Chapter 16

Chapter

Sixteen

TAMAS

The streets were abuzz with activity. At any minute, someone was bound to stumble upon us. Finding his soul was taking too long.

My focus was distracted—that's why I was having trouble. When I closed my eyes, the distant noises filled my head. I tried extra hard to force them out of my mind as I reached out for the apostle's soul. Dare I say, it seemed to be hiding from me. A devotee of Emberforge and the Salmun, the soul seemed to recognize an enemy in death. Just when I was about to growl in frustration at its elusiveness, I felt its presence like a frost at the edges of my mind. Once found, I latched on, drawing the soul from the shadowy depths into me. A long stream of unsavory memories filled my head, which I shoved to the back of my mind before they could falter my concentration.

Once the task was complete, I took his form and stripped his clothes but left him in his undergarments. The poor man didn't need the indignity of being found naked. Besides, I wasn't keen on wearing anything worn that close to his skin.

Hiding the body proved easier than hunting for his soul. And once I'd finished the grisly deed, I slipped two of my daggers into the belt, hidden under the cloak, and headed for the alley's mouth. There, I found a street full of people and guards on horseback shielding the king's carriage.

Curse my luck. The king had arrived at Emberforge. The crowd surrounded his carriage.

Rotten idea, Tamas . But I couldn't stop myself. I had to know if Tressya was here.

Focus on your task .

It was foolish, but my curiosity won out, and I pushed through the crowds, edging my way closer. The apostle was a slim man, smaller than average height, which meant I was able to duck and weave my way through the crowd like a child, positioning myself close.

A horse's rump blocked my view of the inside of the carriage, so I dodged around a rounded lady and her husband. Being slight had its advantages. Keeping low in the crowd, I squeezed myself between two horses to give myself the perfect view.

And there she was, gazing up at the face of Emberforge. The sight of her sent a sudden thrill through my blood. It had been a long time since I'd felt such exhilaration; was it the challenge or the woman?

Go . I'd satisfied my curiosity; now it was time to complete my task, but my legs stayed anchored in place. The king was in Emberforge—a possible blessing. His presence would draw the attention of the Salmun and the apostles, leaving me time to explore unhindered. I really should be gone.

Before I could depart, Tressya dropped her gaze from the face of Emberforge. Her eyes landed on me. They felt like a barb piercing through to my heart; my heart, not the skin I was in. An impossibility. She wouldn't suspect. But her eyes stayed locked on me.

Curses to her perceptiveness. The penetrating probe of her inquisitive mind brushed the edges of my awareness. Instead of fleeing to protect my identity, I remained still, feeling the exploration of her mind dust the surface of mine. When it should have felt like intrusive hooks, I found it a pleasant tickle.

The moment those captivating blue eyes widened, then narrowed, I winked at her, then ducked backward into the crowd and scurried away as fast as I could. This was not a hunt, yet starting the chase sent a vein of exhilaration through my core.

Pulling the hood of my cloak over my head, I hurried across the front of Emberforge and headed for the apostles' entrance on the western flank of the temple, bowing my head low and quickening my steps on passing the guards stationed by the massive iron doors. Once out of sight from the crowds and guards on the main street, I slowed, moving in the shadows cast by the hoardings as I made my way toward the entrance.

There I waited, leaning against the cold stone wall.

You're a bloody fool. And in danger of destroying all my plans.

Revealing myself at the ball was the first and biggest mistake, followed by ever worsening decisions. And here I was, waiting, ears tuned to any approaching footsteps, because no way would the disciple stay content in her seat when she knew I was lurking close to her precious Tannard heirs.

I smirked at the sound of hurrying footsteps, which faltered when a guard called out. Don't go to her aid . I shouldn't make it easier for her to follow me. Except, I was waiting here for her to find me.

The argument continued. She sounded frustrated, demanding he return to protect the queen, but the guard stubbornly insisted she couldn't walk alone.

