Chapter 248

Late morning the next day, Rosalie arrived at Zoey and Maddy’s training room with Delta in tow, interrupting their magic practice.

“My father wishes to speak with us,” she informed the two of them. “I’m fairly certain he’s made a decision on our fifth teammate.”

“Oh?” Zoey asked, instantly interested.

That particular topic had been hanging over their heads since they’d arrived. Rosalie had alluded that she would be trying to sway Enzo toward specific possibilities, a woman at a minimum, though he hadn’t seemed especially interested in sharing the decision. Rosalie said when she did broach the topic, Enzo usually disregarded her, sometimes more subtly and others not so much. And Rosalie had seemed grateful enough for him not making a big deal out of their current four that she wasn’t willing to press too hard.

Zoey had all sorts of thoughts on that, of course, like that Enzo shouldn’t have a say in who they chose as their final teammate to begin with, but she also recognized that making concessions with the most powerful man in the world was going to be a necessity. A part of her heeded the fact that if Enzo decided to take them by the reins and force them to do what he wanted, there was nothing they could do.

“Like usual, it would be best to not keep him waiting,” Rosalie said. “You two aren’t busy?”

It was a rhetorical question, because even if they were, they’d be setting off immediately. Zoey and Maddy shook their heads, and so they were, a moment later, headed for the exit of the training facility, where they could catch a carriage to the d’Celestin manor.

Once inside the ride’s cabin, Maddy chimed, “Any idea who it is?”

Rosalie’s lips pursed. “There’s a number of possibilities. Obviously, Father will want someone who is loyal to the d’Celestins ... or rather, not disloyal. There’s a good chance he’d use this opportunity to forge a connection with a new ally as much as solidify a current one.” She sighed. “Really, the only thing that’s certain is that they’ll be strong. No matter how valuable the political connection, he wouldn’t cripple, or even compromise, the overall quality of the team. That’s all I can say with complete confidence.” After a second, she added, “And that they’ll be a shield-bearer, of course. We need a defensive party member, and moreover, my newest skill demands one.”

“So a really strong shield-bearer, around fourth advancement,” Maddy said.

“Or fifth.”

“Or fifth,” Maddy said, though she raised an eyebrow, perhaps finding the possibility of their new teammate being the strongest of them surprising. “Is the list of candidates long?”

“Well, no,” Rosalie admitted. “But neither is it all that short. Especially if I expand the possibilities beyond our guild.”

“You think it won’t be someone from the Deepshunters?”

“I didn’t say that. Just that,” she paused, “I can’t read my father’s mind,” she finished. “I know him better than all but a handful, perhaps, but not perfectly. If anything, I believe he hadn’t made the decision himself until just this morning. Which could mean he took a while to deliberate and come to the obvious choice, or the opposite: his long musing might have led him to something unexpected.” She shrugged. “It could be anyone. Truly.”

“The obvious choice?” Maddy echoed. “Is there one of those?”

“Well. The obvious safe choice,” she amended.

“Who’s that?”

Rosalie seemed reluctant to reply, which was strange until she did; the obvious choice was an unfortunate one. “Cyprus, the heir to one of my father’s less solidified allies, and a classical guardian of considerable talent. Shield-bearer, defense specialization, fourth advancement. From a strictly combative sense, he would be an incredible addition to the team. A perfectly slotted piece.”

He, though. Therein lay the problem.

“I did, at least, voice some vague allusions to my father that I would prefer it were not him,” Rosalie said. “And was even strong-handed enough to suggest that the team would prefer a woman. Though making it clear why such a thing is all but necessary is ... tricky. So I didn’t emphasize the point.”

The only reason that gender was so important a factor was because they might need to, well, get intimate with their newest team member, and Zoey’s preferences ran in one way, as far as that went.

“Think he’ll listen?” Maddy asked.

Rosalie shrugged. “Perhaps he took it into account. But certainly it would not stop him, should he decide Cyprus the best choice from a practical standpoint.”