Queens sacrifice, p.8
Queen's Sacrifice, page 8
part #3 of The Goddess's Scythe Series
“Where are Lily and Cera?” Forest asked, worried.
“No one told you? I’m sorry,” Kala replied. “I had Grey spirit them out through the tunnels with Celeste and the children and put them on an airship out of here. Grey assures me that they’re safe.”
Forest relaxed visibly.
Kala put a hand on her shoulder. “That was an amazing thing you did, finding Soren’s mother. I’m not sure he would have listened to me without her prompting.”
“It was a gamble, but I am glad it paid off. Petra is sweet too. She deserves her son back.”
“That’s why you’re my conscience,” Kala replied, mostly to herself. “You’re thin as a rail,” she observed, pointing out how Forest’s clothes hung loosely on her.
Forest looked herself over. “I haven’t eaten much the past few moons,” she admitted.
“We must remedy that immediately,” Kala declared and made to escort her to the kitchens.
“Can I steal her for a moment first?” a voice inquired.
Kala turned to see the young horse lord, propped up by a deeply-tanned older man.
“Addis!” Forest exclaimed, her eyes giving away her happiness at seeing him alive.
“I was told I could find you here,” he replied, wincing at the pain in his side.
“I’ll leave you two,” Kala informed them and headed back toward the great room.
Forest didn’t notice her retreat. “Are you okay?” she asked Addis.
“It seems that I ran across a man whose mace was weightier than me,” he replied, favoring his left side.
“How’s your horse,” Forest asked worriedly.
“I should have known you’d be more concerned about my steed than me,” he joked.
“Addis?!”
“He’s fine. He’s in the stables getting brushed to calm him.”
“Thank the gods,” Forest concluded, relieved. “And for the record, I am concerned about you… just more so about your horse.”
Addis smiled broadly. “I am happy to see you. I wasn’t sure I’d see you after you flew away on me.”
“I told you I would,” she replied.
“This is war,” he countered. “People say things.”
“I mean what I say,” she stopped him. “And I’m happy to see you too. I saw you charge the enemy, and I was certain I’d lost you.”
Addis didn’t miss the sincerity of her concern. “Getting knocked off my horse probably helped my longevity,” he admitted. “My people protected me.” He paused to consider those he’d lost. “Do you think it’s still worthy of a song?”
“More like an epic poem.”
“Oh gods – I hate poetry. Can’t it just be a song? A short one, at least?”
“Okay. Short, but epic.” She reached out and took his hand. “Want to come with me and find something to eat. I’m famished.”
“I’d love to, but Jon will need to help me get there,” he said, gesturing to his cousin, who was helping prop him up.
“Nonsense. I’ve got you,” she said, shifting to take his weight. She slid her arm around his waist to support him. “Is this alright?” she asked.
“More than alright,” he replied. “Jon, I’ll call for you if I need you.”
“As you wish, my lord,” his cousin replied and ducked out.
“My lord?” Forest giggled.
“Hey – I’m important,” he defended himself lightheartedly.
“Sure you are,” she teased and guided him toward the kitchens.
________________________
The smell of something savory had caught Kala’s attention, and she had also followed it to the kitchens.
Skye noticed her enter and waved her over. “I made an everything-that-fits-in-the-pot stew. Probably not my finest creation, but Calix swore it was alright.”
Calix! Kala remembered and turned to seek him out and see how he was doing.
“Whoa, whoa… not so fast. Eat first. Calix isn’t going anywhere.”
Kala sighed and sat down while Skye ladled her a bowl of stew and handed her a tiny container of salt. “If it isn’t to your taste,” he explained.
“I’m sure it’s fine. Thanks for looking after me.” She put down her spoon and picked up his hand. “Seriously, only my grandfather ever did, and he’s not here.” She wiped the corner of her eye, and Skye bent down and kissed her cheek.
“I made biscuits,” he declared to cheer her up and turned to pull them out of the oven. “That should make up for the stew,” he added and watched her eat.
“Stop it,” she complained.
“What?”
“Stop watching me eat.”
“Sorry. I can’t help myself. This morning, I wasn’t sure I’d get to again.”
“Okay. I’ll let it go this once.” She finished her stew, and as Skye promised, she had a second biscuit, the first having been so tasty.
She sighed contentedly and picked up her dishes to carry them to the sink.
“Not on your life,” Skye told her, took them from her, and placed them in the sink. “I’ll get to those later,” he declared. “I’m sure there are people who want to see you.” He took her hand and walked with her to the great room, passing Forest and Addis on the way.
The great room was lit by the fire in the hearth, torches along the wall, and candles on tables. It was bright and cheerful. Kala made a beeline for Calix, who was sitting with Dhara and Kaia. Dhara had an arm in a sling, and Kaia was bandaged all over.
She hugged Calix but noted that he was dressed for travel. “What’s with the outfit?” she asked.
“I was just waiting to see you before heading out to bring back Lily, Cera, and Celeste.”
“I’m glad you waited. It’s good to see you,” she replied, gazing at him until he squirmed under the attention. “Go tell them we’re okay, but tell them too that Bayre might still be in danger, and maybe they might want to wait a bit before returning.”
