Chapter 22 #3
The same conversation we’d had many times over.
Despite the increased tension in the room, Bellamy simply smiled and said, “As I’ve said many times before, I cannot change what was done in the past by my Father.
No more than Soren can change what his father did while he was Emperor.
Nor any children of the Devereauxes or the Astors before him.
Part of what I want to do is take the pain out of this process.
It is clearly able to be a natural part of life, a pure gift from the Goddess.
” I prayed someone corrected her, made our lives easier.
“We want it to be the same for our people. I already plan to explain to my father and the priestesses, but it would be helpful, Brother Stevenson, to carry a few words of wisdom with us back to the planet your God stewards over.”
Brother Stevenson looked entranced, his commitment to his faith fighting against what he’d been instructed.
My eyes dropped to the second book in my hand once he began speaking.
“Of course, we’d want to share. We are the children of our beloved gods, and with that comes an entirely selfless love.
One of a parent, dedicated to the well-being of their child. ”
I really hoped a sermon wasn’t in store. I was disappointed.
Brother Stevenson went on about the loving relationship between God and the Goddess and how it was not at all playing favorites to have them stewarding over one planet—that was exactly why there were priests on Muli and priestesses on Vir.
By the time he got to the meat of the story, I’d finished yet another book with no mention of Matches or paranimas beyond a passing reference to a deep knowing one might have when meeting the person our deities had determined we would partner with for life.
“I think it’s natural, really, that on Muli the Marks are with you since birth.
The Goddess often provides her clearest signs through new beginnings.
A sort of childbirth in itself, if you will.
Our God is at times more pointed with his messaging.
I am sorry it is so painful. Has it always been that way? ”
Ah, he was good. I could see why Elijah and Caspian would have chosen him, why they were even willing to introduce us to him in the first place.
Bellamy sighed dramatically. “Yes, I’m afraid. Though we didn’t have the benefit of time. I would hope that if Marks had started to appear naturally, like they do here, it would have also been from birth. Remind me how long Marks have been presenting for?”
Come on, I begged silently, tell us something.
“Oh,” Brother Stevenson said. “That estimation is beyond my years. For—”
He was cut off by a loud crashing sound from behind us. As hardened as we all were, everyone had turned before the first note of the man’s yell was complete.
Another brother of the priesthood was holding a patron away from us by the waist, restraining him as he pointed a finger towards our group. “Get those trespassers out of here!”
The priest was struggling, far too slight a man to be restraining someone the size of the patron. His cry for help, and Brother Stevenson’s answering shout, drowned out most of what was lobbed at us next, a comman for us to go back to where we came from.
A second banging sound rent through the temple, this time from a side door along the wall across from us. Another member of the brotherhood was flying out of a room, answering the call for help.
It was barely a glimpse. Blink and you miss it. Probably less than that, but it was just a perfect domino effect of events that made me think for a second that maybe a deity was present in the room and was doing us a favor.
I was sitting at the exact right angle to see through the crack the priest left in the door, able to see not only through it but also over his shoulder to what he’d tried to hide with his form.
I recognized the person sitting behind him. Officer Edeka, that same, shaky-handed Muli soldier who had been tasked with the unfortunate mission of delivering summons from Elijah and Caspian.
His nerves had struck me as odd, though I’d dismissed it as fear that we’d kill him on the spot if he stepped foot into Vir territory.
Now, his stuttering explanations and skittish demeanor around me and Ford was taking on a whole new light, because I’d just seen him getting a tattoo inked onto his hand—one that had been there weeks ago and should have been there since birth.
My heart was seconds away from beating out of my chest, pushing wave after wave of nauseating dread through my limbs. I really hadn’t wanted to be right about this.
I didn’t know if Ford could sense it through the Bond or if he was simply reacting to the threat of someone yelling at us, but he was pressed against my back, one arm banded across my chest.
The priests had everything handled, the interruption no more than a disruption than an actual threat. The real threat was the people we’d spent every day with for the past week, reaping the benefits of their hospitality and building trust.
Trust, with one big, blinding secret disrupting it.
I hoped, I really did, that they were trying to keep it a secret until the negotiations were over. If I was in their shoes, I’d probably advise the same. Knowing what I did about the Emperor and our history in this war, if he found out we had that significant of a leg up on Muli…
It was Brother Stevenson who spoke, his voice low and soothing like he was offering council. “I do apologize for that. You can imagine tensions run high at times, especially in a town so close to your Bridge.”
Our bridge, as if we’d been the ones to rip the hole through space and time ourselves. I was going to be sick.
“Oh, we understand,” Bellamy said with a devil-may-care sweep of her arm. “Would it be better if we took a walk outside to finish our conversation?”
Brother Stevenson nodded once. “That may be for the best.” He flagged down a younger man from across the room with one raised eyebrow. He took a wide berth as he approached, arching as far away as he could before stepping up next to Brother Stevenson and handing him a letter.
As the group started to make their way outside, Brother Stevenson explained, “I’ve taken the liberty of writing to our sisters.”
I barely heard the rest of what he was saying over the buzzing in my ears.
I could feel Ford stepping closer to me, hovering just past the line of personal space.
I decided that I didn’t care. That there were enough people here to fill me in on what Brother Stevenson was saying—some coy remark about how he wouldn’t expect us to blindly carry the letter to the priestesses and though he would assure us there was nothing untoward contained in it, we were happy to read it if it made us more comfortable.
I trusted I’d get a more detailed recap later.
For now, I wrapped my arm through Ford’s. Not even really a hold, more of hooking of elbows.
But enough to allow my body to take over and my mind to relax so I could turn the image of Officer Edeka over in my head from all angles, hoping I could find something to quell my fears.
I came up empty.