Chapter 26

Chapter

Twenty-Six

T he bell tower begins tolling.

We are both frozen, listening as the slow ringing begins a more frantic pattern, letting us know it is not for the faithful to come to prayer . . . but something much worse.

Ben approaches on swift feet, pulling me away from my cart. "We need to go!"

The bell continues to ramp up, and I know speed is more important than taking the heavy cart with us. Putting distance between whatever those sounds are is worth the punishment for abandoning my duties.

I do my best to keep up as we turn a corner but almost fall on another pile of mysterious clothing, like Estate workers are shedding layers and then disappearing.

The halls were so vibrant with activity this morning, and now they are completely empty. I look down at the solid object I lost my footing on as Ben pauses and looks down another corridor.

"Ben," I say, moving the fabric aside with my foot, revealing the hilt end of a guard's sword.

He withdraws his own, his expression puzzled and angry.

"Where is the guard? It looks like he just left his sword here."

He presses his back to the wall to look down into a courtyard. "A guard would never leave their weapon behind intentionally." He sounds offended.

Then a burst of light flashes so brilliant it illuminates up all the dark spaces the eclipsed sun can not reach, and when the darkness returns my ears pop with such force, I flinch.

The eerie silence is broken by a beam of light that streaks across the courtyard and crashes into a stone wall.

"Come, this way!" Ben calls.

I follow without question, my mind trying to make sense of what is happening as the ringing bells swing so fast the song becomes one long note echoing through the Estate.

An all consuming warning.

The sounds I heard just before the bell were drowned out as soon as it started, and now every bang sounds like a scream, phantom noises coming from all directions.

My hands flex and release on their own as I try to call forth my light that is trapped, imprisoned in Lord Hollis. I grit my teeth and attempt to will what is mine back, but it only slows me down to concentrate so I push forward and stay as close as I can to Ben.

We round the corner of the corridor with the statue and altar I just turned over this morning. The single pew is turned over, and candles are scattered on the floor, some still lit and burning from the side.

I step into the space and see a high priestess holding her arm straight out, brow furrowed and outraged.

She struggles to use her gifts to hold a man against the wall across from her. His boots barely touch the floor as he sputters under the unseen restriction around his neck.

Ben does not hesitate to walk over to where he is being held and cut him down.

The body falls lifelessly, and the high priestess takes a gulping breath like she had been holding him in place for a while but was not strong enough to strangle him completely.

His clothes are strange and not of any fabric I have seen in the Estate.

"Are we under attack, High Priestess?" Ben asks her.

"They started removing their robes and began . . . That one killed an elder priestess I was with." She hunches forward to collect more air.

"Who is he?" I ask, too shocked to articulate a better question.

"A soldier of First Son?" Ben looks to her for confirmation.

"We would have heard the bell before they started attacking us. There was no sky ship."

No ship? But we saw a light streak across the courtyard as if it came from a weapon of First Son.

Crixa would have alerted us if there was a ship coming close to the ward and the Viathans stationed in the birthlands would have known if a ship was coming close to the Estate. They would have intervened.

"You said he removed his robe? We saw Estate workers' clothes on the floor in the wing we came from, like they had been shed as the person walked," I reason.

The high priestess looks between Ben and me, but none of us have an answer or even a theory. "We should get to the temple," she says.

We turn to leave, but two more men stand in the hall, blocking our way, crouched and ready to attack.

The larger one launches himself at Ben with a small dagger, wielding it with nimble precision.

I step back, letting the high priestess engage the other.

She outreaches her arm with such force, I can hear her bones crack with her rage. A guttural sound comes from her as she lifts him off the ground, trying to choke him.

The man's eyes bulge, his finger clawing at an invisible grip on his throat.

My eyes sting when I realize that I could help her if only my gifts were not stolen from me.

Her body shakes as she holds the man and uses her gifts in a way she likely never has. She screams so loud, the pitch drowns out even the bell tower.

Then his hands go lax and fall to the side in the same moment she crashes against the wall, panting and exhausted.

It's a strange feeling to want to rejoice that she was able to kill him. I do not know this priestess, but her divine instinct kicked in and she did not hesitate to defend the Estate from whatever force is here now and against it.

I smile and nod, hoping she knows that I could not help her somehow, but I notice something behind me has caught her eye.

Her face flashes with relief, and then an almost betrayed look replaces it.

When I turn, there is an Estate guard standing in the corridor, his arm raised. He does not hold a guard's sword—he has not come to defend us.

A large gun is pointed at the high priestess and before I can gasp, a bright blue streak of lightning zips past me.

I jump and step back as he then turns his rigid arm in my direction. My palm rises on its own, not to block his aim but as a desperate effort to call forth my light one last time.

