CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
ALYSSUM
My hands trembled as I descended the rope I’d created from bed linens.
I had tested each bulky knot with a yank or three, yet my body had little interest in acknowledging that fact.
No, my legs were quite certain at any moment the crude rope would snap in two and I would end up a victim to the shrubbery below.
Breathe.
Don’t look down.
I probably wouldn’t die if I landed in the bushes…
Each time I lowered my boot to search for another knot, a burst of energy spilled into my core. But I kept moving. Better this than allowing that… that criminal who locked me in my room to win.
If I wanted to see a blood pit, then I was damned well going to see a blood pit.
Just as I pressed my lips together to dissuade a tentative smile at the thought, my foot connected with the ground.
It was all I could do not to cheer right in that moment.
Sure, I’d been terrified, but I’d also succeeded without pausing to contemplate living the rest of my life on that rope—as I had in more than one tree during my Sentinel training—so a victory it was.
I wrapped up the excess bed linen and shoved it behind the nearest bush before turning on my heel, a too-quick series of events betraying the I-definitely-belong-here demeanor I needed to embody.
Fortunately, no one was near enough to notice.
At least, I hoped they weren’t—it was hard to tell, given that the stone posts along the walkways were curiously unlit.
The village was almost entirely bathed in darkness.
I peered up at the sky, only managing glimpses of one of the moons. Naeno, if I had to guess. A whisper of her light pierced the blanket of shadow above. I prayed it would be enough to save me from running into a tree trunk or toppling into the brook.
After a steadied inhale, I took off down the road with a quickened pace.
I pulled my cloak tight around my middle as a gust of crisp wind bit at my nose and cheeks.
It wasn’t until I made it to the stone bridge that I spotted wandering torchlight up ahead.
I pressed my hand to my heart and offered my palm to the stars in gratitude, for the encroaching darkness had served to provoke my nerves.
I hadn’t thought Grenythwood could be even less inviting than I’d already found it.
I was wrong.
I lowered the gossamer veil of my Sentinel’s cloak as I approached the tail end of the crowd.
With a bowed head, I joined them, casting sparing looks at those nearest me.
It seemed I wasn’t the only one who had thought to conceal their identity.
For those whose faces were visible, their gaunt features and the solemness of their downturned lips had me questioning myself.
But it wasn’t the freezing night air or the increasingly gruesome images of blood I’d imagined that filled me with regret—it was the silence.
It took longer than I would have expected for us to reach our destination, and for the duration of that walk, not a single word was spoken by anyone in the crowd.
Only the rhythmic sound of boots sinking into mud accompanied the trickling brook, the rustling trees.
I felt as though we were on our way to a wake of the departed, and for all I knew, we could have been.
It was a loud shout that signaled the end of our journey.
“This is the last of them!” a woman hollered, her shrill voice reaching the very back of the crowd.
If someone responded to her, I couldn’t make it out.
She stood in a separate group from the rest, off by torches arranged in a circle up ahead.
I looked to my side, squinting through the darkness to make sense of my surroundings, but I wasn’t that familiar with the village to begin with.
I was only halfway certain we’d passed Catrin’s shop and exited the village entirely, for I couldn’t make out any buildings hidden amidst the trees.
Instead, it seemed we had been corralled into a large clearing.
I bit the edge of my lip as I searched my memory.
I had been here before, with Milo. Was this where my unveiling had occurred?
As if my body knew the answer, I sensed that same curious hum ghosting over my skin.
The veil’s whisper, perhaps checking to see if I’d returned with the Hollow brooch.
My breaths became shallow against the fearful memory trying to grip me, now strengthened by the realization that I was very much in the presence of sorcery that hadn’t taken a liking to me prior.
But I knew how to ground myself. I drew a thumb to the dip of my neck, pressing rhythmically, forcing my body into the present moment despite the nervousness prickling my senses.
No time for that.
Steadying my breath, I continued to follow those in front of me, never allowing myself to be swallowed by the crowd entirely as we shuffled forward.
It wasn’t until my group of villagers settled in a semicircle on the edge of the clearing that I managed to get a better look at what lay before me.