Don't, Tamas . I shook my head against the irresistible urge spiking into my legs. Don't. It seemed I was destined to continue making terrible mistakes where Tressya was concerned, for I left my place, hugging the wall as I retraced my steps, whisper quiet.

As enemies, we danced around each other, playing a game where neither of us could foretell the outcome. This excitement was driven by more than danger, and I wanted to know what drove her to join me in this game.

Tressya had closed half the distance, ensuring my attack would go unnoticed by everyone on the main thoroughfare. The guard's back was to me, obscuring Tressya's view of my approach. He was a head taller and twice as broad, necessitating a blade or a claw for the job. I preferred the latter, needing the added boost of Huungardred strength to take him down silently.

A subtle shift to my beast form granted me the strength I needed. I flexed my fingers, careful not to stab my wrist with my lethal claw. Using the extra Huungardred strength, I leaped at the guard from behind and slashed across his throat in less than a breath. I threw him sideways, careful to keep his spraying blood away from Tressya's gown. Once done, I released the Huungardred strength and lost the claw.

She sucked in her breath. "I should gut you for this," she growled.

"With your teeth? Unless you have a surprise hidden under all those layers of lace."

Taking advantage of her stunned silence, I lunged toward her, grabbed her hand, and dragged her down the alley toward the small entrance into Emberforge. She remained silent as we ran, but once inside the narrow, airy passageway formed by the girdle wall, she yanked her hand away from my grasp. The outer passage had no ceiling, and the weak sun reflected off the left side of the wall, revealing glittering silver specks in the black stone.

"Someone will find the guard," she stated.

"Then we better move quickly."

"I'm not going anywhere with you."

"That's your choice. There's the exit. Goodbye." And with that, I headed toward the central inner courtyard, smiling to myself as I went. No way would a woman like Tressya accept that dismissal.

"Wait."

I stopped, forcing the smirk from my lips. Being an apostle, I was her height, allowing us to look eye to eye.

"An attendee of the temple. Very convenient." Her eyes skimmed down my body.

"A necessity. No one will question an apostle moving about within the temple."

"And what did you do with the apostle your masquerading as?"

"Is that really what you want to know?"

She frowned. "Fine," she huffed. "Did you find me with this pathetic love knot?" She held up her wrist.

I quirked a brow. "Love knot? Now that's an interesting way of thinking about it. I wouldn't have thought you'd use the word love in relation to the mark."

"Don't twist my words, Razohan. It was, wasn't it?" The look in her eyes would shoot daggers.

I returned her stare with the hint of a smile, which muted her nicely. In our interactions, there would probably be more instances where she gained the advantage, so I would savor my victories whenever they occurred.

She speared her hands on her hips. "Are you here for the king and his sons?"

"In the Salmun's stronghold? I'm much smarter than that."

"According to whom?"

I chuckled.

"Why are you here?" she demanded.

"Follow me, and you may find out."

"Follow the man who's turned me into prey?" She shoved the bite mark in my face.

"Princess, you're far from being prey. I'd say you're more the hunter than the prey."

"I'm not flattered."

"If not, why am I your secret?"

She gasped. Reading the shock on her face, I knew I'd chosen the right word. She thought of me as her secret—a lofty position I very much enjoyed.

She stepped closer. "I plan on bringing you down my way. That's why I've said nothing." She straightened, lifting her chin. "Do you honestly think I find you enigmatic?"

I shook my head slightly. "Not until now. I'm flattered."

She growled. "I put myself to sleep dreaming of my blade in your stomach."

I held out my hand. "Shall we call a truce?"

"Not on your life."

"We pretend we don't hate each other?—"

"Impossible. I can't pretend that much." She crossed her arms.

"And we work together to solve a puzzle."

Her arms fell to her sides. "What puzzle?"

I walked backward, beckoning her to follow.

"You're unnerving when you look like that," she snapped. When she saw I wasn't stopping, she tentatively followed.

