Page 44 of Ensii

Epilogue

It had taken months to rebuild the palace and the city after the wholesale purge of everything and anything to do with Anakti. There were still flat places in market squares where statues had once been, soot marks where bonfires had lit the night. Many had been lost that night and some had never been found. They still didn’t know what had become of Gilsazi’s mother.

The ceiling over Talitha and Ashek’s bed had remained a bare, gouged ruin until they’d both grown tired of having plaster rain down on them in their sleep. A fresco of the triad suns had taken its place, painted by a Hudspethite craftsman.

Talitha wore an ensaak’s crown and bracers now, fierce and formidable accessories to her long silk chitons. They left her shoulders and arms bare, exposing the scars where the monster had clawed her. Kasrei had not been able to mend that, but no one commented and certainly no one criticized out loud.

Talitha removed her crown, setting it aside on the balcony. The first sun had set and the second was soon to follow.

“I’ve met sirrush dealers who talked less than your merchants’ guild.”

“They’reourmerchants now,” Talitha reminded him, turning around. “And I’ve suffered them for years. You have a great deal of suffering to make up for.”

Ashek raised his eyebrows. “I shudder to think.”

“What’s their complaint now?”

“They still want access to the Lakesh trade routes. Also, the caravan from Radir has arrived.”

“So I heard. We need to make peace with Ensaak Damara and Jak’mor first.” Both cities had continually rejected Talitha’s efforts to establish peace talks, turning away the Ilian messengers at the gates. They were just lucky none of the envoys had been killed.

“Does Ensaak Prothero know who you are?”

“I doubt it.” She wasn’t yet sure she wanted him to know, either. It might come in useful if she ever needed to catch him off guard. Besides, he had been fair in his dealings with their city so far and she saw no reason to change anything.

Ashek cut a clean figure in the belted linen tunic, armbands that matched the triad sun design of hers, and the sundial medallion of the Lonely God’s priests. Talitha certainly enjoyed looking at him more than she ever had Nehemian. Most people still weren’t used to him, just another reason Talitha made sure he handled municipal matters whenever possible. The uniform was just an added bonus.

“You look lovely tonight,” Ashek said in an offhanded tone. “As always.”

Talitha forced herself not to smile. “As do you.”

“Debrei says the rains will come soon.”

Talitha tapped her nails against the balcony railing. “So I’ve heard.”

The floods of the rains weren’t due for another two months at least, but Talitha was not about to question the prophetess. Not after everything that had happened.

Ashek came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. He nuzzled her neck, breathing in the myrrh and spices that scented her hair.

“The aquifer in the mine should be repaired soon,” Talitha said. “Shaza reports it is almost finished.”

“Good.”

Talitha hadn’t told him about Anakti’s oath to Nehemian yet. There were times she wasn’t even sure she had seen it herself. But none of the gods—even demon gods—could use anyone without their permission. Talitha would not punish Shaza for something hemightdo.

They would deal with that when and if it became a problem.

Ashek kissed her cheek. “We should name our first son Dorek.”

“We don’t have a son.”

“We will.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Just something I heard today.”

Talitha was glad her back was turned. It had been nearly a year since their marriage, but still no heir—and certainly not for lack of trying. Yet many things Ashek “heard” had already proven true. Hopefully, this would be one of them.

Ever since they had come to Ilios, Ashek had started hearing from the Lonely God—at least, that’s who he believed it was. Either her husband was going insane or Talitha had to agree with him. She hadn’t told Ashek about hearing Anakti or the other voice when she killed Nehemian, but the events of that night had made her less cynical than she’d once been. Sometimes she had the feeling Ashek knew there was something she hadn’t shared, but he had never pushed the matter.

“There are many villages and places in the lower districts that may not be able to handle the overflow.” She rested her hands over Ashek’s arms around her waist, leaning back into him. Regardless of whether the voice he heard spoke the truth or not, here she could rest. Here she could let herself breathe for a few moments. “If the storm hits as soon as Debrei has predicted, we won’t be ready.”

“We never are,” Ashek answered, pulling her closer against him. “But we’ll survive anyway.”