Chapter Ten
“No.” Lauriana’s feet began to move of their own volition, backing away from the men in their bloodred robes.
“Father Bellamy heard of your daughter’s betrothal to the Tairen Soul,” the archbishop said. “He came here to Celieria City as soon as he received the news. He says her name is not unfamiliar to his Order.”
Lauriana’s frightened gaze darted from one priest to the other. “I—” Her throat tightened, choking off her voice. Her knees went weak, and she reached out to grab the wall for support.
“Here, come have a seat before you fall.” The archbishop put a supporting arm around her and led her to one of the empty wooden chairs.
He pulled up a second, sat beside her, and patted her hand with a gentleness she hadn’t known he possessed.
“This isn’t an interrogation, and I didn’t bring you down here to cast blame or frighten you.
You came to me for help, and I’d like to provide it, if I can.
But first, I need to know what happened in Hartslea all those years ago.
” He bent forward, his blue eyes solemn, sincere, free of even the slightest hint of reproach.
“Is it true your daughter was diagnosed as demon-possessed when she was a child?”
Lauriana swallowed hard and nodded. “Yes.” She forced herself to speak, telling him about the seizures and the doctors’ eventual diagnosis.
“So you sought assistance from the Order.”
She closed her eyes briefly in pained remembrance and nodded.
It had been the hardest decision of her life.
“I did. Sol didn’t want me to, but I insisted.
They came to our house with their prayer books and needles.
. . . It was awful, what they did to her.
She screamed and screamed.” She could still see little Ellie’s face contorted in agony, hear her shrieking and crying out for her mama and papa to save her, to make the pain go away.
“I know the rites can seem brutal,” Father Bellamy said softly, “but they are necessary. Demons do not easily release their prey.”
“But the exorcism wasn’t completed,” Greatfather Tivrest prompted.
She shook her head. “Sol couldn’t bear it. He stopped it and threw the priests out. We left Hartslea. We prayed and prayed, and eventually the episodes stopped on their own.”
“Did they?”
She couldn’t hold his too-knowing gaze. “For the most part. It’s been more than five years since she last had a seizure. She only gets an occasional nightmare now and again—at least until the Tairen Soul came to town.”
“Her nightmares have increased?” Father Nivane asked suddenly.
She cast a wary glance his way. “Yes.”
He exchanged glances with Father Bellamy.
The older priest nodded. “Madame Baristani,” Father Bellamy said gently, “once a demon claims a soul, it does not leave until it’s driven out.
It may lie dormant for a while, but it is still there.
” He laid a hand on her shoulder. “You must authorize the completion of the exorcism.”
She lurched back, yanking her hand from the archbishop’s, then leapt to her feet and turned to face them. “No.” Her heart pounded against her ribs, and her lungs felt starved of breath. She began to back away, towards the stairs.
“My dear lady, your concern and deep love for your daughter is obvious. And it is obvious that your own love and dedication to the Bright Lord has been of invaluable assistance in keeping her on the Bright Path, but you cannot abandon her now, in her time of deepest need.”
“You don’t understand. My husband made me swear on the Book of Light that I would never turn Ellie back over to the exorcists. I can’t betray my solemn oath.”
“The Bright Lord would never ask you to keep an oath to surrender your child to evil,” the archbishop replied. “Your husband was wrong to demand you make such a vow. I grant you dispensation to do the right thing.”
Lauriana shook her head with frantic emphasis.
“Sol would never forgive me. It would destroy our family.” Mild-mannered and loving though he was, Sol had a spine of tempered steel and an unswerving sense of honor and loyalty.
He could forgive many things, but not a personal betrayal of the sort they were proposing.
“Even if Sol did understand, the Fey wouldn’t.
They’d kill anyone who touched her. The Tairen Soul won’t even let the queen’s Master of Graces hold her hand in dance lessons, for the Haven’s sake!
They’d slaughter us all . . . these exorcists .
. . you . . . me . . . maybe even my entire family.
” She ran trembling fingers through her hair.
“No, it’s madness even to contemplate such a thing. ”
“Madame Baristani,” Father Nivane interjected, “would you change your mind if you knew we could conduct the exorcism without anyone knowing it ever happened?”
“How on earth could you promise that? She shares a bond with the Tairen Soul. He . . . senses things. And all the Fey can read minds. They’d know the instant you touched her.”