"The name's Petrulus. Pleased to meet you, Your Highness." I gave an elaborate bow.

"Give me a good reason not to scream right now."

"You'll never find out what I'm after."

She looked skyward as she groaned, then followed me begrudgingly. I turned around and moved along the narrow passage, very much conscious of the woman who followed after me.

The passage opened out into the central corridor. To our left was the great court, leading to the Arunian Hall with its massive pillars and rising floor that gave the impression of ascending to the sky. To our right, we had to pass through massive pylons to reach the temple sanctuary. The sanctuary housed numerous minor temples built to revere various gods of the old religion, creating a labyrinth of passages to the grand hall and the Bone Throne upon which the rulers of the ancient kingdom sat.

Voices reached us from the temple sanctuary, too faint to discern if it was the king or his sons. There were also the Salmun and other apostles to consider. Tressya was a liability in this endeavor. I should've entered the temple alone, leaving her in the carriage, oblivious to my activities. Why I hadn't was a question I would ponder for days to come, even though I was fairly certain of the answer. Facing it required too much inner reflection for the moment.

I jerked my head to the right and whispered, "We're heading into the temple." Glancing at her dress, I added, "And you're going to need appropriate clothing if you don't want to get caught."

"I won't let you kill anyone else."

"That's not what I had in mind."

She glared at me, unmoving, so I took her hand and pulled her alongside me as we passed between the great pylons and into the first sanctum, which was also filled with pillars. The central pillars, taller than those on the outside, lifted the roof away from the walls, allowing light to shine through.

We slipped into a smaller temple, and I hid Tressya behind the first pillar. "Stay here. I'll return soon."

"I don't trust you."

"You should've told me that before following me."

"You practically dragged me along. I could scream at any time and alert everyone to our presence."

"Your presence, little princess. I'm an apostle. Please, just trust me."

She jabbed her hands to her hips but said nothing, so I took that as her agreement.

I wove further into the temple sanctuary, following low-spoken voices and the faint sounds of humming. The Salmun never encouraged religious fervor, but they turned a blind eye to the burgeoning rituals created by the apostles.

Over a millennium, living within Emberforge, the apostle caste had begun writing their own stories, building upon the myths of the ancients, written in tomes within a chamber beneath the grand hall, and creating their own rites.

The humming was part of one such ritual, which Petrulus was missing. I slipped into the temple where I knew the attending apostles would be deep in prayer, missing my approach. Selisimus, the target, stood at the back, obscured by the pillars holding the thurible. Petrulus knew him well.

Silently, I approached, partially shifting to draw on Huungardred strength, and struck him on the side of his head. He was in my arms before he hit the floor. Selisimus was larger than Petrulus, so I maintained my partial shift as I dashed back to where I had left Tressya, carrying him in my arms.

Before entering the small sanctuary, I released my hold on the Huungardred and dropped the apostle. Then I took his hands and dragged him the rest of the way across the stone floor and back to where Tressya waited.

"He better not be dead."

"The cloak should cover the ill-fitting clothes," I said as I crouched beside Selisimus and stripped him of his clothes. "As we move further into the labyrinth of the temple sanctuary, the light grows dimmer, which will hide you from suspicious gazes."

"How do you know so much about this place?" She didn't realize I took the souls of my victims to take their form, giving me access to all their memories. She might find that reprehensible, so I chose not to fill the gaps in her knowledge.

Instead, I handed her items of clothing as I stripped them from Selisimus. "Put these on."

"When you turn your back." Thankfully, she seemed not to notice my silence.

I took the chain from his neck before standing, placing it in my pocket. At the entrance, I kept an eye out for anyone approaching while listening to the rustling of fabric behind me. The humming continued, as did the distant voices. If we didn't hurry, the king and his sons would depart the temple and discover Tressya missing. That would start a search, during which the dead guard would be found. The temple would be stormed, and… It was best not to think about the conclusion.

