Chapter 54
FIFTY-FOUR
T he crowd of participants dissipates after the high priestess's announcement. The other priestesses lead the girls out, until only Wyn and I are left behind. Two priestesses dressed in black appear at our backs, urging us to follow the Head Priestess as she heads for the entrance of the temple at the base of the mountain.
Wyn and I cling to each other, both worried and confused about what's happening.
"No one knows I'm here, Luce. What if she does something to us?" She bites her lip apprehensively.
"Azerius knows. He will not let anything happen to us," I assure her, though I don't know where that confidence comes from, especially as Ze is not answering any of my attempts at communication. Why did he even want access to my mind if he's not going to use it?
" Ze? I am in a little pickle here and I would appreciate it if you answered me," I call out to him again. Nothing but silence greets me. Damn it!
"I wish I had your confidence, Luce, but I don't think the high priestess likes me."
"I'm not sure she likes me either," I murmur, remembering the way she regarded me in the locker room.
"What if she kills us? What if she hides our bodies and we're never found again? I'm not ready to die!" she adds, getting increasingly anxious.
"You got red. I got nothing. At least you should be able to fight her off."
"It doesn't work like that," she whispers, her expression stricken. "I don't know how to use my powers. I haven't trained yet. It's only been a few days since my first ability manifested. I am just as useless as you are." She sighs.
"But...you're red..." I blink.
"I might have the spiritual power, but it's moot if I have no idea how to use it."
"Good Lord, what did we get ourselves into?" I close my eyes, the severity of the situation slowly dawning on me.
"It's the first time I've heard of a recruitment day being canceled," she adds warily. "I'm really not sure what's going to happen to us once we enter the temple."
"We can't go back either," I say as I glance behind us where more priestesses form a line, preventing us from leaving.
A few more steps and we reach the base of the mountain where two massive oak doors open before us. The Head Priestess steps inside, but as we reach the threshold, both Wyn and I hesitate.
"Move," the priestesses command us from behind, more or less pushing us over the edge.
We both stumble inside, our eyes widening as we take in the high ceiling of the hallway. The temple is built within the mountain, and the walls reflect that, rocks with specks of gold surrounding us. The streaks of metal in the stone glint as light from a window roof hits them, giving the sensation that the air shimmers with particles of gold too.
The priestesses stop at the entrance, not coming inside. As we look back, the doors close shut with a bang, leaving us alone with the high priestess, who is currently nowhere to be seen.
"We are so dead," Wyn mutters. "If she doesn't kill us, my parents will finish the job since there's no way they won't hear of this."
"Calm down. Maybe she just wants to talk to us... I mean, she did say she's never seen a red candidate before, and I technically broke the sphere, although that was just an accident."
"I bet you she doesn't think it was just an accident," she adds dryly.
We walk with our arms linked together, huddled against each other as we try to keep our calm.
Toward the back of the room, there's a ceiling-high golden statue of the same woman from the fountain, but this one is more exquisitely crafted, her hair and clothing made up of sparkling diamonds and rubies. There's a striking mix of rustic and ostentatious, the stones providing an almost medieval feel while the precious stones speak to the affluence of the temple.
We're both staring at the beautiful statue when a loud noise shifts our attention to the side of the room where a giant boulder slides to the right to reveal a hidden entrance.
"Come in." The high priestess's voice resounds, though she's not physically present.
Wyn and I share a look. I know we're both thinking about the same thing. We could take our chances and try to escape, but it would likely engender a struggle that would only end up with us getting hurt. The only option is to move forward. Nodding at each other, we hold hands as we slowly make our way to the hidden entrance.
It's dark and cold. That's the first impression as we step into the cramped tunnel. The moment we are out of the main hallway, though, the stone slides back into place, a loud thud denoting there's no way back. We can only go forward.
There's a flickering light at the end of the tunnel, and we take careful, tentative steps as we head toward it. Once we reach the room, we both shield our eyes at the sudden burst of light.
"Wow," Wyn whispers.
There are rows upon rows of books on either side of the room. Every nook and cranny of the mountainous rock has been fashioned into a shelf, while in the back, built on a bed of stones, is a bed. The more I look around, the more I realize that this is an inhabited space. Most likely...
"Welcome to my humble abode," the high priestess speaks, appearing out of nowhere to the right. She rests her palms against a wooden table, regarding us intently with those unusual eyes of hers.
"Uhm." I clear my throat. "Why are we here?"
"Why indeed." She smiles, turning her gaze to Wyn. "Who are your parents?"
"The Duke and Duchess of Sigmore," Wyn murmurs in a low voice, tightening her grip on my arm.
Her brows go up in surprise.
"I have not heard anything about Sigmore having a prodigy on his hands," she comments. "In fact, rumors have been swirling for years about his mediocre daughter, diametrically opposed to his son, a celebrated General of Aperion."