“But you’ve brokered a truce with Soren.”
“Yes, but I think that may bring a more dangerous threat down on us. We’ll have to see.”
“If you think so,” he replied and made to leave.
“Surely it can wait until morning?” she begged.
“I wouldn’t want them to worry about how we fared a moment longer than they have to,” he replied.
“You’re right, of course. I’ll just have to enjoy your company later.”
Calix left after excusing himself to Dhara and Kaia.
Kala turned to them and gestured toward their bandages. “You look a little worse for wear,” she observed.
“You should have seen the other guy,” Dhara replied, smirking.
“I’m sure you unleashed unholy terror on them all,” Kala admitted.
“Damn right,” Kaia agreed.
Kala bent down and pulled them both into an embrace. Surprisingly, they didn’t resist her. “I’m so glad you’re on our side,” she said and released them. She sat down on a loveseat across from them, and Skye squeezed in beside her.
She looked around the room. Forest was talking with her reunited uncle and cousin, Jarom and Nara, but sat with Addis closely beside her.
“I think there’s something there,” Skye whispered.
“Shush. Don’t jinx it,” Kala whispered back. “I’m happy for her. She’s always giving of herself. She deserves to get something back.” Kala watched them surreptitiously, noting how the young lord laughed at her jokes and was not afraid to touch her. “There’s definitely something there,” she agreed.
Hawke was missing, but he was probably in his room pining for Emilie. Kala made a mental note to check on him later.
Grey walked in with Brinn, and Kala waved them over to adjacent seats. Kala got up to introduce Skye to Brinn and vice versa, telling him, “Skye, this is Brinn. I don’t think you’ve met. Brinn is the leader of an order of warrior priestesses.”
“Leader is an overstatement,” Brinn deflected humbly.
“Thank you for the path you cleared to Soren,” Kala told her. “We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you and your people.”
“That could be said about a great many people, none more than you,” Brinn countered, “but you’re welcome. I wish more of us could be here, but I sent them home to prepare for the coming conflict.”
“So you think the Priestess… Winter,” Kala corrected herself, “will try to finish what Soren started.”
“Without doubt,” Brinn replied.
Skye was struck with a realization, and turned to Kala, “Brinn’s people are the ones referred to in the book you got Eden to copy, right?”
“Yes,” Kala confirmed.
“And you think the Priestess will learn of their involvement today?”
“Most likely.”
“So she’ll figure out that you stole her book. Eden’s in danger. Kala, what have you done?”
12
Eden
Tallie sat at her desk, reviewing manuscripts she’d found in the deepest vaults. Being the head librarian gave her unequaled access to the archives, even to documents that the Church had forgotten existed. The events, people, and places recounted in the oldest books and scrolls had long since faded from memory, but themes recurred. What worried her were the apocalyptic cycles that were so frequently alluded to. From what she pieced together, the slate of the world was overdue to be wiped clean.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the tinkling of a bell she’d recently installed at the entrance to the library. She peeked around the corner of her doorway into a mirror she’d also newly installed and had angled toward the entrance. Two armed monks had come in and were looking about. She knows, she thought and her heart began to race. She heard one of her acolytes approach the monks and tell them what she’d been instructed to, that the head librarian was among the stacks verifying the filing. She heard them move off in the direction they were pointed and seized the opportunity to move to the filing room behind her tiny office.
She grabbed the packs that she kept ready, pulled a torch from the wall, threw a hidden switch that opened a wall panel leading to lower levels, slipped in, and closed the panel behind her. She moved through the winding tunnels past storage rooms and other rarely-accessed chambers. She’d explored them in her youth, but her dire situation had prompted her to refamiliarize herself with them. She stopped at an intersection and tried to recall the route. Keep calm, she told herself and chose the left doorway. She and Eden were in mortal danger now that the Priestess had likely discovered their involvement in the theft and forgery of a forbidden book.
She hoped that because Eden could always be easily found in her room, that they’d come for her first and not Eden. If she was wrong, she was rushing to her death. Tallie came to the end of the tunnel and placed the torch in a holder on the wall. She looked about for the lever that operated the hidden door. She was beginning to worry that she might have taken a wrong turn when she felt it in the shadowed recess. She turned it, and the stone groaned as the catch holding it in place withdrew. She pushed open a section of the wall that pivoted smoothly despite its weight. She stepped into the narrow space and pulled the section of wall back into place, which in turn released the catch that held the exterior exit of the antechamber closed. It opened incrementally, and Tallie found the crack from the exterior light peeking through it. She opened it just wide enough to squeeze through with her packs and closed it behind her.
Tallie stood, back to the stone wall, in a deserted courtyard behind the library building. She felt vulnerable outdoors, having spent most of her life in the confines of the library. She looked around for any sign that she’d been seen, but she was mercifully alone. She pulled her hood up and hurried toward the building in which Eden lived, praying that her luck would hold. She slowed to a purposeful walk as she emerged onto the pathway that connected the adjoining buildings. She did her best to appear as though she was simply running an errand until she ducked into Eden’s building. She didn’t hear any voices or footsteps, so she raced up the stairs to the third floor, on which she’d find Eden’s room.
