Crucible of Fate

a new purpose. I have not seen them so happy in years.”
    I shrugged, because that had been Mikhail’s idea, his doing.
    “Who are you talking about?” Koren barked. “Who did you sleep with?”
    He would keep asking until I answered. I knew he would. I knew him. “Why do you care about something so—”
    “Shahid Alon,” Ebere said, supplying the name, “one of the many conquests of Domin Thorne.”
    “Oh, I remember you telling me about… I thought this was a new—” Koren muttered.
    “No.” Ebere made a face. “Unlike the previous semel-aten, our new lord sleeps only with his mate.”
    “You make it sound so important.”
    “It’s a greater quality than you think,” she said seriously. “Loyalty is never to be undervalued.”
    “And I need it from everyone now that the priest is gunning for me,” I said, chuckling.
    “You should take his vendetta more seriously,” she cautioned.
    I rolled my eyes. “Like it matters what he does. The priest has no say over anything and no resources since he was banned from his old tribe.”
    “I was surprised when his brother denounced him.”
    “I wasn’t,” I quipped. “He declared open war on me. His brother, Selem, leader of the tribe of Dosret—he sent his maahes here to speak to Crane. Selem wanted to be sure that we knew that his brother’s sentiment was not his. He didn’t want he, or his tribe, painted with the same brush of treason.”
    “How sad to be abandoned by your family.”
    “It’s what a real semel does, though, right?”
    “I don’t know,” she said thoughtfully. “Does a true semel put his tribe before anything or anyone?”
    “Yes.”
    “So in your mind, Selem had no choice?”
    “No, he didn’t.”
    Koren broke into our conversation. “I wonder about the role of a semel sometimes.”
    “What do you mean?” My tone had an edge it didn’t have when I was speaking only to Ebere.
    “I mean, would a semel who loved his mate still put the tribe first?”
    “I think so.” I said. “A good one, anyway.”
    He smirked. “In that case, the tribe of Rahotep trumps Yuri.”
    But even the sound of the words seemed wrong.
    “Well?” he posed.
    “Do you think I would?”
    “Yes,” he replied. “I do.”
    Ebere spoke up. “I don’t. I think it’s Yuri first and then the tribe.”
    “That’s not the way of a true semel.” Koren was adamant. “A true leader always puts the needs of the whole before the needs of the few or the one.”
    I was quiet and his eyes met mine.
    “I think you’d do what was best for the tribe, Domin.”
    “Why doesn’t that feel like a compliment?”
    “I think every true semel would. Even Logan.”
    “You think Logan, if it came down to a choice between his reah or his tribe, would pick the tribe?”
    “Yes,” he said, sounding very certain.
    “Why?”
    “Because if he chose Jin, he would have to see the disappointment on Jin’s face for the rest of his life and know that he failed his reah. I think if push came to shove that Logan would choose the tribe.”
    “I think you’re wrong.”
    “Well, God willing, we will never have to find out,” Ebere offered, before her eyes glowed softly.
    “So, will you have dinner with me later?”
    “Of course.”
    “Good.” She smiled as she moved forward into my open arms, coming to give me a kiss before she took her leave, giving Koren a little wave as she did so. The first time the servants had seen her do it, they had been stunned. Apparently she showed me greater affection than she had ever given her mate, the former semel-aten.
    As she was going out, Samani was on her way back in, and the women clasped hands quickly as they passed one another.
    “What?” I grumbled at my hathen, sitting on the edge of my desk as she moved to step in front of me.
    “Nothing, I just wanted to tell you that everyone’s fine—the semel’s son just thinks he’s in love and was trying to sneak Salome out of the villa.”
    “Which one is Salome?”
    “The one with the dark black curls and green eyes,” she jogged my memory.
    I couldn’t recall her, but that wasn’t surprising. I had met the harem once, and that was it. “Does she want to go?”
    “Who?”
    “The girl, the”—I snapped my fingers“—Salome. Does she want to go?”
    “Well, yes, but—”
    “Then let her go,” I said quickly. “If the semel’s son wants her, and if she wants to go, and if it’s okay with the semel—let her go. I’m trying to decrease the