“No, they wouldn’t.” Eagerness lit the younger priest’s pale eyes. “We recently discovered a forgotten text in the Church archives that proves we can conduct the exorcism without the Fey’s knowledge. They could be standing right outside the door and not sense it.”
“Most victims of demon possession have no memory of the exorcism once it is complete,” Father Bellamy added. “The Fey would never know. Your family would be safe.”
The archbishop stood, adding his voice to theirs. “Madame Baristani . . . daughter . . . I know this is a difficult decision, but it’s the right thing to do for your child.”
She backed away, shaking her head. It was too dangerous.
No matter what they said, she didn’t dare risk it.
“I appreciate your concern, Greatfather—more than you’ll ever know—and I know I was the one to come to you asking for help, but this isn’t the help I was looking for.
I was hoping you could simply convince the king to dissolve the betrothal.
Once I can get her away from the Fey, things will go back to normal and she’ll be fine. ”
“There’s no possible way I could break your daughter’s betrothal.
Not only was it decided by the Supreme Council, but between the king and the Tairen Soul, they’ve made it a matter of state.
Even if I had such authority—which I don’t—haven’t you been listening to Father Bellamy?
Your daughter isn’t fine, and never will be until the exorcism is complete. ”
“And I’ve told you I can’t authorize an exorcism. I just can’t.” Lauriana turned and rushed towards the stairs, but before she could set foot on the first step, a hand caught her wrist in a steely grip. Father Nivane held her fast.
“Think of your daughter, woman. Think of her soul. How can you make such a self-serving, cowardly decision and call yourself her beacon?”
“Nivane!” Father Bellamy rapped out. “You forget yourself. Unhand Madame Baristani at once.” Turning a conciliatory face to Lauriana, the chief exorcist approached, hands outstretched in a gesture of peace and entreaty.
“Madam, forgive my young Brother. He has long fought the agents of the Dark, and such work requires a certain fervor. It is easy, sometimes, to forget that others are not so acquainted with the perils of evil as we.”
She pressed back against the wall. The stone felt icy against her skin. “I know what evil is, Father, believe me.”
He searched her eyes and nodded. “I do believe you, daughter. I can see in your eyes that you have confronted it before.” Sorrow and compassion lay in his, and the simple kindness she saw made her start to weep.
He obviously regretted what he was asking her to do, and knew how difficult a decision it was.
“We cannot force you to do this, but will you at least promise to consider it? You can give us your answer tomorrow.”
“I—”
“You cannot stop her marriage,” he added, “but you can save her soul. And isn’t that what you’ve wanted all along?”
Lauriana nodded, tears trickling from her eyes. “Yes.”
“You’ve been a good mother to her, and an exceptional beacon. Without you, she no doubt would have been lost long ago. For her sake, will you promise to consider our request?”
Nivane bowed, his expression penitent. “Forgive my outburst, Madame Baristani. It was unbefitting my vocation. I want only the best for your daughter. Here, please, take this.” He removed a golden pendant from around his neck and held it out to her.
The pendant was a golden sun, set with an amber crystal.
“It’s a charm, blessed by some of the Brothers of the Order to ward against magic.
I know the Fey have surrounded your home.
This will help protect you and your thoughts against them. ”
Bellamy laid a hand of thanks on Nivane’s shoulder.
“Madame Baristani, if you still wish to refuse tomorrow morning, simply send the charm back to Greatfather Tivrest here at the cathedral. We will know you have declined our offer, and we will depart with no one the wiser. Neither your family nor the Fey will know we approached you.”
Lauriana reached out slowly and took the pendant from Nivane. The metal felt warm to the touch. “I will consider everything you’ve said, and give you my answer in the morning.”
In his room at the Inn of the Blue Pony, Kolis Manza smiled with satisfaction as he sensed the amber crystal change hands from Nivane to the Feyreisa’s mother.
The Feraz witchspell anchored to the stone didn’t suppress thoughts but rather siphoned off the loudest of them and channeled them to the receptor crystal Kolis wore around his neck.
Short of a deliberate Spirit assault on Lauriana Baristani’s mind, the Fey would not be able to hear her thoughts, while Kolis, on the other hand, sat like a little fly on the periphery, hearing everything louder than a whisper.