Chapter 23
Damia
Ikick a rock aside, watching it skitter across the broken paving slabs and come to rest in a patch of wild grass.
The air is cool here, despite the sun shining in a thick beam through the gap in the crumbled roof.
Dust motes dance in its light, disturbed by our presence.
We’re possibly the first people who’ve stepped foot in this building for decades.
Corrin squints at the walls, trying to make out the artwork that’s been covered over with violent slashes of crimson paint.
“What is this place?” he asks.
“I’m not sure,” I admit. It could have been a sanctuary. But it’s nothing more than a ruin now. That hole in the roof has blackened edges, and there’s a pile of burned wood in the corner—so charred and rotted it’s impossible to tell what the lumps of charcoal once were.
“It seems familiar though…” I push the question away, reminding myself not to get distracted. I had Barb stake out the building before we entered, confirming no one was lurking in wait for us. My gut tells me this isn’t a trap, but you can’t be too careful.
Which is why I reach for my sword when my magic carries Barb’s warning to me.
Ssss…human approaching…sss
I signal to Corrin just as a tall, bald man ducks through the crumbling entrance.
For the first few seconds, we stand and stare at each other.
Sophos tilts his head at us with a calculating stare, his eyes darting from me to Corrin and back again.
He recognizes me from Otscold and Bastion, but Corrin is a new face, and I can tell that makes him wary.
“This is another ally of the princess,” I say, keeping my hand on my blade.
Sophos doesn’t move, but he gives a sharp nod and lifts his one hand to point at the painted wall behind Corrin.
“That was a mural once. Ethira would have been there, but other gods too—Ralus and Lusteris especially. Ethira was not always so…isolated as he is these days.”
Corrin and I exchange a glance. Is this the bearer’s way of breaking the ice? I play along.
“Why would there be a sanctuary all the way out here?” I ask. We’re in the middle of nowhere.
“During the war, the followers of Ethira wanted somewhere to gather they knew would be safe. Palquir loyalists and Filusian forces were raiding their sanctuaries in larger towns and cities, so they built sites like this, where they could worship in peace.”
He takes a step forward but hesitates when I immediately tense.
“I thought it would be an appropriate place to meet, given this particular site was built and used by solari,” Sophos says.
I remember now. Nearly a century ago, the captain and I marched past places like this in the final days of the war—purpose-built Ethiran worship sites, not like the older sanctuaries converted to suit Ethiran doctrine after its rise in popularity.
“Why would solari build an Ethiran temple?” Corrin asks, visibly confused.
“Because back then, those with celestial magic were as welcome in the faith as anyone else,” Sophos says.
“That’s why the Grand Bearer had this place destroyed.
If you’re going to rewrite history, you need to erase the evidence that contradicts your new version,” a grim smile plays on Sophos’s lips.
“He didn’t want people to be reminded that solari were once our fellow Ethiran brothers and sisters. ”
Ssss…he’sss not alone…sss
Barb comes slithering across the broken paving stones toward me.
In one quick movement, I scoop her up and point my sword directly at Sophos. I strain my ears, trying to listen for any sign of intruders, but of course Sophos is likely blocking that with his aesteri magic.
“Why are you really here?” I demand, trying to signal to Corrin to be on the alert. I already identified the three exits out of this place before we came in. Even if Sophos has them all covered, my sensic magic can incapacitate his forces long enough for us to get away.
Sophos’s eyes widen. “I thought my message—”
“I told you to come alone,” I snap.
Hearing this, Corrin sends his shadows creeping up toward the bearer’s feet, ready to blind him if needed.
“Ah,” Sophos says, understanding now. He warily steps back from the encroaching darkness, his hand going to cradle the stump of his arm. “It’s not what you think. I’m not trying to trap you.”
“And I’m just supposed to take your word for that? When you’re standing there missing a hand thanks to my captain?” I point out. “Why would you want to help us, when you’re Caledon’s prize lap dog?”
The bearer straightens, dropping his arms to his sides.
“Because there are more important things that can be taken from me than a hand.”
I blink, not understanding. Then the bearer waves his fingers, and the air shifts, the sound of our breathing echoes through the space differently than before. Sophos has been using his aesteri magic to block some of the sound around us, but what I hear next stops me in my tracks.
A child’s voice rises up from behind one of the crumbling sections of wall.
“Does Fossy want us now, Mama?”
Someone shushes the child.
