Chapter 27 #2
“OK, well, I think that this meeting has gone well. I’ll send a message when it’s time to reconvene.” Father said, standing. Everyone else nodded, getting up to leave quietly.
I remained almost frozen in place. The only place to get answers was with a priestess, so I was not about to leave yet. Spencer and Amyra stayed too. I wasn’t sure if it was in solidarity and support for me, or if they had questions for the Priestesses too.
We spent an excruciating ten minutes of waiting, while Juniper checked the walls and Emberly disappeared into the next room. Once Juniper checked her other room, both returned and addressed me.
“Come, we have a place.” Emberly said, with a tone that left me feeling incredibly nervous. Amyra and Spencer stood with me, each placing their hands on my shoulders, offering the most support they can. I followed Emberly through the doorway.
Emberly opened another doorway within that room. Calling it a door was generous. It seemed like a giant hole cut out of the wall and shifted to the side. Emberly gestured to me to follow her through the hole .
The smell in this passageway once we left the room was moist, slightly mildewy, like this space was rarely used. The cobwebs and fine layer of dirt on the floor further hinted at that fact.
We walked down a set of stairs, lit only by a torch that Emberly had picked up. As we came to a twist in the stairs, I looked up to see Juniper use her wind magic to pull the boulder closed and light up her own torch. I had a horrible feeling about this, but it’s too late to back out now.
‘ We got this, Lyla .’ Spencer’s voice was such a comfort to hear inside my head. Not like that other one. That voice felt so violating.
We reached a chamber, mostly empty. The room seemed to be carved out of a cave, with a solid stone floor turning to stone walls slanting into a ceiling. The only thing in the room was a boxy stone in the middle, that seemed to serve as some type of table.
“Where are we?” I asked.
“Not yet,” Emberly chided. She pointed to Juniper, who was rolling a thick stone disc to cover the doorway. The two of them then joined hands and chanted a spell. As they chanted, a glimmering wind swirled around the room up to the peak in the ceiling and then fell to the stone table.
Once the shimmering stopped, Juniper finally spoke. “This space was carved before the Great War and was used to facilitate conversations without mind intrusions. There are ways to block people from your mind, but it takes time to learn.”
A sob escaped from me, before I even knew I was reacting. Amyra reached out to hug me, and Spencer held his hand on my back. After a moment, I gathered myself together. “Uh, thank you. His voice was so intrusive, I felt so violated.”
Emberly nodded, a look of compassion and comfort crossing her face. “Can you describe what he sounded like? Any details?”
I recounted the words said, the echoey, surreal sound of the voice, the unease it created .
“If I ever find him, he’s dead.” Spencer clenched his fist and clenched his jaw.
“Easy, killer,” Emberly teased. “The sounds she described are reminiscent of one person described in our books. If it is, then we might have just found the answers we have been searching for, and it’s not good news.”
Juniper spoke up. “Do you remember, when I told you I needed to call the Priestesses here for help, that I mentioned a fairy tale that fit Egan’s powers, that evil incarnate wielded the power to fight the Gods?”
Spencer and I nodded, but Amyra looked confused.
Juniper quickly provided the fairy tale with a bit more detail.
“We teach this tale to explain to our children why magic left our realm. In it, a single entity, evil incarnate, walked this land and fought the Gods for full control of the land. The fairy tale says that the Gods banished him, sending him to an eternal prison, and removing all power from the land until people could again be trusted with it. We recite the story as if the entity is a person, but our researchers have found a potential source for the fairy tale. In that source, the entity is a lost God. The God of Death.”
“We don’t have a God of Death, though?” Spencer asked, confused.
Juniper smiled. “Not anymore. That used to be one of our gods. He led men in the Great War, to create inequalities in the realm, because inequalities mean more death. He was supposed to be sent to a prison he couldn’t escape, to live out his punishment until the prophecy could be fulfilled.”
“So, we are supposed to have eight gods and goddesses?” I asked.
Emberly shook her head. “No, nine. The prophecy foretells of the ninth Goddess coming to life.”
“And you’re telling me that the God of Death is talking to me in my mind?”
Juniper and Emberly exchanged a glance, then both nodded. “It might be. And if that’s who it is, then we need to teach you how to block people from your mind, to protect yourself. As long as he can access your mind, you simply aren’t safe. He can find you and send anyone he wants after you.”
“Is he the one who wants me dead?” I was afraid of the answer. I didn’t want to hear it said out loud. Why did I say that?
Spencer pulled me in for a hug. He must have heard my thoughts spiraling.
“Most likely.”
“Shouldn’t everyone in that meeting learn how to block him out of our minds?” Amyra asked. “I don’t want him in mine.” I reached over and pulled her into this hug Spencer started.
Emberly nodded. “Yes, I can work with all three of you to learn that. Spencer already has had some lessons, but he needs more. Spencer, I’ll need your help too.
Once you’re able to do it, I’ll need to use you to teach others.
We test their skills by trying to penetrate.
Unfortunately, you and I are the only two here that have that gift.
It’s too late in the season to bring more priestesses down. ”
I felt Spencer nod, his chin brushing the top of my head. “Yes, of course.”
“We need to postpone the next tournament event until everyone that will be in the room can guard their minds. Egan will benefit from reading minds. He probably already knows what Father has planned, and that he’s going to lose this tournament if Spencer is alive.
” My thoughts just ran straight out of my mouth without filtering.
“Maybe this is enough information that we can imprison Egan and cancel the tournament. Even if it starts a diplomatic nightmare, we need to consider the threat Egan poses if he can channel power through a God.” Amyra offered.
The five of us stood in a semi-circle, mulling over her words.
Finally, I spoke. “I need to meet with Father, and the General of the Army, and prepare for this. ”
Everyone nodded. “Can we use this chamber, Juniper?” I ask.
“Princess, all my rooms are yours to use. I will ask the researchers at the Temple to see if they can find a warding spell for your personal chambers, so that you can feel safe there.”