Anathema

Rykaia wakes Maevyth with food and gives her a leather outfit. Maevyth says that Vonkovyan women do not wear pants. Rykaia teaches Maevyth the Aeryz glyph, which pushes back foes with a blast of air, but she struggles to execute it. She says that she cannot focus on glyphs when she is worried about Aleysia, but when Rykaia provokes her, the glyph appears carved into Maevyth’s hand.

Rykaia explains that most people only learn a handful of glyphs. Each time, the glyph appears as a scar, reminding Maevyth of Zevander’s scarred hands. Rykaia adds that Lunasier mancers draw power from the moon, while Solassions draw power from the sun. Zevander’s power is sablefyre, due to his curse, and his scorpions are prodozja, or magical guardians.

Rykaia leaves to let Maevyth dress, and she feels comfortable in the leather outfit. Dolion wakes in his cell. Maevyth tells him that she has only worn one outfit in her life, and he compares her dress to Zevander’s mask. Dolion says that Zevander will train Maevyth. She tells him that she opened the book, and Dolion explains the Corvikae history. He also promises to scry (look) for Aleysia.

Zevander begins training Maevyth. He explains flammapul and asks if she has ever fought. Maevyth explains that she did not learn self-defense because it was considered unladylike. He starts to teach her Aeryz, which Maevyth already knows from Rykaia, but she is distracted by his presence.

When she tries to cast Aeryz, she accidentally casts Osflagulle, a Corvikae bone whip spell. Dolion collects the bones that Maevyth summoned. Maevyth casts Aeryz repeatedly, and Zevander says that Aeryz means “wind’s vengeance,” forcing her to repeat the spell until she can disarm him.

Maevyth and Zevander argue, and Dolion tells Maevyth how Zevander and his father were imprisoned by the king and given to the Solassions because of their dealings with Cadavros. The Solassions executed Zevander’s father in front of him, and King Sagaerin bought back Zevander, Ravezio, Kazhimyr, and Torryn to make them Letalisz, his assassins. The next Aeryz that Maevyth casts knocks her and Zevander to the ground. Zevander ends their training, and Maevyth sees black veins on his face.

Kazhimyr enters with Allura Makabe, who greets Dolion. Allura shakes Maevyth’s hand and reveals that she knows about Maevyth’s journey from Mortasia. Allura discovers that the Osflagulle bones are 2,000 years old. Dolion and Allura leave to investigate the bones, and Maevyth asks that Dolion continue looking for Aleysia.

Maevyth, Allura, and Dolion sit in a circle to scry for Aleysia. Dolion speaks Primyria, and a voice in Maevyth’s head translates it. Maevyth blacks out and sees a vision of Aleysia sleeping comfortably by a fire. She wakes to Allura and Dolion standing over her.

Allura reads the Corvikae puzzle book and explains that Morsana is the Goddess of Death. One mortal, Deimos, did not fear Morsana, and she fell in love with him and the Corvikae. Magekae, the God of Dark Alchemy, became jealous and gave the Solassions the magic of immortality. The Solassions conquered the Corvikae, and Magekae cast Deimos into sablefyre, capturing Morsana. Morsana escaped by turning into a raven. Rykaia enters, and Maevyth notices that Rykaia does not like Allura.

Maevyth plays with the next puzzle in the book, which includes Aeryz and a scorpion glyph. On the next page, Morsana places a black rose on an infant. Inside a box on the page is a perfectly preserved rose. Maevyth thinks of her vision of Aleysia and wonders if the Crone Witch saved her.

Maevyth spots the spider, which leaves a mirror by the cage door. She finds a key and a door with a padlock. She then unlocks the door and finds a trapdoor and a wall of spiderwebs. Rykaia arrives and screams to Maevyth, but a force drags her through the trapdoor.

In the dark, Maevyth is overwhelmed by the smell of rot and screams for help. A massive spider looms over her, but a voice tells her to sing to the spiders. A figure with bark-like skin and antlers appears in the room, and Maevyth screams. It asks her to sing again and lays its head on her lap. Her fear turns to pity, and she strokes the creature’s shoulder while it cries on her legs.

Rykaia tells Zevander that Branimir took Maevyth. He uses sablefyre to force open Branimir’s cell and is enchanted by Maevyth’s singing. The sight of Branimir’s head on her lap makes him jealous, but he also notes that Branimir looks peaceful. Branimir sees Zevander, hisses, and retreats to the shadows.

Zevander demands that she leave the cell. Maevyth leaves, but she negotiates the right to visit Branimir, bring him food, and sing to him. Zevander reluctantly agrees, explaining that he and Branimir have the same curse. He forgets to put on his mask, allowing Maevyth to see the black scar on his face.

Zevander insists that Maevyth move out of the dungeon and into a bedroom. Maevyth notes the asphodel flowers in the room, which are flowers of the afterlife, and Zevander calls Maevyth “Lunamiszka.”

