The horrible truth hung between them, growing darker and more heinous with each new breath.
Amryn spoke the words neither man seemed capable of forming. “They hurt them.”
“Yes,” Felinus confirmed.
A dark tension rose in Carver, accompanied by a cold dread that made Amryn’s stomach roll. But just as suddenly as those emotions had arisen, he shoved them ruthlessly down.
She didn’t know how he did that. How he shielded himself so completely.
“The younger knights don’t know,” Felinus said, his voice quiet. “When I learned the truth . . .” His hands rolled to fists on his knees, and he finally looked at Amryn. His sorrow, grief, and guilt slammed into her. He had already told her he’d left the Order when he realized how monstrous they could be, but he still said, “I could not condone anything I saw in the highest parts of the Tower. The tortures are beyond cruel, and the knights who hurt the empaths are more than sadistic. They torture them for information—to get them to betray other empaths—but they also torture them as a form of experimentation.”
Revulsion twisted inside Amryn, making her stomach swirl with nausea.
Carver cursed, low and harsh. The maelstrom of emotions he felt nearly overwhelmed her. “The emperor wouldn’t condone such a thing,” he said through his teeth. “He must not know what they’re doing.”
“I’m sure he doesn’t know the details,” Felinus agreed. “The Order doesn’t answer to him, but to the Holy Superior, Highest Cleric Jeremiah. Everything is done under his direction.” The skin around his eyes tightened. “My point is, if the knights found the bloodstone, they would have empaths who could wield it. Empaths who are so broken down, they would be perfect vessels for the knights to control.”
Bile rose up Amryn’s throat. She had known the knights were killers, but this cruelty was unfathomable. Tears stung her eyes as she thought about those poor souls and what they suffered at the hands of the knights. She knew of the Dark Tower in Daersen; it was located near the headquarters of the church. The stronghold of the knights was supposed to be made of the blackest stone. It was where the knights lived and trained. The knowledge that empaths were kept there—torturedthere—was horrific. Evil.
“The bloodstone must not fall into their hands,” Felinus said firmly. “Instinct tells me the bloodstone is so evil, it cannot fall into the hands ofanyonewith the ability to wield it.” He eyed Amryn. “Not even you should possess it. Not even to keep it safe.”
Another throb from the hidden bloodstone made Amryn stiffen. She’d known the stone was alive, at least in some sense. It had awakened, after all. Spoken to her. But was the bloodstone actually reacting to their spoken words, or was it somehow tied to Amryn’s thoughts and fears?
She supposed it didn’t matter in the end. She knew without a doubt the bloodstone was dangerous. Just as she knew she was somehow tied to it—even though she didn’t want to be. The thought of using it again frightened her. But the prospect of losing it . . .
Her very being revolted against the idea. And that was terrifying.
She swallowed hard. “You’re right,” she said softly. “I shouldn’t be the bloodstone’s keeper.”
Carver’s thumb slid gently along hers, the softness of that motion at odds with the tightness in his voice as he said, “Agreed.” His eyes narrowed on Felinus. “If you don’t want us to hide it, and you refuse to take it, what exactly are we supposed to do with it?”
“For now, you are in the best position to act as its caretaker.”
“Me?”
“Yes,” Felinus said, calm in the face of Carver’s incredulity. “You can safeguard the bloodstone better than anyone else. Your reputation alone might keep it hidden, as no one would suspect you had such a dangerous relic in your possession. And if it is discovered, you have the skills to defend against any who would try to take it from you.”
Amryn knew Carver didn’t like it, but he eventually grunted. “Fine. I’ll guard the cursed thing.”
“Good,” the old cleric said. “Meanwhile, I’ll scour Esperance’s vast library for any information regarding the bloodstones. Hopefully, I can learn how to destroy one.”
“I may have something that can help,” Amryn said. “When I was going through Murdon Savin’s things in the archives, I found a journal that belonged to Saul Von. It’s been heavily studied by Savin. His notes tried to make sense of Von’s writings, but everything is rather chaotic.”
Interest sparked in Felinus. “May I see the journal?”
Amryn reluctantly pulled away from Carver so she could retrieve the book from the other room. She felt the tension rise between the two men as she left, so she hurried to return.
She placed the pocket-sized volume in Felinus’s hands, her own palms still feeling the ghost of the worn leather cover. She reclaimed her seat beside Carver, her hands clasped together as she leaned forward. “I’ve read most of it, but I haven’t been able to make much sense of it. Perhaps you can.”
Felinus lifted the scuffed cover and studied the first page.
Amryn knew what he’d see, written in what she assumed was Murdon Savin’s hand:Taken from Saul Von. May shed light on the search for bloodstones.
She’d also memorized what was written on the first page in a different hand:My name is Saul Von, and this will be the record of my quest to find the five bloodstones. I must locate them before anyone else, and I must find a way to destroy them, or all of us are doomed.
That opening statement was the most coherent entry she’d seen in the journal, which quickly devolved into disjointed ramblings. Some thoughts read like fragmented lines of poetry, while others simply felt unfinished. There were a few drawings as well, though they made as little sense as the words. They might have been symbols or even roughly drawn maps, but with no landmarks, they wereuseless. Throughout the book, there were notations made by Savin, but those felt just as fragmented—or they echoed Amryn’s own confusion at Von’s words.
Felinus flipped through a few pages, his brow knitting tightly. “It is certainly chaotic, as you said. But there may be something important written within. After all, two men who were obsessed with the bloodstones have possessed this journal.” He closed the book and lifted his gaze. “I want to study this further, but since it’s not officially listed in Esperance’s library, I fear keeping it. Clerics have little privacy in our shared quarters; if it was discovered among my things, I could be reprimanded and lose access to the library. And the journal would no doubt be confiscated.” He handed the book back to Amryn. “Keep it safe. Study it if you can. When we meet again, we’ll discuss what we’ve both learned from our research.”
