As one, we new additions became very still, our ears twitching forward. Destrien sat upright. Erek returned to a seated position around the pit, but kept his distance from me. Asho and Imbris exchanged side-eyes.

Taking a deep breath in through his mouth, Jenner let it out slowly through his nostrils.

“Three of you have probably already been wondering about this, suspecting it, fearing it,” he said. “But, Zia…I’m guessing perhaps you still don’t know.”

Destrien groaned and Erek cursed under his breath, while Reve took on an expression of grim resolve. I gave Jenner a wide-eyed look which I hoped conveyed my absolute ignorance of whatever the hell he was talking about. He dipped his head slightly.

“Right. Well. Perhaps you noticed that only one, of all the covens completed today, was placed in such a way that they had one of each Gem type. Our coven.”

“I…um—” I had not noticed that, actually. I had been too busy noticing other, much lewder things. And when I hadn’t been doing that, I’d been too busy panicking to notice anything at all.

“Ah, it’s alright if you didn’t. Well, that’s the case. There’s typically only one such coven, at the most, formed per year.”

“So then…” I scrunched my nose, trying to guess at the implications. “Nope, I have no idea what that means.”

The others all exchanged a series of looks, and my fur fluffed up as frustration set in.

“What? What does it mean?”

“Covens like ours are sacred and rare. And most are reserved for the sovereign himself. Bound upon graduation to be sworn in ultimate allegiance directly to him. To never join into any one clan. The Crown’s Clanless, they’re called.”

I stared at him. Blinked.

“So what do they—do we—do then? Where do we go?”

“We go where the sovereign sends us. Help maintain the balance of peace amongst the clans, carry out his justice when necessary. And in events of war, we are on the front lines and in the command centers, ensuring adherence to his will and quelling inter-clan conflict in the camps. We suspected we were bound for it, long before you lot came along. But your placements confirm it.”

Reserved for the sovereign. Sacred.

I thought back to what Keshry had said, about the sovereign needing to approve any coven that Thors joined into.

Seems like approval to me.

“That seems…kind of awful, actually? But also almost like it’s some sort of honor. Why would they have chosen me for that, of all people?”

Imbris laughed, a hand flying up to cover her mouth as her foxish ears pressed back.

“Oh. Oh, sweet Zia. No one wants to be Clanless,” she said.

Jenner’s chest rose and fell as he took another steadying breath.

“Yes, it’s a position of distinction. But it is also a punishment. And as most of the Clanless are reviled by most of the clans, your reputation actually lends you to the role. The sovereign’s Clanless are infamous and feared, he likes it that way. And whatever else everyone may think of you, your skills in sigilcraft are well known. He’ll want them under his exclusive command in the coming years, more than ever.”

I didn’t really like the sound of that. But I didn’t know what the hell I could do about it, either.

“Every one of us here is known to be highly skilled in some way—well, except perhaps Reve,” Jenner went on as the Topaz snarled. He ignored them. “And I am willing to bet that every one of us has managed to piss off exactly the wrong people in exactly the right ways.”

“So why am I here, then?” spat Reve. “If I don’t fit all of the criteria?”

“Because now that you’re confirmed a Topaz, and have the powers of one, you’ll be highly useful as one of the Clanless. They need people with enough charm to override public disdain when it comes to the diplomatic duties which occasionally fall our way. And with what’s just happened, your clan will be wanting to distance themselves as much as possible from the Pathmakers. Ensuring you can never attain a position in leadership is one step toward that goal—among others. I could go on.”

“Fuck,” breathed Reve.

“Yes, well,” Jenner paused, refilling his own glass before offering his bottle of liquour to the Topaz, who readily accepted it. “We mean to make the best of it.”

“How so?” wondered Erek, a little desperately.

“Clanless who do well, who gain the favor of the sovereign and keep it—they can live pretty excellent lives. Be well provided-for, well respected. Those who don’t…well, in times like these, they’ll become front-line fodder.”

I flinched. But Jenner looked resolved. Unafraid.

“I’m certain you can guess which we intend to be.”

