“Someone needs to rule these miserable bastards,” Xavier says. He turns to Sybil, who is standing at the back of the room. “Have you taught them nothing?”
“They have had lessons, but I’ve been busy. Your siblings dropping in unannounced also hasn’t helped.” Sybil doesn’t cower under his gaze. Essos is watching closely from behind his tower of pancakes.
“Impertinent. What could possibly be more important?” Xavier demands.
“Running this realm while someone dated twenty coeds.”
Galen spits out his coffee as Essos coughs and Xavier glares. Sybil remains unapologetic.
“I’ve been doing my job, thank you very much,” Essos snaps, standing up. “Speaking of, I have matters to attend to.” He leaves the room.
Xavier sighs, turning his sights on us. “Then I suppose you are all in luck. After breakfast, we will meet in the library. Be prompt.” He sweeps out of the room.
Galen jumps up to follow him, leaving we final three alone.
“Damn, do they all have to be so good-looking and well dressed?” Cat says into the void.
* * *
We do as asked and meet in the library after breakfast, ready for anything. Zara had to get changed, so for once I am not the last to arrive. Cat is the only one of us with a notebook, which Xavier observes with disdain. He leads us to a table and gestures for us to sit. Cat sets down her notebook, pen at the ready.
“Clearly, they have done you a disservice by not educating you well enough on what is to come. The purpose of today is to fill your tiny mortal brains with the information you need about the people you are going to meet in one week’s time. The vacation of having parties every night is over. Now comes the hard part.”
Xavier spends the next three hours telling us an abbreviated family history, a who’s who of the Solarem gods. Some of what we’ve learned is covered again, namely minor gods like Dion and Luminara. I’m thankful to Sybil for covering some of what we needed. We learn that Helene and Xavier were to be married until her husband literally sprang out of the sea and swept her off her feet to his seabed. Xavier casually mentions that he has several children who won’t be in attendance as his wife, Posey, will be there.
“So, you’re a philandering narcissist? Does that make you the God of Infidelity?” Cat asks pointedly.
“Only on weekends,” he snaps back, but through the rest of the lesson, his eyes keep returning to Cat.
Noticeably absent from the discussion is anything about Essos.
“Helene mentioned that Essos had his heart broken, but you haven’t said anything about him,” I remark, and I see Xavier grind his teeth. We’ve heard little tidbits about his consort, but nothing handed to us the way he could now.
“This petty gossip is beneath me. Who hasn’t had their heart broken in several millennia of existence? I don’t care how Kai claimed Helene, or if I wooed my wife, or if she likes any of my children. Helene should learn to keep her big mouth shut,” Xavier says before turning back to the family tree.
I notice that Galen also has two leaves attached to his name.
I don’t have to think hard to know that Galen has never mentioned his children to me. I assume they aren’t mine, because that is something he would have shown me himself.
I think about the visual of Essos rubbing my pregnant belly. Yet another oddly shaped puzzle piece that doesn’t clearly fit. The vision could have been my overactive imagination, or maybe something more. I won’t find out until the fucking ball.
“Who are they?” I point to the leaves.
“My nasty little niece and nephew, who won’t show up if they know what’s good for them. Goddess of Strife and God of Murder.” A shadow crosses Xavier’s face, and thunder clatters in the distance. His tone tells me that’s the end of that discussion.
I refuse to let it go. “Galen never mentioned any children.” I hope I’m not being obvious, but with the way Xavier looks at me, I think maybe I am.
“He’s not proud of his extramarital misfits. They’re usually off causing problems in some other part of the world.”
“Are any of Essos’s former flames or wives or something going to be at the ball?” Zara asks casually, prompting Xavier to roll his eyes.
“In a manner of speaking, yes. His side piece should be there.”
The world narrows to a pinprick, and I try to remember to breathe even as the world drops out from under me.
Cat reaches out and grabs my wrist. “Breathe,” she whispers, intentionally digging her nails into my skin, grounding me. I focus on the half-moon crescents before looking back at Xavier.
When it comes to Essos, Xavier is light on the details. “You three understand that this is beneath me, right? Your petty questions about my brothers’ love lives are demeaning and vapid. This is hardly an episode ofGossip Girl.”