Chapter 26
Ishould not have fallen asleep, but the group persuaded me to rest since we weren’t going to the Temple of the Moon until nightfall.
Tonight, the moon would be full—a key night of worship for the temple’s patrons and the most likely night for the Divine Council to attack.
My appearance was meant to draw forth more members, ideally those in the upper echelon who were masterminding the assault on Val’Naeris.
If all went according to plan, there would be blood to pay.
Sleep did nothing to bolster my confidence.
Instead, memories of too many lifetimes flashed before my eyes, voices echoing over one another.
Too many versions of me screaming, crying, and praying to a god who would never answer.
Because the benevolent god had never existed, only the monster who’d crawled his way inside of me, waiting for the right moment to devour the dutiful Saintess whole.
Saintess. The word felt like ash in my mouth now more than ever.
I had to hope these night terrors would not be permanent.
My body was already struggling to compensate for the all-consuming magical energy that had only grown stronger upon the return of my memories.
Simple tasks were more physically draining than they should have been.
And the sleepless nights were only making everything worse, painting my under-eyes with mottled purple and blue splotches and dizzying my mind.
I was fine. I just needed Zaelos out. That was all.
The moment Lorian announced our departure was a welcome reprieve from my thoughts. I cinched my leathers tight, threw on my boots, and tucked a dagger into my hip belt. I thought I was ready, but nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to walk into.
The path towards the city was a well-traveled road. We’d been hiding out close enough to the city center that it didn’t take long to reach the outskirts. It was an eerily quiet night, but I assumed most of the populous were preparing for the service at the Temple. I was wrong.
The smell hit me first—a nauseatingly rancid odor that was enough to make bile rise in my throat.
Coupled with the fire-smoke in the air, it was near impossible to breathe.
Heat permeated the air from the source of the flames off in the distance, licking at our skin as the sky sprinkled us with gray and black specks of ash.
Warning bells rang in my head. Run. That was the natural thing to do.
Run from whoever, whatever, had done this.
My legs didn’t agree with my mind. They pushed me forward towards the rising smoke until a small open-air temple made of wood and stone came into view, engulfed in flame.
Statues, paintings, and offerings littered the ground, shattered into pieces.
Sacrilege. The Divine Council had ravaged this holy place, leaving its worshipers with nothing to celebrate their faith.
I took another step, but Lorian’s hand flew up to stop me. He shook his hand, swallowing. “Don’t.”
Despite the warning, I followed his line of sight. I wished I hadn’t.
In the center of the temple was a small crumbled shrine, and around that a sea of blood.
Bodies of Elves, stripped of their robes, chained together, and brutalized beyond belief.
Skin flayed from their bodies, what little remained bubbling and oozing from the fire surrounding them.
Males, females, children. The bastards had spared no one.
I could only hope that they’d died of their injuries before the torture of being burned alive. There was no worse death….
I looked back at Lorian, his jaw tight with silent rage. He may have left Val’Naeris, but these were his people. “This—this is worse than the last attack. Much worse.”
Zorinna reached his side, brushing her hand against his in quiet comfort. “The royal family must not be aware of these attacks. The Prince would have told me.”
“Would he have?” Jyuri raised a brow.
“Now is not the time for your stupid rivalry,” she hissed.
“A rivalry implies there is any competition at all, darling.” Jyuri narrowed his eyes. “Let there be no doubt—I will not let these acts of fanaticism go unanswered.”
He stepped past all of us, frozen in shock, waving his hand through the air.
A cloud of frigid air flowed from his palm to the temple, dousing the flames at once.
Crystals of ice formed on the broken pillars as the ground below grew thick with a hardening layer of snow.
In the span of a breath, Jyuri had transformed the grim scene into something almost peaceful. Their suffering was over now.
“They aren’t recognizable, but their bodies are intact enough for burial.”
Kaelias moved to the front, signing, “I will do it. There was a cart back at the cabin. Let me take them to the undertaker, and then I will meet you at the temple.”
Lorian nodded.
Jyuri returned to our sides and Zorinna looked up at him, her chin wobbling with emotion she’d never let blatantly show. “Thank you, Jyuri.”
He did not give an answer, but his eyes stayed locked on hers until Lorian beckoned for us to continue.
We walked in silence through the outskirts of Val’Naeris, making our way to the south end.
The images of those Elves seared into the back of my mind, swallowing any other thoughts.