Tamas, you bloody fool . At this rate, I would soon be revealed, bringing the might of Tarragona down on my head.

"Curses," she hissed.

"Having trouble?"

She growled. "I need your help." She didn't sound pleased about it.

"I'm only too willing to oblige, Highness."

She was half out of her voluminous clothing, revealing a heavily ribbed bodice, which concealed her breasts behind what could only be called a suit of armor. Her face was flushed from the effort of trying to climb out of her layers by herself; her accusatory glare was filled with anger, no doubt for the predicament I had placed her in.

"You do know how to do this?" she asked, then rolled her eyes as she gave me her back. "Of course you do."

I smirked. "I do have a little experience in undressing a lady."

"Be quick, then go back to where you were standing."

Truth be told, I'd never dealt with a dress like this. The ladies in the north never had use or cared for anything so elaborate. I hesitated, trying to decide where to find the end of the thread tying the suffocating ribbed armor close to her body.

"What are these?" I rested my hands on her hips over the pouches on either side, tied in place with string.

She jumped. "You're supposed to be untying me, not criticizing."

"You're full of surprises, little princess." I delved a hand into one of the pockets and felt the blade sheathed inside.

She jerked away, but with my hand still inside the deep pocket, she succeeded in pulling me into her. This close our breaths mingled, which sparked disastrously good feelings in my groin. My gaze drifted to her lips, because I was a weak-hearted man when it came to anything I wanted, but the look on Tressya's face was like being forced to stand in a blizzard.

"I thought we were in a hurry," she hissed, leaning away from me. Maybe she found Petrulus repulsive. Not a good thought.

I pulled her dagger from inside the pouch and unsheathed it.

"Turn around."

Her arched brow was her argument, then she did as I asked. And that did more disastrously good things for my sanity.

Carefully, I sliced through the threads. "Done."

The ribbed bodice fell to the floor before Tressya could grab it. "What am I going to do when I get dressed again, now that you've ruined my stays?"

"Torture device, you mean. And I think we can improvise with something around here."

"Get back over there," she barked, folding her arms over her chest, even though it wasn't necessary as unfortunately there were still plenty of petticoat layers to conceal her breasts.

I returned her dagger hilt first, then strolled back, half-listening for intruders and half-listening to Tressya dress.

"They're pocket bags if you must know. Though I'm surprised you know so little about women's clothing."

"I prefer my women naked."

She snorted, but said nothing in return.

A lesser man would've peeked. I was sorely tested, but restraint won.

"What am I going to do with my clothes?" she announced, coming toward me, still tucking the shirt into the belt, alongside the dagger.

"I'll take care of that." I doubled back and gathered all her things, then stashed them behind a far pillar where most would normally never go.

Then I took care of Selisimus, taking his arms and dragging him to the far pillar as well. Back at the exit, she'd finished tucking her clothes in and had pulled the hood down over her face.

"This way." I led her deeper into the temple sanctuary.

The Bone Throne lured me, but I had to resist my curiosity, unless I wanted to run afoul of the Tannards and the Salmun. As much as I wanted to see it, it wasn't the reason I'd risked so much by sneaking into Emberforge. Somewhere hidden within this temple were the Senjel Oracles. I felt sure of it. And thanks to Petrulus, I knew of the chamber beneath the stone floor, and the stairwell that would lead us there.

"Keep your head bowed and your hood low," I cautioned Tressya as we shuffled along the passageways between the many temple sanctuaries.

We passed apostles, but all moved like us, shuffling along with their eyes on the ground. Now was the hour for silent contemplation and prayer, which meant none of the apostles would meet our eyes or question us.

The voices continued to echo through from the grand hall because the Salmun ignored the apostles' traditions and practices, and Petrulus could give me no explanation for why they allowed the apostles to continue their existence within Emberforge since they held disdain for their growing religion.