This was indeed the site of my unveiling, but for several reasons—not the least of which being the lack of sunlight—it was very near unrecognizable.
I hadn’t noticed previously, but halfway through the perimeter of the clearing the tree species shifted from ironbark to the massive trunks that cradled Grenythwood.
The shift was so startling and unnatural, I wondered how I hadn’t noticed before.
But my attention was rather abruptly pulled to the center of the clearing when a tall man’s airy, sing-song voice sounded through the wood.
“Welcome one, welcome all,” he said jovially, his lighthearted demeanor at odds with the grim atmosphere enveloping us.
The smile that peeled his milky face apart was disturbing, accompanied by wide, deep-set eyes like black gemstones sparkling in the firelight.
He was hairless, which only served to accentuate the sharp angles of his smooth features, including the protruding brow that shadowed his eyes when he angled his head starward.
Even though no one stood near him, I knew he was one of the tallest men I’d ever seen.
The high collar of his black jacket elongated his already lengthy neck, and the tapered sleeves, stiff cuffs, and split down the back were all quite elegant.
“Naeno,” he chorused with outstretched hands, eerily drawing the gazes of every single villager to the sky.
I quickly lifted my chin in turn, attention landing on the smaller of the two moons.
I couldn’t see her sister, but recognized Naeno all the same with that faint purple hue and the silver swirl of clouds visible to the naked eye.
“It has been more than twenty years since you saw fit to withdraw your support of those who had overstayed their welcome. The transfer of power you initiated continues to rain blessings on us to this day. I do not pretend to understand your ways, but I am eternally grateful for you and all that you have done for our people.”
With my chin still tilted starward, I lowered only my eyes to further assess the clearing.
The man who seemed to be leading this rather dramatic display stood a few paces before a pair of simple wooden thrones.
His was empty, while its mirror held a wisp of a woman with a shaved head.
I couldn’t make out any of her features, for she appeared to be the only one who hadn’t lifted her gaze starward.
Instead, she stared straight down into her own lap.
If it weren’t for the way her pale hands twitched whenever the man spoke, I might wonder if she were conscious.
She was clad in all black—her jacket matched his, and her voluminous skirts looked out of place against the looming trees behind her.
The man, who I was becoming increasingly certain was Gavner, continued: “It is in your honor, Naeno, that we gather to sacrifice the blood you once deemed sacred. Blood that need not spill.” And then, to the crowd, “A cruel fate, bestowed upon you by those who refuse to cast their pride aside. To acknowledge Naeno’s chosen.
All that stands between you and home is rot.
” The final word, edged through a sneer.
“A sickness, a blight. An evil that has taken root in your hearts. An evil that demands sacrifice. I know that you are weary, and frightened. Some of you, as misguided as you are, probably blame me for what is to come. But you could return to your families this very night. That is what I want for you. That is what Naeno wants for you. All you must do… is yield. Unfortunately,”—though it didn’t seem he found it to be unfortunate in the least—“I can see plainly the rot has only worsened since my last visit. What a shame.” The would-be sadness sounded strange passing through that startling grin.
“Just know that Naeno has brought me here for you. To save the few who can still be saved. A worthy cause, wouldn’t you say?
” He loosed a burdensome sigh, a breath filled with awe and gratitude for the moon he claimed to represent.
“In Naeno’s name, let the selection commence! ”
With that, he brought those long-fingered hands together with a deafening clap.
He turned away from the crowd, long strides eating up the distance to his throne, before taking a seat.
He reached into his pocket and retrieved a smooth, ebony orb that I only glimpsed before he palmed it possessively.
Wild eyes began searching the crowd, that smile never ceasing.
“Now then,” he said. “Where’s the bitch?”
If I weren’t acutely aware of every muscle in my body, the revulsion I felt at his crudeness might have prompted a scowl. It didn’t matter that my face was obscured by my veil; this man emitted an energy that discouraged even hidden slights.
“Come now,” he called with an obviously mock-sadness upturning his strong brow. “Don’t make me ask twice.”