Please, come back to me. I splay my fingers wide.

Ben pushes into the guard's side with his shoulder, tackling him to the ground.

I scream as a deadly beam meant for me hits the ceiling and the gun falls from his grasp, skidding across the floor. I clutch at my stomach, hoping the empty feeling isn't a hole blown through my middle.

The two men scramble, fighting to gain power over the other.

Ben's sword is lost and kicked across the corridor as they hit each other blow after blow, finally wrestling each other to the floor.

I watch in horror as the attacker lifts Ben up by the metal collar of his armor and slams his head into the stone.

Ben shifts, reaching to the side.

Then the guard screams, reaching down to the vulnerable spot on his side where two pieces of armor connect, withdrawing a bloody dagger.

I almost trip over the high priestess's lifeless legs as I press myself back into the wall. And when I look over again, they both hold onto the handle of the blade, gloved hands wrapped and layered in a tangle. It shakes between their grasps, a push and pull of direction.

If I don't help in some way, Ben will succumb to him. He is skilled, a decorated guard, but this man has a force deep within him that is fueling his rage. He is not fighting just to survive but something more.

There is no time to try to compel my light again. It will not come. I cannot rely on it to protect us.

I stare at the long sword that was kicked away. I won't be able to get close enough to use it or am even strong enough to lift the heavy metal and cut through the guard's armor before he turns on me.

Reaching down without a second thought, I pick the black metal gun up from the floor and hold it like I have seen 99 and many commanders on Viathan do.

This one is . . . different but the same basic shape.

I point the blocky barrel side at the guard on top of Ben, close my eyes, and push the little button where my finger naturally falls.

A strong beam of light shoots out to the wall behind them, the force of it making me step back to catch myself.

The guard pushes down harder on Ben, getting up on his knees and using his upper half.

Both men grunt, the sounds terrible and urgent.

"Please," I whisper to no one.

I push the little button again, praying it doesn't miss this time.

The blue beam zips to the assailant's thigh, making him crumple to the side, just enough for Ben to take advantage.

I hold up the gun again, but they are so tangled together, I can't tell which limbs belong to whom.

With one final grunt, the larger man falls to the side as Ben pushes him off, the dagger sunk deeply into his collar.

I dump the gun to my feet and turn to the high priestess lying on the ground where she fell. I know she is dead, but it does not seem right to leave her without checking.

Her dark grey veil covers her face, the gossamer fabric draped beautifully and hiding the result of the guard's violence under it. I brush it back gently, my fingers trembling against her already pale, cold skin. A sensation I wish I did not recognize.

I can only stand to look for a moment, turning away at the sight of a dark hole in her cheek, her eyes open and blank.

I could have helped her.

If I had my light, I would have fought with them and perhaps she would still be alive.

Ben collects himself and searches for his sword. "We need to keep moving, High Priestess Ferren."

"She is dead."

When I look up at him, my vision is a little blurry and dark on the edges from breathing so shallow.

He holds out his hand to me.

I stare at it, dazed. "That guard had a gun . . . An Estate guard had a gun."

"It explains the sword left in the hall back there." He flicks his fingers for me to stand.

The sword looked abandoned, like someone had just dropped it there. I have seen how they are made, the craftsmanship. No true Estate guard would leave something so cherished behind like that.

We were attacked by an Estate guard wielding a weapon of First Son. He killed this high priestess without a thought, and he would have killed me too if it was not for Ben.

I take his hand and pull myself up onto my feet.

"This way to the emperor's wing," he directs.

"I should go to the temple."

"No, I saw smoke coming from that direction when we passed the last courtyard. I am taking you to Lord Hollis. His guards will protect you."

"What? No." I step back.

"I'm going to the school. I have to."

I know exactly what he means, even without the intense look he gives me. He is going to protect Thea in the School of Divine Children, make sure whatever this is has not bled out into every part of the Estate. He knows he can't take me with him, and he is too honorable to abandon his duty. I cannot fault him for wanting to drop me off with the other guards assigned to Lord Hollis and me.

I agree with a nod, and we silently walk out of the corridor together.

The bell continues its deafening toll as we make our way back to Lord Hollis's chambers. When we skirt close to the grand hall, the sounds make my skin prickle, and as we pass it, I have to lift my gown high to step over a slain lesser priestess and avoid the blood pooling around her.

We cannot stop to make sure she is ok. We have to keep going.

More bodies litter the halls closer to the heart of the Estate, some temple members, some guards, but all motionless.

When we finally arrive at Lord Hollis's quarters, his guards meet us at the door, ready to engage. My stomach drops at the sight of them ready for a fight, but they sheath their weapons as soon as they see Ben and let us enter.