"Here," I motioned toward an archaic-looking door. I pulled the chain from my pocket, slipping the single key into the lock. There were three keys to this lock: one kept by the scroll guardian, Selisimus, one for Tortilus, the lore keeper, and the last for Plesy, the scribe master.

"I don't understand how this is so easy for you."

"That's a conversation that requires endurance."

The door creaked its age as I slowly pulled it open. The noise echoed through the passageway like a shriek, sending tingles of dread up my spine. Tressya shook her head as she looked at me. I simply pushed her through the slim gap I'd made, slipping through behind her. It was lucky Petrulus was so slight.

With the door ajar, the slither of light revealed a steep descent of stone steps and a dim flicker of yellow torchlight at the bottom.

"Don't break your neck," I warned as I took the steps first.

The air was dank, cold, and held the scent of dust and age. We descended in silence, and once at the bottom, I stopped with a small groan. Beside me, Tressya inhaled sharply.

Since taking his soul, I had delved into Petrulus's memories for information to aid my search for the Senjel Oracles. However, I discovered that Petrulus was merely a liturgy steward. He knew the location of the chamber, known as the sanctum of solmira, but not its contents. I would have taken the time to kill Selisimus and plunder his soul, but with Tressya watching and our time constraints, his clothes and the chain were the best I could manage.

Though Petrulus did prove useful. I learned he suspected Selisimus, along with Tortilus, Plesy, and a few others, of forming a secret enclave within the temple. It seemed they were sowing seeds of dissent, cultivating an atmosphere of mistrust, and even animosity against the Salmun. Something I wanted to explore further when I had more time.

The sanctum of solmira wasn't large by any standard, yet it was choked with the written word. Scrolls filled most of the shelves, which were chiseled into all four stone walls. Some shelves contained bound volumes, and on the bottom ones, there were stone tablets.

"A library," Tressya observed.

"Filled with ancient lore," I headed toward the nearest shelves.

"From before the great war?"

I brushed cobwebs from the spines of the tomes. "These are more recent. I doubt they were compiling books that far back."

The light from the flaming torch flickered as Tressya picked it up and moved to the wall opposite me, where the scrolls were crammed into every available space, most now pressed flat.

"You're searching for something from the past," she noted. It wasn't a question.

I let her statement hang in the air as I ran my hand along the spines. "The newer volumes are the apostles' own works. They're busy creating their own religion."

"Since I haven't screamed and given us away, you can answer this: How do you know all this? That this room even existed?"

"Are you bargaining with me, little princess?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm sick of your questions instead of answers."

"Sounds like we need a bargain. You answer mine and I'll answer yours."

She straightened. "No. And I refuse to help you find what you're looking for unless you answer me this: You wanted me to join you in here. Why?"

"A one-sided bargain. I guess I can go with that for now." I arched my head back, my eyes traveling up the face of the shelves. "That's a good question. One I have no answer for."

"I don't believe you. Is this a trap?" She sounded alarmed.

"Petrulus has no authority to be down here, so no, this is not a trap. I'd be in as much trouble as you. And no, I honestly can't tell you what led me to bring you here." I glanced over my shoulder at her. "I've risked a lot letting you follow me."

"Dragging me here, you mean."

"I enticed, not dragged. And if you really want to know, I'm chasing knowledge."

"To help you bring down the House of Tannard."

"I can do that blindfolded, little princess. I'm surprised you need to question that." Again, I looked over my shoulder at her. A woman of her skill had to be impressed with my swordsmanship yesterday.

She stared at me, looking unimpressed.

"Besides, I'm chasing something far more important. And given the king and the Salmun will be leaving the temple sometime soon, I suggest you keep quiet, so I may search for what I'm after."

"Amongst all of this. You've lost your mind."

"After everything I've done these last days, I'm inclined to agree with you."

I headed toward the next wall, away from the books, and stood with my hands on my hips, scanning the expansive shelving, scroll upon scroll packed deep. I stood no chance of finding it now. My idiocy was in choosing to spare Selisimus, for Tressya's sake. And that was another mistake I'd made because of her. She was going to cost me my throne at this rate.