It was too vicious. Too familiar. The type of torturous murder the people from my village would have and had committed when anyone stepped out of line.
They weren’t so different from the Divine Council.
Two sides of the same corrupt coin, parading as something holy.
The memories had felt like a weight pressing down on my chest. Now, they felt like kindling.
Val’Naeris was nothing like it’d been just weeks ago when I’d visited with Luelle to acquire our dresses from Alessnae’s shop.
The city streets were bustling with life in the late evening, but there was a clear shadow cast upon its people.
Word of the attacks must have spread, regardless of the royal family’s attempts to thwart them.
There was a feeling of unease. Most people were in groups, scanning the crowd for some hidden danger.
A few shops had their windows boarded, while others were closed before the sun had fully set.
“The celebration of a full moon is usually much grander,” Zorinna explained, confirming my suspicions. “Most shops will stay open late, and locals will sell special drinks, pastries, and trinkets in the city center. There are often outside visitors, as well.”
“The people know,” Makatza said, fingering the pommel of her sword. “There is fear here.”
“Should we not encourage them to return to their homes?” I questioned. “They could be caught in the middle of our plan.”
Zorinna shook her head. “We can’t show our hand.
If the Council takes the bait, Lorian, Jyuri, and I will focus our efforts on evacuating the innocents.
Kaz and Makatza will serve as your guards.
If Kaelias returns in time, he will join them.
” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“And with any luck, Alandris, being the stubborn idiot he is, should be amongst your would-be attackers, planning to turn on them by himself. He will serve as an extra element of surprise, which should give us the upper hand. Should be quite the surprise for him, as well, seeing us there.”
I turned to Jyuri. “You’ve not heard from him since his last letter?”
“No.”
That made my stomach twist more than anything.
If he’d done something to reveal himself as a traitor too soon.
… No. I couldn’t allow myself to spiral down that baseless train of thought.
I needed to focus on surviving and killing every last twisted monster who’d hurt those innocent worshipers.
Needed to ensure that what they’d done could never happen again.
They wanted to find me so badly? I would make them regret it.
By the time we’d reached the Temple of the Moon, the sun had fully set, giving way to a blackened sky blanketed with stars and a moon nearly at its apex.
The temple itself was similar in structure to the one we’d passed coming in, though significantly grander.
It towered into the sky, giant pillars holding up a dome ceiling decorated with multicolored stained glass.
Vines crept over every piece of stone, staining the off-white a pale green.
A holy structure deeply entwined with nature.
It was beautiful, but it would soon be our battleground.
Stepping between the pillars, keeping to the shadows, I spotted a priestess at the far end of the room.
A silky lilac dress draped over her, and swirls of white ink painted every bit of her visible skin.
A sheer veil extended from the crown of flowers placed in her blond hair, covering her face from the onlookers seated in stone pews.
She addressed the crowd in Elvish, as they listened in concentrated silence to her tale.
Upon darkness walled we this land
Lost, we lamented, thus we turned
Our eyes towards the moon above
And upon our grief she did answer
Spilling her light upon our shores
A drink she partook from the sun
Bestowed upon her children below
Never they need fear the night anew
Upon her finish, she knelt and raised her arms to the sky above, tilting her head back to drink in the moonlight.
Those in the pews followed her lead, letting the light that soaked through the stained glass dance across their features in rippling waves.
The beauty of the ceremony left me stunned.
I’d only known the gods and their worshipers to have claws and teeth.
This was different. A brush of fingertips, soft and delicate.
The crowd rose to their feet as the moon reached its peak in the sky. My cue.
I walked down the carpet in the center of the pews, pulling back the hood of my pitch black cloak. My white hair spilled out behind me as I ripped the fabric from my shoulders, tossing it to the ground. I let my magic swirl around my fingers, up my arms, and into the surrounding air.
Here I am. Take me.
The pews erupted in murmurs of confusion, but my eyes remained fixed on the tree line beyond the priestess. The only place to hide. Where the moon’s light failed to touch. I could almost feel their eyes on me. Questioning. Waiting.
It’s me. Your monster.
I let the shadows grow larger, wrapping my body in darkness. A familiar wet, metallic scent burned my nose. Finally, I’d received my answer. Bright blue runes formed circles around the room. More than I’d anticipated. Good. Let them come.
As the first circle closed, an arrow whizzed past my head, grazing my cheek.
“Get everyone out! NOW!”