I burst into Lord Hollis's chambers like it's a safe haven away from the chaos. The interior is too serene, an eerie contrast, just like every other time I have been in this room.

Lord Hollis stands slowly from the head of the table, which is set for dinner. He eyes us both and dismisses his guards with a flick of his hand.

"You need to barricade yourselves inside, my lord," Ben advises between giving the other guards a rundown of what he saw and instructions on how to proceed.

I notice there are no servers or handmaids to help, so I frantically run to the windows to close the giant shutters. This room is normally full of his staff, all forced to witness his cruelty during my meals spent here, but now it's empty.

I pull on the ornately carved shutters hidden behind heavy curtains. The hinges are stiff, but I force them shut, locking the mechanism together. I look out into the perpetual dusky shade cast off the Estate building, some areas brighter than others from small fires burning in the distance.

I cannot see Leema's temple from here, but smoke rises faintly in the sky in every direction. It feels wrong to close us in when parts of the building are burning, but we cannot do anything except hide deeper in the Estate.

I close the last shutters, casting the room in more darkness than before.

Lord Hollis is already lighting long tapered candles on the furniture surrounding the room, the orange glow licking the stone walls in a sinister dance, sending me back to my first night in my cell.

I watch him walk casually across the room to light more tiny flames, as if the world is not ending all around us for a reason none of us seem to know.

"My lord, your guards will be outside the door. I urge you to secure it once shut," Ben says.

Whatever danger I felt out there feels like something I can get away from, like if I keep moving, I can outrun it. But in here, I'm trapped, willingly imprisoned inside.

I watch them leave, peering in both directions before filing out. Ben glances at me and nods, a final gesture that he has completed his sworn duty to watch over me in my time of atonement. He took vows to protect the Estate and the priestess order, and he has upheld them better than I can say I have.

Lord Hollis sits back in his seat, popping a few morsels of food on his plate and sipping wine.

I practically run for the door to latch the lock as it closes. It won't hold if someone truly wants to get in.

"We need a heavy barrier." I drag a chair from the table, giving up halfway at the realization that it won't make any difference.

Maybe we can push a large credenza in front to buy us some time. I picture men with a battering ram on the other side, and a fresh surge of anxiety courses through me as I push on the end of a solid piece of furniture that doesn't budge.

"We need to put this in front of the door!" I say on another push against the credenza.

"I wondered where all the servers went," he muses. "I suppose it is hard to refill wine when you are laid out in a hallway somewhere."

He heard Ben recounting what we saw, how we had to step over bodies to get here, and now he has the nerve to make such a comment. His stilted sense of self has polluted his mind enough to think he is immune to the violence happening all around us.

I release my grip on the edge of the furniture and glare at him. He has no idea what he has done, what his pride cost us in the corridors. How much I could have helped Ben and that high priestess if he was not constantly taking away my powers the moment they start to make their way back to me.

"I ran through the Estate completely helpless while you sat in here behind the thick walls in your chamber, sucking on chicken bones, holding what is rightfully mine hostage. This lock will not hold back what I have seen."

He rolls his eyes while downing the rest of his wine. "Drink?" He ignores me.

"A high priestess was slaughtered in front of me! You may have power over me now, but it is an illusion. It is finite, my lord. Every morning, my gifts call to me."

"I'll get it myself." He rises from his chair and straightens his robes, passing me to reach the decanter.

"Priestesses are being murdered in our halls, defending the Estate, and you hide like a rat knowing its place!"

He grabs my veil hard, pulling my head down to the side.

I scream, my heated words dying in my throat. The pins pull and rip at my hair as he holds me, shaking me when I try to scratch his hand away, gritting his teeth in a snarl.

"And what place is that? Below the blessed priestess? So elegant in her new gown. Do you know what else is an illusion?" He pulls at my grey veil to prove his point and then throws me to the floor in a crude push.

I hold my head, trying to calm the throbbing, pressing fingertips to the tight pins to feel for blood.

"Go sit in your seat, High Priestess, or I will drag you there."

On shaky legs, I rise to my feet, adjusting my veil intentionally while he pours more liquid into his cup. I take too long on purpose and pay for it with another pull of my veil.

He drags me to the table while I grapple at his hand, trying to lessen the ripping of my scalp as he pulls me backward. He slams me into the seat next to his, the restricting rope of his shadow like restraints wrapping around my wrists, my legs, and across my chest.

I thrash and scream for him to let me go, but he only sits, eating and watching me.

"If you are obedient, I will let you eat," he muses.

I can't help the hysterical laugh that comes out. "If you give me what is mine, I will consider taking pity on you when whatever is out there gets in here."