I pulled back the hood and went to run my hand through my hair out of frustration, forgetting Petrulus shaved his head regularly.

"You've no idea what you're after, do you?"

"The contents, yes, but not how they'll be presented."

"How far in the past are you searching?" She stared at the shelves in front of her. "I've not seen any of Merania's ancient text, so I'm unfamiliar with the medium they used to capture their words."

I watched her finger her way through some of the scrolls, smiling through my surprise at her sudden enthusiasm.

"I doubt anything as far back as the great war would be found in bound books. More likely written on scrolls. Am I right about the time frame?"

"There abouts." My focus should be on the search, yet her presence was irresistibly distracting, especially now her mind was actively engaged in solving a puzzle.

"Before or after the great war? After the war, there would've been a gap in knowledge keeping, starting again when life resumed some normalcy. The Levenian influence may have led to change in the materials they used to hold their knowledge. That might give us a way of separating pre- and post-war writings. So which is it?"

"During. Or after. Soon...after."

If our little venture softened her prickly demeanor toward me, I wouldn't mind, but I adored a challenge, and this little ferocious creature was proving a challenge too tantalizing to resist.

She was becoming much more than I'd anticipated when I first made the pivotal decision to leave my mark on her. With every moment spent together, my conviction that keeping her alive was the right choice only deepened. Her intelligence matched her boldness, and her decision to keep me a secret revealed she was as far from being a loyal disciple to her Sistern as I was from being a woman. And that gave me hope.

With her back to me, she remained still, and I could imagine the look on her face as she tried to work out the puzzle. Then she turned to face me. "You're trying to find proof of your bloodlink to the Tarragona throne."

"No proof needed."

"You want to know how the Levenian defeated the king."

"Dark and dangerous magic." I paced along the wall toward her.

"The losers will always say that." She paced away from me, starting us in a slow dance.

"Surely you must sense the Salmun's malevolent presence."

"They're creepy, sure. But that doesn't make them bad."

"How would you explain the Ashenlands if not for dark magic?"

"I've heard mention of this place. I know nothing about it."

"The Salmun cursed the land, forming a belt running across the kingdom right down to the sea. Inside, they released their pets—vile creatures brought with them, along with many more they created since then."

We continued our dance. "I heard it was created to protect the south from the marauding Huungardred beasts," she said.

"Lies."

"Who am I to believe? My enemy or my people?"

"These are not your people," I snarled. "Don't ever make the mistake of thinking that."

"I'm to marry Juel. Which means they are my people."

Hearing her say that, I fisted my hands.

But her eyes widened. "What about on stone?" And she doubled back to crouch beside the stone tablets stacked on the bottom shelves. There weren't many, which meant less to search through if she was right. She drew the flame close so she could see.

"The king may be heading for the carriage."

I'd been selfish in luring her from the carriage because I desired her company. The last thing Tressya needed was attention from the Salmun. I should get her back. Given I now knew what apostle's soul to take, I could return at any time and retrieve what I wanted.

"Wait." She stopped, staring ahead as she thought.

"You're best staying beneath the Salmun's attention, which you won't be if they catch you snoopy around in here."

"I'm a dimwitted princess. I simply got bored and wanted to look inside." She continued to peruse the tablets.

I gazed at her, enjoying watching her astute mind pick at the possibilities.

Then suddenly she straightened and spun to face me. The torchlight softened her features, making them appear more attractive. Or maybe it had nothing to do with the soft yellow light and everything to do with spending more time with her.

"It was common in Merania for the scribes to translate our most important ancient texts into bound volumes to preserve the knowledge."

I couldn't keep up with her fast mind.

She headed for the books lining the shelves I'd just vacated when voices came down the stairwell. I dived for Tressya, swiping the torch from her hand and dousing it on the stone under my boot. The darkness enveloped us when the voices became clearer.