Chapter 38 #2
She turned and swiped her knife across Aryel’s arm again, and he yelped in pain. Mother Creita stepped behind his chair, grabbing the collar of his shirt and holding her knife to his cheek.
Corinne pulled at her shackles, her magic flickering again.
“You see how freely he bleeds, mending so, so slowly?” Mother Creita asked, her voice breathy and awed, and Corinne nearly shuddered at the shift in her tone.
“We’re tasked with protecting nonmagic mortals, Corinne, and only those who deserve it.
They’re weak, fragile creatures, a few of them worthy of our protection, but none worthy of our hearts. ”
Watching her drag the knife across Aryel’s face as he gritted his teeth against a scream broke something in Corinne.
“Stop,” she said, her voice strained as she pulled at the chains.
“Denounce him and recommit yourself,” Mother Creita said.
“Corinne, don’t let them—” Aryel’s voice cut off in another cry as the High Priestess cut his face again, crossing the first slice in an upward motion.
“I said no talking,” Mother Creita hissed. She straightened and then sighed, and Aryel locked eyes with Corinne again as blood trickled down his face, his arm. “Ronna? Fetch our guest, please.”
Corinne and Aryel turned as Ronna approached the door, torchlight flickering across her face as she unlocked it. A familiar face appeared that made Corinne’s heart sink to her toes.
“Come, child,” Mother Creita said, beckoning.
With hands folded delicately in front of her dark green gown, Lana stepped forward into the dungeon chamber. Aryel looked perplexed, but Corinne knew why she was here. Snake.
“Hello, Corinne,” she said tightly, coming to stand before her. Not close enough for Corinne to reach her. Wise.
“Tell her what you told us, child,” Mother Creita said, her voice gentle.
Lana took a deep breath. “I met them a few days after the ball, and learned many things I hadn’t known before about being devoted to the Goddess.
I also learned how forbidden it is for a Lightguard to have any sort of romantic relationship.
I was worried about you after seeing Aryel’s advances toward you. ”
“Oh, fuck you, Lana,” Aryel said, and Mother Creita held a knife to his throat again.
Corinne held her breath as Lana continued.
“I told the Priestesses what I had seen,” Lana said, sniffing. Corinne wished she were a step closer so she could throttle her. “But it seemed nothing happened while they were here, and I thought perhaps I was mistaken, perhaps you hadn’t fallen for his act.”
Corinne’s eyes darted to Aryel again. His gaze was desperate, imploring as Mother Creita kept the knife firmly against his neck.
“But now it’s clear you have,” Lana said. “You were in his room that night of the attack, weren’t you?”
Corinne’s face flushed. How did she know that? No one had been around—
You all said he’d be alone.
“The assassin,” Corinne breathed, looking to Mother Creita, who gazed back at her with disdain. And the two before, and the cryptic note…. She looked to Lana again. “You helped them.”
“I used to sneak into his room often,” Lana said with a sigh.
“It was easy to share the best way to remain undetected.” She took a step closer, her smile rueful.
“I know Aryel, Corinne, perhaps better than most. He doesn’t care about you, he only cares about himself.
Once he’s tired of fucking you, he’ll toss you aside like the others. Like me.”
He just wants to keep himself safe. He doesn’t really care about you.
Corinne had let that voice convince her to mistrust herself too many times. After everything they’d been through these past weeks, after she’d seen Aryel risk his own safety for her, the thought was laughable.
“If I ever see you outside this dungeon,” Corinne said, her voice low, “I will do far worse than break your hand.”
Ire lit up Lana’s features, her demure facade disappearing. “Fine. Enjoy suffering for a worthless man.”
She turned on her heel, fists clenched. “Priestesses,” she said with a quick nod, and strode from the room.
“This is disappointing, Corinne,” Mother Creita said, but Corinne was more focused on the spark that had returned to Aryel’s eyes, even with that knife at his throat. “I’d truly hoped you would see the truth about him before tonight.”
“Why tonight?” Corinne asked, tensing.
Mother Creita’s face shifted into that horrible, pitying look she’d given Corinne after burning her.
“We only kept him alive this long to help prove to you that he isn’t who you think he is,” Mother Creita said. “We hoped to spare you pain, but perhaps pain is the only way you will learn. We offer his life to Helaera at sundown.”
Corinne’s lungs emptied, and Aryel paled.
“You will return to us one way or another,” Mother Creita said, her voice hard. “He will die in the name of the Goddess, and you will watch.”
Corinne’s magic burst to life. “No.”
“Ronna,” the High Priestess called, and Ronna approached Corinne quickly.
“No!” Corinne growled, firing a blast of light at the Priestess, who dodged easily given Corinne’s shackled hands.
She avoided Ronna’s attempts to grab her, even with the chains, until a terrible cry pierced the air. Her head whipped to Mother Creita, who had a glowing hand on Aryel’s arm, burning him.
“Stop!” The plea ripped out of her, joining Aryel’s cries. “Stop!”
“Then stop resisting!” Mother Creita called.
Corinne’s magic faded as she fell to her knees, and Mother Creita removed her hand from Aryel’s skin. His chest rose and fell rapidly, his face contorting in pain.
“Corinne,” he panted, but she didn’t hear if he said anything more as Ronna forced her into unconsciousness again.