6. Chapter 6
Chapter 6
A few days later, I darted through the corridors, morning light sifting through the windows. Gods, why had Alissa let me oversleep? I was running late. Again . Hopefully, Klareth would be late too. From time to time, matters in the temple would call for her attention, and while she hated it, as high priestess, it couldn’t be helped if she was late occasionally.
Rounding a corner, I skidded to a stop before I ran face-first into Caelus.
“It seems your tardiness is becoming a habit, Eira,” he said.
“Sorry.” As much as I wanted to ask him about how he came to be Marus’s research assistant, I didn’t have time. That didn’t wholly stop me from taking one quick second to admire the way the sun lit his eyes to a lighter gray and the way his dark clothes, with their dark red–orange accents, clung to his muscular body. I forced myself to step around him.
A hand wrapped around my arm, pulling me to a gentle stop and sending a thrill along my bare skin. “Trying to run away again?” he asked.
I turned, face-to-face with him. “Late, not away.” It isn’t quite a lie, at least .
Caelus glanced up over my head, and I swiveled around to look in the same direction. A second later, the rustles of Klareth’s robes and the click of her heels against stone sounded. She stalked through the hall toward us, and I tried to pull away from Caelus to go to her, but he wouldn’t budge.
Klareth grabbed my other arm. Her fingers dug into my skin, her touch not giving the same heady thrill that Caelus’s had. Her face was neutral, but her angry red neck gave her away. She attempted to yank me along with her, but Caelus’s grip kept me in place.
My face heated.
Caelus glared at her, and his grip tightened but didn’t hurt.
Klareth narrowed her eyes at the sight of his hand on my other arm.
I looked between the two of them, and my face burned hotter. It was probably a bit selfish, but I didn’t want him to know how horrible she could be. I tugged the arm Caelus was holding. His eyes met mine, and I wasn’t sure what he saw in them, but he gave me a small nod and released me.
Klareth took the opportunity and pulled me along with her. I looked back and shot Caelus an apologetic half smile and shrugged. Klareth yanked my arm, forcing me to face forward, and I could feel his gaze piercing my back.
“And good day to you, too, high priestess,” he called.
Klareth remained silent on our trek through the temple to the secluded chamber that contained the grand statue of Ahrea. The chamber was for those who wished to seek her guidance in solitude. Beneath Ahrea’s statue was a hidden stairwell that led down to the Pools of Divinity—one of several allegedly divine pools of water across the kingdom.
With each step down into the sacred cavern, Klareth’s fingers tightened their hold, as if she hoped to brand my skin.
We reached the bottom of the stairs, and she released me, leaving red indents behind. Man-made steps that led down into the pool were several feet away. The water cast us and the rocky walls in a turquoise luminescence, but the shade made Klareth look sickly.
Her eyes narrowed on me. I remained still, body tense. She circled me for a moment, taking in every detail.
I’d gotten dressed in a rush, and my clothes weren’t the usual silk Klareth insisted on. She’d said because the gods deserve the opulence, but I found it to be a waste of otherwise fine fabric. I doubted the gods cared about the clothes I wore. But within the pool was considered the closest to the gods Divine could be.
“Strip,” the high priestess commanded.
Dumbfounded, I stared at her. I couldn’t have heard her right. “Here?”
“You certainly can’t go into the pool wearing those ratty clothes.”
I wanted to avoid a repeat of a few nights ago, so I removed my clothing, placing them neatly on a nearby rock, and waited for her next command while fighting the urge to cover my breasts.
“Step into the water. Meditate. Try to hear the gods for once.”
It was the same thing she always ordered, but I’d received nothing from the gods besides my gift. I stepped into the ever-warm water, and bubbles prickled against my skin. I made my way in until the water came just above my breasts.
She remained along the rocky edge of the pool. Never touching the water. Never stepping inside. The pool was a haven in that way.
Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath in, letting it slowly release through my mouth, and focused on the bubbles against my skin, letting my thoughts drift away.
I wasn’t sure how much time passed, with only the sound of water flowing into the pool from a small waterfall and the occasional drip from the stalactites echoing throughout the cavern.
Footsteps descended the stairs into the cavern. A moment later, Roan asked, “Anything?”
“Of course not. She’d be better off a whore than one chosen by the gods,” Klareth huffed.
Lightning tickled my fingertips, and I opened my eyes, facing the waterfall. No, no. Not now.
The heavy stare of Klareth and her husband bore into my back.
“And her ‘gift’ is as volatile as ever,” Roan murmured. His heavy footsteps receded up the stairs.
My shoulders tensed. I took another deep breath in and held it before releasing it. A calm mind kept the lightning at bay. I did my best to push Klareth’s comment away and out of my mind. I wasn’t sure how long had passed, but soon the ruffle of robes and clicking steps withdrew, leaving me alone.
Klareth’s comment rushed back in. Better off a whore . I’d never lived up to her expectations of a Divine. Perhaps she was right, but that wasn’t the life I’d been given. And when I didn’t live up to her expectations, she found gratification in my punishments.
I let out a sigh and ran my arm through the water. Is Caelus with Marus now? Marus’s foot would still be sore since I’d been interrupted while healing him. I smiled. They’d probably be arguing since Marus and pain did not mix well—not that a librarian often experienced many injuries.
My thoughts drifted to the sacred water. In history, the Divine came to the pool for guidance, but nothing ever came to me. The water was always warm and inviting, yet they never pushed me closer to the gods like Klareth wanted.
The high priestess wanted proof that I was connected to the gods—that I was truly Divine, as if my power wasn’t proof enough. She said it would be even better if I spoke with one directly, and demanded that I ask if the gods had abandoned us. Klareth refused to answer when I asked why. More than once, she’d punished me for questioning her. Marus believed her curiosity was because of the state of the realm, but I wasn’t so sure.