Destrien, for his part, was strangely silent. Erek was avoiding my gaze again, which wasn’t unusual. But his expression was troubled.

“Wait, what did you do? And you?” I looked from the Garnet to the Sapphire. But neither of them answered.

Jenner chuckled.

“Destrien picked a fight with the wrong people, in defense of that little Jade friend of his. ‘Borrowed’ a pretty powerful Artifact weapon in the process. Proved himself a remarkable swordhand, though. Got lucky those spread-wings survived, I’d say. Wasn’t even conscious at the time to witness it, was she, the Jade?”

The Garnet scowled, grumbled something under his breath, then ripped an extra big morsel of meat off his chunk of beast and shoved it in his mouth.

“What was that?” wondered Jenner. Destrien swallowed.

“I’m glad she wasn’t awake for it. And it wasn’t luck,” he said. “It was skill. If I’d have wanted them dead, they’d be dead. Haven’t picked up a sword since, though.”

“You’re a kobold of your word, aren’t you?” observed the Jasper, giving Destrien a respectful nod before turning an appraising look upon the Sapphire. “It’s Erek’s turn. I’ll confess, I’ve heard you tested brilliantly in several subjects. But I don’t know what you’ve done to fully earn your place here. Care to enlighten us?”

Erek shifted his sitting position.

“I, ah—“ his tone was somewhat cagey, and he faltered, eyes darting sideways as he spoke. “All I can think of is that I had a request submitted, for Zia and I to be in the same coven. Perhaps they’re just honoring it.”

“Hmph.” Jenner twisted his lip, looking thoughtful, but doubtful. “Well, we know all the kohai dirt, now…more-or-less. Time we confessed to ours.” He grinned over at the small Diamond where they’d slumped over, their head resting in Imbris’ lap.

“Asho?”

“I like fire,” they said, yawning.

But Jenner gave them a look, and they sighed. “I like setting things on fire,” they amended. “Same thing, pretty much. And I’ve been very, very good at it…since well before I got my first Gem.”

Erek let out a strangled hiss.

“The Monument of Thrux! Did you—”

Asho shot upright.

”He deserved it!”

“Imbris?” Jenner cut in, raising his voice over Asho’s.

“I…invent things,” she hedged. “Sometimes, I invent slightly illegal things.”

Jenner scoffed.

“And since Vyr excused herself early, I’ll be the one to let you know she’s got a habit of healing things many believe would be better left to die,” he said. “And she’s been doing it since before her Gem made it easy.”

I tilted my head.

“Things?”

“Beasts and outcasts,” mouthed Imbris, pulling Asho back down by the head and petting them.

“And as for me,” continued Jenner. “Well, ah…”

“Jenner’s just too good for his own good,” said Asho, rubbing their face on Imbris’ thigh.

Jenner’s brow furrowed.

“I fostered for a long time in Khural.” He threw a glance my way. “That’s the clan of the sovereign. I suppose I…ah…impressed him.”

At my confused look, he sighed.

“It seems he wants to keep me out of a position of clan leadership, as well. Control my growth as much as possible. Apparently he’s—”

“Old bastard’s terrified Jenner’ll Ascend to dragonhood and seize the crown from his line,” laughed Asho, interrupting him. “But he’s the perfect person to keep the rest of us reigned in.”

Jenner’s expression betrayed a sudden discomfort, though his body language did not.

There was relative silence for a moment as everyone processed everyone else’s crimes, or sat in thought of their own.

I waited as long as I had the patience to. Then, clearing my throat, I caught Jenner’s eye.

“There’s something else I need to know, about my joining into this coven.”

The Jasper took another big drink and gave me a gracious dip of the head.

“Ask away.”

“That…sigil ritual we did.”

Jenner raised his eyebrow scales.

I swallowed. “Well, it seemed kind of…I mean. What does it do exactly? All that stuff about binding…is it going to force me to like you all? Force me to stay with you? Make me…I don’t know…feel your emotions or something?”

Cringing, I thought of the wolf packs from literally every supernatural book and tv show that I knew of.

Please no.

Several of the others laughed, even Reve. But not Jenner. He peered at me like I’d just grown a second head.