Rykaia tells Maevyth that Branimir once tried to strangle her. Zevander teaches Maevyth Propulszir, which repels enemies. The glyph is complex, and Maevyth gets distracted by the outline of Zevander’s penis. Rykaia sees Maevyth’s thoughts about Zevander’s genitals but claims that Maevyth was thinking of oranges.

Maevyth slips into darkness and finds Morsana, who warns her not to trust “him” before Dolion wakes her. He tells her that she accessed Caligorya, a dark place in which mancers learn the glyphs of their bloodline. Most mancers find the dark side of themselves there. Maevyth succeeds in using Propulszir, even with Zevander spinning a staff to distract her.

Rykaia leaves, and Zevander shows Maevyth Erigorisz, a glyph that allows telekinesis. He predicts that Osflagulle will be Maevyth’s best weapon because it is unique. Maevyth wants to learn how to spin the staff, and he stands behind her to guide her hands. She succeeds, and he challenges her to go faster. He caresses her sides and then takes her hands and tells her to let go of the staff. Maevyth feels a heat through her body, and the staff continues spinning.

Zevander explains that Maevyth is using his power to command the staff, but the warmth spreads further. Maevyth feels like the black flame is coursing through her, and she feels aroused. Zevander lets go and leaves. Maevyth explains what happened to Dolion. A new glyph appears on her hand, and Dolion suspects that she can harness other people’s magic.

Zevander struggles with his arousal from Maevyth controlling his power. Ravezio and Torryn tell him that they have captured the flammelian and take him to the dungeon, giving him an outlet for his frustration.

The flammelian laughs and says that the Letalisz cannot hurt him. He talks about how he enjoyed hurting Rykaia. Zevander tries to sting the man with a scorpion, but the enchantment dispels it. Zevander unlocks the cage, grabs the flammelian, and feeds him to Branimir.

Maevyth takes a bath and thinks that Agatha would have called her a “whore” for wearing Aethyrian clothing. She goes to the kitchen and asks Magdah to set aside meat for Branimir. Maevyth brings the meat to the dungeon, but Zevander stops her, saying that Branimir already ate. He wants to know what she thinks happened during training, and she admits that she felt aroused.

Later, Zevander brings Maevyth to Branimir’s cell. She sings a lively song and catches Branimir smiling. Zevander closes the cell and asks her how she learned to sing. She asks about his occupation, but he implies that she is too innocent to hear about his job. He asks what she fears, and she says that she fears being completely alone. He says that he most fears the unknown. They come close to kissing, but Zevander pulls away.

King Sagaerin calls for an emergency meeting with Zevander. He sees Maevyth watching him leave from a window. She has ingrained herself throughout the castle, singing to Branimir, chatting with Rykaia, helping Dolion and Allura, and helping Magdah.

Zevander meets the king, who asks him to protect Prince Durjan during the Initios, the ceremony that begins Princess Calisza’s Becoming. Zevander puts on an Imperial Guard uniform, meets with Durjan, and inspects his coach. Durjan jokes with Zevander about possible violence.

Zevander guides Durjan through a crowd that attacks. He barely manages to protect Durjan. Villagers attack the guards, shouting about Cadavros. Zevander summons a giant scorpion to get Durjan away. Durjan is ashamed, saying that King Sagaerin hoards vivicantem, starving the people. Zevander returns Durjan to the king, who gives Zevander gold and vivicantem.

Zevander stops at a tavern and finds Oswin, an old blacksmith, who tells him that sex workers are still being murdered. Zevander sees Gavroche put dindleweed powder, a cure for erectile dysfunction, in a man’s drink. Zevander follows Gavroche outside and tells him to report to Zevander with any information about sex workers being murdered.

Maevyth catches an insect in her hands on her bedroom’s balcony. Zevander arrives and tells her that it is good luck to catch the insects, called Celaestrioz. He used to feed the insects to his scorpions since the insects are known for killing Noxidae birds. They agree that it is difficult to trust enchanting things, and Maevyth jokes that she might kill Zevander. Zevander gives Maevyth a dagger and says that his door will be unlocked.

Later, Maevyth holds the dagger in bed and thinks about whether she can trust Zevander. A vision of a woman appears and tells Maevyth not to put her trust in “him” or else Morsana will “punish.” The woman disappears, leaving Maevyth wondering whom she should not trust.

Maevyth wakes up late for training. She goes to Zevander’s study, and he says that they need to control sablefyre together again. They stand together with their hands touching. Maevyth feels warm and aroused, and she urges Zevander to continue. As Maevyth approaches an orgasm, Zevander breaks away drenched in sweat. They kiss, but Zevander stops. He orders her to leave, saying that they can never “do this” again. Maevyth asks if she did something wrong, and he says she did not.

Rykaia visits Maevyth, who tells her about her vision last night. Rykaia asks if mortals burn their dead, and Maevyth says that they only do so if the person was diseased or possessed. Rykaia thinks that Maevyth does not see dead people as often in Aethyria because they burn their dead. She mentions that her own mother was not burned but doesn’t explain.