Even so, I tried, fruitless as it may be. My questions for the gods went further than what she wanted to know, though. Why had I ended up bound to her? Why wouldn’t they protect me from her punishments? How long would they let the High Houses continue to ignore the needs of the people?
Take heart. The wolf of the moon’s shadow is with you.
I stilled.
Careful not to disturb the water, I scanned the cavern. There wasn’t anyone there. “I must be hearing things now,” I murmured. The gods had never spoken before. Now wouldn’t be any different.
The sound of the waterfall filled the space, and one hour turned into two. Then three. Finally, Alissa retrieved me. She had a sleeveless gown in tow. I slipped it on and hurried out of the cavern. She asked if I had any news, and I shook my head. The gods didn’t care now, if they hadn’t in all these years.
My stomach grumbled thanks to a missed lunch and no pity from Alissa. I sat in an oversize armchair, legs tucked underneath me, in the small study I’d been given, waiting for Marus. Normally, he would already be present for my lessons on prophecies. Klareth thought it might help me connect with the gods. But he hadn’t arrived yet.
Peacebloom tea sat on the round table in front of me, floral notes wafting into the air, but it was too hot to be enjoyable. I leaned my head back against the chair and closed my heavy eyelids. While all I’d done was soak in the Pools of Divinity, waiting for an answer that wouldn’t come, exhaustion had still bored its way into my bones.
The door opened, causing the air to stir with citrus. I sat up, and Caelus walked in with a large stack of papers in his arms.
My eyes widened, and I flushed at the sight of him.
“Marus sent me.” He smirked, the look far too mischievous to be innocent. “Claimed his foot was killing him.” Caelus plopped down a tower of pages on the table between us. “He also told me to bring this,” he said, pulling out something wrapped in cloth.
I took it, the sweet scent of chocolate coming from within, and unwrapped it carefully. The decadent filling oozed out from the center. I wasted no time and picked it up, savoring the delicious and milky-smooth sweetness.
“You’re eating rather . . . voraciously,” he said, taking a seat on the small faded couch.
My cheeks burned, and I placed the remainder of the pastry back onto the cloth and wiped my mouth. “I missed lunch,” I said, wrapping the rest carefully.
He watched as if it were the most interesting thing he’d ever seen.
“How exactly are you helping Marus?” I asked.
He raised a brow. “From what little time I’ve spent with him, I thought you two were close.”
“We are.”
Caelus eyed me, but I couldn’t quite read his expression. “He placed a request to the king for a temporary assistant for help with researching and learning to use runes.”
An icy chill filled my veins at the mention of runes, and my hand went to my wrist to fight it, rubbing the smooth skin. Klareth employed runes as her favorite method of punishment.
His annoyingly perceptive eyes flicked to the hand on my wrist. “The request claimed it was to help the Divine in Dusmir. Far be it from the king to deny a request involving the Tempest.”
I forced my hand from my wrist and onto the armrest. “So, are you an expert on them?”
“It’s a subject I’ve researched for Prince Alpheus.”
My eyes widened. “You know the prince?”
He sighed and his gaze fell to my messy oak desk. “The prince would likely call the two of us friends, but I never know what he’s thinking.” Before I could ask more about their relationship, he said, “But runes require a soft and elegant touch. I’m sure you’re familiar.” He winked at me.
My face flushed, burning away the chill from before.
Caelus’s lips twitched up, but he didn’t give me a chance to ask what that meant. “The Tempest is often associated with trials that bring about great change. Why are you cloistered to the temple, Eira ?”
The way he said my name caught me off guard. His mouth took its time forming the word, as if he savored it. He’d said it with such care and thoughtfulness.
My mouth wouldn’t form words. Not that there was a good answer to that question. Certainly not an easy one.
Having Klareth bonded as my pseudo- tenebrae kept me here, but it wasn’t common knowledge. A Divine’s tenebrae was a protector. They were rare, another gift from the gods. The bond she’d forced on me was from a ritual—unlike a true tenebrae bond — and protected her more than me.
“My Divine ‘gift’ came later in my life than what’s typical,” I said finally. “At least, so says Marus. For now, it seems best to keep away from crowds.” My cheeks reddened at the accidental admission of my fear and the half-truth.
He stood. “Fearing your power only gives it control over you. Claim it.”
I glanced at the door beyond him, not ready for him to leave. “Do you struggle with the power from esprit?”
He smirked. “I used to.” He pushed one of the pages toward me. “This prophecy is a favorite in Ryseer. Some believe it has already come and gone. I’ve always found it intriguing.”
I looked at the recorded prophecy. It was from five hundred years ago. How could it not have passed already?
I glanced up to ask Caelus, but he was already gone. All that remained was the faint waft of citrus. I hadn’t heard him leave.
I turned my attention back to the slip of paper. It was a handful of lines that meant . . . nothing.
Jaded and lost, seeking gold.
Full of Abyssal ire and seeking dominion. Dreams of the unknown follow.
Nations fall in flame without resolve.
To quell it, one must strike stone and restore the balance of harmony and chaos.
Only with fortune’s favor, dawn’s light, and the moon’s shadow could all be saved.
I frowned, thinking back to all my history lessons.
Before the current kingdom, the nation fell and was rebuilt by King Calbert after he’d slain Efrain and united the continent under one kingdom. It had been on the dawn of the summer solstice. Efrain’s mind had given way to madness—many thought through influence from the Abyss. He’d lost himself to it and only cared about gaining power. The prophecy fit. Did people think that it referred to something else? Something that was to come?
I read the prophecy over and over until I had it memorized.
Teeg found me when it was time for dinner, and he dragged me along with him to the dining hall to sit with him and Tryssa.