“It’s okay, Ettia,” the bearer calls. “You can come out.”
A woman peers around the dusty bricks, her eyes wide with fear. Slowly, she steps around the fallen stone and into the building. She carries a small black-haired boy in her arms, his big eyes staring at us with intense curiosity.
“This is my sister, Ettia, and my nephew, Olin,” Sophos says.
My heart thuds in my chest as I try to work out whether I’m in danger. If this is some kind of trick, it’s a strange one. The woman looks genuinely uneasy. So does Sophos, actually. Up until now, he’s managed to seem calm, but now the mother and son have joined us, I see tension in his stance.
“I thought clerics had to give up their families?” Corrin says.
“They do,” Sophos replies with a slight incline of his head. “Ettia and I were out of touch for many years. But when I became a bearer—”
“You suddenly decided you were above the rules,” I interrupt coolly. Typical Ethiran hypocrisy. They preach one thing while the people at the top do whatever they want.
The woman’s expression grows determined as she clutches her son tighter. “You mustn’t blame Sophos—”
“Ettia—”
“No,” she cuts her brother off. “They should know you’re a good man.” She turns back to me, her expression so earnest I feel compelled to hear her out. “He saved my life, and Olin’s. We wouldn’t have survived without his help. And he’s protecting us now too.”
I frown. “Protecting you from what?”
Ettia bites her lip, looking to the bearer. Something passes between them, and Sophos nods.
The woman slowly lowers her son to the ground. It’s only then I notice he’s wearing tiny knitted mittens, despite the warm weather.
“Olin,” his mother gently tugs the gloves from his fingers. “You know the thing Mama told you not to do?”
The little boy nods solemnly.
“Well, now is a special time, and I need you to show this nice lady and man.”
He looks at us cautiously, his dark hair bouncing with each movement.
“It’s okay?” he confirms with his mother. Her hands are shaking, but she musters a smile.
“It’s okay,” she repeats.
The boy lifts his little hand, flexing his fingers, and they start to glow.
A golden, shining light rises up from his palm, growing brighter and brighter until I can scarcely look at it, the sight burning golden rings into my retinas. I know that kind of light—have seen Morgana conjure it a hundred times.
Understanding floods through me.
“He’s solari,” Corrin says, beating me to it.
Sophos nods, gesturing to Ettia.
“That’s enough now, Olin,” she says, bending down to take hold of his free hand. “No more.”
With a disappointed pout, the boy drops his arm, the celestial light fading. His mother quickly wrestles the mittens back on him as Sophos speaks.
“I tried to hide them in the northwilds, but even that area has become unsafe,” Sophos says. “The people are alert to the slightest hint of heresy.”
“Isn’t it your job to root out heresy too?
” I ask. My voice is harsh, because even with this interesting new piece of the puzzle, I can’t bring myself to trust this man.
What I really want to do is ask him why he hasn’t slaughtered his nephew as his master would surely want him to, but I bite my tongue for the child’s sake.
“I’ve come to realize that many of the Temple’s teachings are too black and white,” Sophos says carefully, glancing at his sister.
“And some of the things the Grand Bearer would have us believe are entirely false. Buildings like this are proof that the original Ethirans saw no crime in being solari.”
I scoff, shaking my head. “As if they were so much better than Caledon? They still went to war—still killed—for their ridiculous beliefs.”
Sophos flinches, and I feel a surge of satisfaction. He doesn’t like it when I call his religion ridiculous. Despite everything, he still believes.
“I don’t think the princess would want this man as an ally, Corrin,” I say coldly.
Fear makes Sophos’s face go pale, and he waves his hand. The air changes, and his sister looks confused. He’s thrown up a barrier of silence between them and us.
“Wait, please,” he says, his voice suddenly hoarse. “I have an offer.”
Corrin moves closer to me. “I think we should hear him out, Damia,” he murmurs.
I don’t bother lowering my voice when I reply, letting Sophos hear every word. “The man’s still a crazed fundamentalist; he just wants to have his cake and eat it too, now his family’s involved.”
Corrin gives me a long, steady look, his bright eyes boring into mine.
“Lots of people end up on the right side for selfish reasons,” he says. “That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t accept their help, or that they can’t change for the better if we show them a little trust.”
I know he’s not just talking about Sophos. A few months ago, I would have never believed Corrin if he’d offered to leave Hallowbane and put himself at risk for this cause. Maybe he wouldn’t have believed it himself. Yet here we are.