “May I ask something of you, Avetina?”
“Of course…and call me Ave, as my friends do.”
Rak’s eyes laughed in delight as he gravely replied, “You may call me whatever you wish, since Rak is so short that it cannot be shortened further, siflion Ave.”
Ave pressed her fingers to her mouth as she tried not to giggle. Oh, this young Thezi was a find, for certain. “What did you wish to ask of me, Rak?”
He drew closer, holding out a bare hand, palm up. “I wish to ask your permission to court you, siflion .”
She drew in a deep breath of delighted surprise. Handsome, romantic and bold , she mentally chalked up. She grinned at him and placed her hand, palm down, in his. “You have my permission to do so, siflion-sεravion Rak.”
Rak’s smile lit up his eyes in a private joy shared just between them. “Have you had supper yet, m’lady Ave?”
“No, I have not. I just came out of the temple and saw you up here again, and I couldn’t resist finding out who you were.” She glanced at the eastern sky with the wariness of a desert-born creature. Yes, the Hammer was fully risen now, ascending into the washed-out blue vault of the heavens. Already, it was growing hot. She looked back at Rak in silent inquiry.
“I know a very nice little public house,” Rak offered with a challenging gleam in his eyes. “Their food is excellent and a refreshing change from the standard temple fare.”
“I accept your invitation, siflion .”
* * * *
Ave sat at the small table across from her mother, Thezine Ravinia, and after the polite talk of the weather and the quality of the tea had been disposed of, Ravi asked, “Are you seeing anyone currently? If you’re not, I should mention a few names to
The priest looked at her, turning his head enough that she could see his face beneath the hood. He was indeed young and very handsome, despite the twisting scars that ran from his right temple to his jaw. “Yes, siflion , the dawn is nearly as lovely as you,” he said, his lovely, light tenor voice rippling lyrically in the still morning air.
Ave felt the heat in her cheeks as she blushed, surprised and flattered by the unexpected compliment. “I am S’Avetina, of the Arrai,” she said, almost too quickly, then wanted to sink into the stones of the wall. How forward could she be? How obvious? The violet glyphs of her Arrai robes were perfectly visible, after all, just like the verde glyphs of his Thezi garb.
The priest’s thin, perfectly sculpted red eyebrows arched, but he didn’t call her on her faux pas. Instead, he inclined his head with a gravity that was belied by the twinkle in his peridot eyes. “Well met, siflion-sεravion Avetina,” he said with mock formality. “I am S’Rak, of the Thezi.”
She was grateful to him for responding in kind, even though their sects were plainly writ upon their garb for all to see. It allowed her to look up from the stones and smile at him.
He continued on, apparently oblivious to her recovery. “And if I could be so bold as to ask, how is it that a lovely Loftoni lady, with such marvelous tesserine wings as I see you have, ends up an Arrai and not a Thezi?”
Ave sighed, surprised he hadn’t already heard the story. She thought everyone knew about her dragonless state. “I’m only a quarter Loftoni, my sweet Thezi. My half-Loftoni mother married for love and not for race, and as a result, I inherited my father’s talents and her wings, but no dragon ever came for me, for that ability is one I lack.”
Rak murmured, “Surely that is one of the only lacks you have.” He looked at her for a silent moment, a faint smile playing on his lips. “May I ask something of you, Avetina?”
“Of course…and call me Ave, as my friends do.”
Rak’s eyes laughed in delight as he gravely replied, “You may call me whatever you wish, since Rak is so short that it cannot be shortened further, siflion Ave.”
Ave pressed her fingers to her mouth as she tried not to giggle. Oh, this young Thezi was a find, for certain. “What did you wish to ask of me, Rak?”
He drew closer, holding out a bare hand, palm up. “I wish to ask your permission to court you, siflion .”
She drew in a deep breath of delighted surprise. Handsome, romantic and bold , she mentally chalked up. She grinned at him and placed her hand, palm down, in his. “You have my permission to do so, siflion-sεravion Rak.”
Rak’s smile lit up his eyes in a private joy shared just between them. “Have you had supper yet, m’lady Ave?”
“No, I have not. I just came out of the temple and saw you up here again, and I couldn’t resist finding out who you were.” She glanced at the eastern sky with the wariness of a desert-born creature. Yes, the Hammer was fully risen now, ascending into the washed-out blue vault of the heavens. Already, it was growing hot. She looked back at Rak in silent inquiry.
“I know a very nice little public house,” Rak offered with a challenging gleam in his eyes. “Their food is excellent and a refreshing change from the standard temple fare.”
“I accept your invitation, siflion .”
* * * *
Ave sat at the small table across from her mother, Thezine Ravinia, and after the polite talk of the weather and the quality of the tea had been disposed of, Ravi asked, “Are you seeing anyone currently? If you’re not, I should mention a few names to
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