"My sister is not mediocre," Wyn bursts out.
The high priestess tilts her head to the side.
"It is rather unusual, is it not? Neither the duke nor his duchess has ever been particularly accomplished, yet two of their children are decidedly... too accomplished. Cerenios I could understand, he is the firstborn. But you? You are the youngest, are you not, and the thirdborn?"
Wyn doesn't reply, her lips trembling as she glares mutinously at the priestess.
"I have not encountered a red-level recruit before, never mind one so young, so you will have to excuse my skepticism," she murmurs as she manifests another sphere. "Please touch it again." She inclines her head toward Wyn as the sphere floats to her.
Gulping down her apprehension, Wyn drops her arm from my side, opening her palms to receive the white sphere. Like before, when the particles bind to her spiritual power, the color becomes deeper and deeper until there's only a bright red emanating from the sphere.
"Sensational," the priestess declares in awe, her eyes glued to the deep red of the sphere. "You are, indeed, a prodigy. Have you manifested any abilities yet?"
Wyn tentatively nods. "One," she answers.
"What is it?" the priestess asks eagerly, taking a step forward.
"I can manipulate matter, like my family, but I am not very good at it..."
"Show me," the priestess demands, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Wyn glances at me as she nibbles on her lower lip.
She presses her fingers against the sphere, and the light intensifies, the shape changing to an elongated lasso that bounces to the ground. Yet the moment it's out of her grasp, the red becomes white again, though still maintaining its new shape.
The high priestess nods. "Is that all?"
"Erm... Yes. I have not trained yet."
"I see. It is a good thing you are here then, for I shall train you."
"What do you mean?" Wyn blinks in surprise.
"I am accepting you as my new apprentice. Congratulations. The position starts in two weeks from now with an orientation led by my adjunct. You will have until then to say goodbye to your old life before you take your vow."
"Just like...that?" Wyn asks. "But you said everyone would have a fair chance and?—"
The priestess's gaze snaps to her.
"Ultimately, I decide who will join the temple, and my followers trust that decision. There is raw power in you, young girl. So much you probably have no idea what to do with it, and I doubt the teachers at the academy would know either, since you likely outpower them all. You need a teacher worthy of your abilities. You need me ."
"I..." Wyn stammers. "I would love to accept your offer, but I would not feel right depriving everyone else of a chance..."
"Nonsense," the high priestess scoffs. "You will join me two weeks from now at the temple. This is nonnegotiable. Is that clear?"
Wyn blinks, sneaking a glance at me as she fidgets with her fingers. I give her a comforting smile.
"Yes." She nods, though she doesn't seem very sure of her answer despite having been so determined to become a priestess just a few hours ago.
"Good. You are excused now," the high priestess intones as the boulder slides out of place to reveal the exit. We both turn to leave. "Not you." She points to me. "You are staying."
"But—"
"Arwyn, you are dismissed," she repeats, giving a harsh look at Wyn.
"It's okay," I whisper to her. "I'll be fine."
"Will you..." She bites her lip.
I'm not sure, but for her sake, I muster a smile.
"Of course. I'll see you later."
Wyn hovers around the exit for a few moments, reluctant to leave me alone. But one more warning from the high priestess and she eventually departs. When she's out of sight, the boulder slides back into place, camouflaging with the environment and sealing shut the room.
The entire room falls silent as the priestess stares at me in puzzlement.
"Who are you?" she asks as she slowly comes closer to me.
"Uhm, no one?"
She narrows her eyes at me.
"Your tattoos," she mentions as she circles me. "Who sent you?"
"W-what? I don't know what you're talking about."
"I have ways to make you talk. Do not test me."
"I really have no idea what you want from me. If it's about that sphere, I'm sorry. It was just an accident. I didn't mean to break it. I would offer to pay, but I see you have more of the same, so..." I mumble awkwardly.
"An accident?" She laughs. "That sphere is unbreakable. Not even I can break it."
My lashes flutter as I take a step back.
"Maybe that was a poor quality one?" I supply. "Oh, maybe it was a fake one!"
"Nonsense," she bellows. Stopping in front of me, her hand suddenly shoots out as she tears the top of my dress, revealing the marks scattered across my collarbone. "You mean to tell me you do not know what these are?"
"No, I swear I—" I put my arms up to defend myself as I take a step back.
"You don't know what this is either?" She screws up her face in disbelief, manifesting my pearl bracelet in her hand.
"Fashion jewelry?" I force a smile.
"Stop lying!"
"I am not," I protest.
"Maybe I could have overlooked those writings on your skin or this odd talisman that simmers with energy, but you broke an Elegian Sphere. You not only destroyed it, but you did something to the particles inside of it..." She grits her teeth, the red paint surrounding her eyes infiltrating her irises.