She stood in the stairwell, trying to slow her breathing and calm her racing heart. Accepting that she couldn’t risk waiting any longer, she stepped into the hallway, having left the packs in the stairwell. She rounded the corner into a corridor that was empty except for the guard standing outside Eden’s door. Nothing seemed amiss, so she walked toward him.
“Evening,” she said to the guard. “I have the pigment Eden requested, but it seems dried out,” she added, faking disappointment. She reached into her pouch and pulled out a handful of powder. “See,” she said and held it out to him. He turned toward her, annoyed to be drawn into such a disinteresting matter, and looked in her open palm. She waited until he exhaled, then blew the powder in his face as he inhaled, stepping back quickly.
His eyes went wide with surprise, then anger, then shock when he realized that his throat was constricting. He fought for breath, braced himself on the doorframe, wavered, and fell over unconscious.
It worked, Tallie thought, amazed at her luck. Thank the gods for obscure herbology texts. She stepped over his body and shoved open Eden’s door, surprising her. “Come with me now! Bring nothing. Hurry!” she ordered her.
Eden immediately grasped what had brought Tallie to her room and jumped up to join her in the hallway. She stepped over the guard’s body.
“What did you do to him?” she asked.
“Nothing permanent,” Tallie replied, hurrying around the corner to the stairwell. She slung a pack over her shoulder and handed the other to Eden. When they heard a door open two floors below, Tallie shepherded Eden up a story, and they crouched against the wall, out of sight of the landing below. Two monks climbed the stairs and exited on the third floor. Tallie pulled Eden to her feet and rushed her as quietly as she could down the stairs to the main floor.
She peeked out into the courtyard and spied several monks standing around. Tallie pulled Eden deeper inside the building. “We can’t go this way,” she told her. “Is there another way out?”
“This is the only exit, but we could climb out a window at the back of the building,” Eden suggested.
“Lead the way,” Tallie replied.
Eden guided them down the hallway, as they heard footsteps hurrying down the stairwell. Eden tried a few doors until she found one that was open and stepped inside, closing it quietly behind them. She rushed to the window, opened it, and looked out. The rear of the building appeared deserted, so she crawled out, falling into the bushes below the window. She got up and took Tallie’s pack so that she could crawl out. Tallie had more difficulty leveraging herself out the window, but Eden helped her, and soon, they were both standing behind the bushes with their backs pressed up against the building.
“What now?” Eden asked.
“I’m not really sure. I just know that we need to get away from this place,” Tallie replied.
“The gates out of the city are guarded, and if they’re looking for us, we should avoid them.”
“I was hoping we could hide out in the levels under the library, but now I think that wouldn’t be safe. Do you know anywhere else we could go?”
Eden thought and thought, but she’d spent almost her entire life locked away in the temple, so it was all she knew. That’s it! she thought as inspiration struck. Almost my entire life.
“I have an idea,” Eden announced. “I grew up in the city, not the temple. On a whim a few years back, I went past where I used to live and found it deserted. We could try there.”
“Won’t they think of that?”
“I was collected at such a young age, and from school, so I don’t think they kept track of where I lived or even cared.”
“Sounds like our best option. Lead the way.”
They followed the wall that encircled the temple grounds to an opening out to the broader city, then they took side streets until they arrived at the neighborhood where Eden had lived as a young child. The dwellings were not well maintained and signaled the relative poverty of their inhabitants.
Looking out from an alleyway, Tallie asked, “Which house was yours?”
“Third from the end,” Eden replied, indicating a fairly dilapidated dwelling with boarded-up windows.
“Looks unoccupied to me,” Tallie agreed but was concerned about the people in the streets. “I don’t think we should be seen – someone could report us.”
“So, we stay in this alley all day?” Eden asked.
“I feel too exposed here. Let’s wait in the orchards. At this point in the season, no one should be there.”
Eden agreed, and they headed there to spend the remainder of the day hiding among the trees. They made it to the orchard without incident and moved deeper into it until they felt that they couldn’t be spotted. Tallie put her back up against an apple tree and Eden sat down, leaning back against the trunk of the adjacent tree. She nervously plucked blades of grasses to pass the time. She turned to ask Tallie, “Be honest with me – we can’t spend the rest of our lives hiding. Are we doomed?”
“Not necessarily,” Tallie reassured her. “The world is being reshaped, even while we’re sitting here. We need to cling to the hope that a way out of this mess will present itself. We just have to be patient.” Eden knew that Tallie was just trying to make her feel better, but it did, and she was thankful for her.
When darkness began to fall, they headed back to Eden’s former home. The street was empty, and they were emboldened to cross it briskly to her house. They turned the doorknob, finding it unlocked. Tallie pulled the door open, and they quickly slipped inside. Tallie stood in the doorway and used the last light of day to see as she rummaged through her pack for a candle. Finding one, she closed the door and lit the candle. The rooms were empty, but it was mercifully clean – just dusty. It was depressing, but they felt safe for the moment.
Eden plopped down on the floor, leaned against the wall, and pulled her knees to her chest. Tallie sat down beside her and put her arm around her. “We’re going to be okay,” she assured her.