"Those have almost finished healing." He wafts his fingers at my knuckles. "Shame to have to make more. And there is no reason not to enjoy our dinner."

"I am not afraid of you, Lord Hollis. If you were dropped on any other world, you would be eaten up like chum by the old gods. I have seen creatures that were here before us. It would feast on you and stack your bones like decorations. You are nothing outside the emperor's favor."

He sucks on a bone obscenely, then throws it to his plate in a slimy thud and finishes his entire portion, waiting for me to exhaust myself fighting with my bonds. He stares at nothing, a blank cast on his features as he thinks.

I have observed people long enough to know when their minds are just swirling carelessly and when the thoughts are intentional, real enough to sink into and pluck out. I don't need the gift of mind's eye to know the next words out of his mouth will be cruel and calculated.

"I have spoken with the highest about your final act of atonement. She mentioned broaching the subject with you previously and hoped you would reconsider given the new circumstances."

"Speak plainly," I spit.

"Your contribution to the future of the temple. A divine conception ritual before the conjunction ends. You are familiar with the ritual?"

I am too stunned to answer him.

Crixa mentioned how I could contribute, knowing I would not live up to what she thought I would be. The hope being that I could at least serve the temple by continuing my lineage, passing down divinity through a matriarchal line.

Pregnancies among high priestesses have always been encouraged, sacred even. Some women have liaisons with guards to ensure a divine pregnancy, while others will elect for a more ritualistic approach, set rules and a predetermined match, approved by the temple to mix First Mother's gifts to create stronger ones.

Even in my early days after taking my vows, when all I had on my mind was ascension and my future in the priestess order, I did not want that for myself.

"Don't make that face, High Priestess. You would never be forced to partake in the ritual. But consider it a means to an end. A declaration that you truly are dedicated to the priestess order. Those were the highest's words."

I shake my head in disbelief. "Why would she speak to you of such things?"

"Oh, I made a submission for her to consider. If you did decide to . . . partake, you won't have many options, and suppose we survive the day, I doubt you will have many more."

"You disgust me. I would never consider you for the ritual."

He laughs. "Not me, no. One of my guards. His Mother's gifts would complement yours."

"The answer is no."

"Cosima is becoming a very dangerous place. If only you had gifts to protect yourself. Instead, they are . . . tied up until you have been thoroughly forgiven."

I turn my face away, the only part of me I can move, determined to ignore him as much as I can.

He is trying to get under my skin, scare me in one of the few ways he knows how, and while the topic is terrifying, I will not show him that.

Hours seem to pass as I'm stuck in my chair. I even drift off as the noises outside die down, the bell no longer ringing.

We wait for any indication that it is safe. The guards outside the door no longer move around, and I would not be surprised if they left, instructed to help in a more important part of the Estate.

Lord Hollis paces around the room, retiring to an armchair to read for some time and then joining me at the table again to dine on the desserts laid out.

He has not spoken to me in hours, the entire room silent, too silent.

The kind of stillness that makes my ears ring and strain to hear any subtle change.

Lord Hollis notices it too, pausing his chewing, then pulling at his earlobe and flexing his jaw to clear the passage.

Then we hear footsteps.

Strong and intentional, coming down the corridor.

Another set comes from the other side.

I stare at the heavy wooden furniture that should be in front of the door and then at the flimsy handle that could easily be broken.

My only hope is that when they come inside, they will kill Lord Hollis first so I can watch.

The second set of steps gets louder, faster. Then the loud booming sound of gunfire erupts from both ends, an all-out battle starting on the other side of the door.

"Let me out of this chair," I try to say calmly.

"Shut up." He holds out a hand to silence me like he is hoping they do not know we are inside.

He blows out the nearest candles on the table, but it does nothing. The entire room is cast in an orange glow probably able to be seen under the threshold.

The brawl on the other side of the door ends suddenly, as if they all fought until their ends.

Then the door shakes with a force so great, the hinges clang.

Lord Hollis jumps in his seat.

"Where are your weapons? Give me mine," I shout over the insistent pounding, thrashing against my ties.

He doesn't answer, frozen, cowardly staring like he has already given up.

With one final hammering blast, the door gives, swinging open and crashing against the wall, sending dust and splinters into the chamber.

I turn my face away as much as my restraints will allow and wince at the sudden entry.

When I crack my lids open again, the entrance is blotted out in darkness, but I can sense someone's eyes locked onto me, like I'm a target they have hunted down, finally within reach.

A chill erupts across my skin, freckling in tiny bumps, and my vision waters as I squint into the pitch-black opening, knowing it is not empty at all.

Finally, I see the enormous figure that stands just outside.

With a single step, the candles drape the unknown person in a haunting glow, revealing the reflection of armor.

Viathan armor.