“Why would you think that?”

“Those were conditional modifiers,” cut in Erek. “All that stuff you probably saw about family and bonding and loyalty.”

I gnawed my lip, considering whether I could be relieved yet or not.

“What does that mean?”

“It means that those were certain conditions which must be met before aspects of the sigil can take effect.”

Drawing a measured breath, I set down my cup again and steepled my fingers.

“I am…deeply confused.”

Erek sighed.

“The coven sigil creates a state of Aetheric entanglement between the members bound to it. It makes it so there’s no waste in the Favor transfer process. Favor from someone in your coven counts for more than from anyone outside of it. And, once certain conditions are met, there are things you can do…ways we can enhance and supplement one another’s Abilities which we’d otherwise never be able to achieve.”

I scrunched my nose as I processed.

“But…if that’s the case…why aren’t covens much bigger?”

Again, the others were all on a wavelength I was not, trading dark looks amongst themselves.

“Oh, um…am I not supposed to ask about that?”

A few of my coven-mates shifted uncomfortably. Destrien scratched at his ear with a wing.

“When you join more than eight together, things…things have a tendency to go wrong,” said Imbris, a little cagily. “It’s actually kind of a…a…”

“A raw subject,” finished Asho. “Especially as of yesterday.”

“Oh,” I grimaced. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright, Zia,” said Jenner. “You should want to understand. What do you know, if anything, of the Corrupted?”

I thought back to the other times I’d heard the term.

“Not much, really, except that it has something to do with the Rend and the Unseen Isle. Seri said it was dead, but Zi—I didn’t believe it.”

“Well, that’s not wrong. It’s a tale too long to tell tonight, and you’ll find it easily enough in the history books. Suffice to say, for now, the Corrupted was born because of the violation of that very principle. Try not to mention things like that in outside company, to be safe.”

“O-oh. Alright.”

Despite his scent otherwise placing him firmly in the “off-limits respected mentor” category, my Moon made it all too easy to find myself swooning inwardly at Jenner’s kindness and competence, regardless of the dire nature of the subjects at hand. And as that feeling reached its height, the Jasper leant suddenly backward—wings flaring a bit to catch his balance as his pupils went wide and his free hand flew up to cover his nose.

With a rush of sudden embarrassment I guessed that my emotions had likely affected my scent, or perhaps just the intensity of it.

“A-anyway,” for the first time, Jenner actually sounded more than a little awkward. “We should probably all get some sleep.”

Asho smirked and whispered something to Imbris, who giggled. Jenner shot them both a look as each pasted on a faux-angelic expression.

“You’re absolutely right, my liege,” said Asho, hopping up and offering a hand to the Jade.

“Stop it,” said Jenner.

“Verily, we shall away to bed at once, my lord,” trilled Imbris, bowing as she placed her fingers delicately upon the Diamond’s profferred palm. “A most excellent sleeping to you all, dearest ones. We shall smell you come the morning-tide.”

Then the pair bowed deeply in unison and turned as one to stumble off, laughing at their own…whatever that was.

Erek frowned.

“Their Old Shobasi is atrocious.”

“They get weird when they drink,” said Jenner, eyeing Reve, who rose fluidly and inclined their head to him.

“Goodnight,” they said simply, before turning their back on us and making for the bedrooms as well.

“Mm, I think I’ll be having a bath before bed,” said Destrien, jaws, arms and wing stretching wide in a yawn. “Anyone care to join?”

Both Jenner and Erek’s ears perked at once.

“I think I’ll pass,” I said, taking my cup with me as I got up. “Um, you all have fun with that. Goodnight.”

“Dream well, Zia,” said the Jasper, dipping his head respectfully to me before reaching to one side to begin unlacing his tunic.

“Er, y-you too!” I babbled, voice a little too high-pitched all the sudden as I rushed out of the scoop. I nearly tripped in my hurry to put my back to all the stripping kobolds, heat rushing to my face as I forced myself not to look. Scurrying to the far end of the suite, I snagged my trunk, picked the room furthest to the left, and shut myself hastily away.