"I..." My pulse roars in my ears at the terrifying picture she strikes. Seconds go by and she looks increasingly less humanoid and more like a blood-thirsty monster—who is coincidentally out for my blood.
"What the hell, Ze? How could you send me to this crazy lady?"
"I will ask again. Who are you? Or better yet, what are you?" she demands, the ground shaking with each syllable she utters.
"You have the wrong person, lady. I really don't know about the marks on my skin. I've had them for years. And I have no idea why the bracelet would reek of demon. I have it from a mermaid," I explain, omitting some information, but still telling her the truth. "As for the Elegian Sphere or whatever, how could I break it when I'm just a human?" I end up confessing. This should be the easiest way to get rid of her. If she realizes I'm just a human—although I don't know how she didn't sense it before—maybe she will finally leave me alone.
She stares at me for a moment before she doubles over in laughter, the sound of her voice hitting the stones and causing the echo to reverberate in the entire cave-like structure.
"Human? Did you say human?" She cackles, a dry, sharp laughter that lacks any trace of amusement. "No human could bear to touch the sphere, let alone destroy it."
Her expression sobers.
"Stop. Lying. To. Me," she shrieks. Her hair breaks loose of that tight bun it was confined to, tendrils of it slithering in the air like Medusa's serpents.
"I'm not lying," I whisper meekly.
My eyes widen with shock, and my heart pounds in fear as I watch those tendrils coil around and move as if they have a life of their own. She takes a step forward. I take a step back.
I am cognizant I have nowhere to run. She has control of the exit, and at present she does not seem in the least inclined to let me go. Good Lord!
"Where the hell are you, Ze? Why did you need access to my mind if you can't be bothered to answer when I call?"
My legs tremble and I can barely keep myself upright. Far from the severe but distinguished priestess from before, she now looks like a raging witch ready to commit murder. Are priestesses even allowed to kill people? Or humans? I'm not sure I want to find out, though.
"Did a son of Tenebreis send you? You are not a demon from what I can tell," she says as she comes closer to sniff me. "But only someone related to the Sons of Tenebreis would have the ancient writings of Tartareia etched onto the skin."
"What?" I whisper. "Ancient writings of Tartareia? What do you mean by that?"
She leans back, studying me with her shrewd gaze.
"You really don't know?"
I slowly shake my head, my lips trembling with fear.
"This," she says as she brings her nail against the dark etchings on my skin. "It's the ancient script of Tartareia. I may not be able to read it, but I've seen it before in old scriptures." She pauses. "No one outside of Tartareia would be able to decipher it, which begs the question... Why would you have it on your skin?"
"I don't know," I whisper. "I truly don't. I was told someone in Aperion might be able to give me more information..." I attempt to explain, but she has none of it.
"If that is true, why would you have this talisman, too?" she asks as she holds the pearl between two fingers. "I can sense the vile energy coming off it. It is so strong it's making me ill." She scrunches her nose in disgust.
"It was a gift, nothing more..."
She cuts me off as she presses her fingers tighter against the pearl. A loud cracking sound permeates the air as the pearl snaps under the weight of her force.
My mouth hangs open in shock as I watch bits and pieces of the pearl fall to the ground before the priestess flings the chain of the bracelet away from her. She glances down at the debris, scowling as she further steps on the bigger pieces with the tip of her shoe, effectively turning everything into dust.
"Hm." She frowns. "Maybe I was wrong," she muses to herself as she creates a cloud with her hands, lifting the dust off the ground and analyzing it in front of her. She must find no fault with it because as she snaps her fingers, the cloud dissipates, together with what was left of the pearl.
"Odd." She frowns. "Nevertheless, it does not erase the fact that you are suspicious. To break the Elegian Sphere... I must consult with the Psyche Supreme..." She speaks to herself, deep in thought. "You are coming with me to see her," she suddenly decrees.
If before I might have been afraid of her, seeing her destroy my property just like that snaps me out of my anxiety-ridden state. A hot, velvety rage envelops me as I stare at the broken chain of the bracelet, lying forlorn somewhere in the back. Tears stab at the back of my eyes as I move past her, getting to my knees to pick up the gold band. Ze might have given this to me with an ulterior motive, but he did forge it personally for me.
"You had no right," I mutter, a tear falling down my cheek. "That was mine ."
She raises a lazy brow at me, her lips trembling with amusement.
"I had no right? Who do you think you are?" She laughs at me.
My sight grows heavy as tears of anger stream down my cheeks. Without thinking it through, I run toward her, ready to tackle her. If I hadn't been so blinded by my rage, I would have realized I'd never be able to lay a blow against her considering the discrepancy in our powers. Before I can reach her, she smirks, throwing me in the air with the wave of a hand.