I swear to you, if you give me the strength to live through this, I will not give up. I will not run away. I will end their reign. I will bring Pendralia to its knees.
It’s time for this empire to fall.
I feel Caiden take my hand, but I’m not present in this moment with him. I’m elsewhere in my own mind. I’m pure rage. Seething and hot and red and powerful.
When the bite of a blade slicing my flesh stings, I lean into the pain, channeling it into my anger. I wince as something sharp digs into the wound, refusing to cry out.
“Almost done,” Caiden says.
I open my eyes, and Caiden is holding my forearm. Blood drips from the slice he cut into my skin. I can see the outline of a small object there, but I don’t feel any pain.
Caiden sets my arm down, then cuts his own arm, then slides in a tiny piece of gold under his skin. He grunts and grits his teeth. Sweat beads on his forehead. Once it’s in, he blows out a breath. “We have two pieces of the same relic connecting us now. We’ll be forever bound in our magic and soon we’ll be bound in marriage.” He presses his palm against his wound, then leans forward. There’s an eager glint in his eyes. “As soon as you gain your power and we fulfill the prophecy, nobody will be able to stop us.”
I glare at him defiantly. I have no intention of fulfilling any prophecy with him and I certainly don’t plan to wed him. He doesn’t seem to care that I’m not playing along.
“Last step.” He stands and removes one of the burning candles from the altar and sets it on the floor between us. He picks up an iron bar from nearby and begins to warm it in the flame.
“This is when you choose the god you’ll call on in the temple,” he says. “It should be Rey, the king of the gods. He’s the one whowill fulfill the prophecy.” The flames lick the iron bar. “When you’re ready, close your eyes.”
I close my eyes, but I don’t invoke Rey. I have no use for kings. Instead, I call to all of them. Any god who will hear me. As the hot iron presses into my skin, I grit my teeth through the pain and I call to Mara. She’s the one goddess we all encounter. She’s an equalizer. A healer and destroyer. The problem and the solution.
I let out a cry of pain as the heat singes my arm, then it’s over. I open my eyes and look at the throbbing burn that sealed the cut. It’s angry and red but at least I’m no longer bleeding.
Caiden grunts through his own burn, but I turn my attention away from him and stare at the mural. And I swear I see a raven fly through the paint, then vanish.
Two priestesses in white robes arrive to dress me for the temple. I’m not allowed to see anyone else until after the ceremony. They bathe me, then dress me in a white robe that looks like theirs.
“Is this how men dress for their ceremony?” I run my hands over the thin fabric. I’m going to freeze outside.
They shake their heads.
“Of course not.” I let out an annoyed sigh.
They offer sympathetic expressions. One of them holds up my hairbrush.
“You want to do it for me?” I ask.
She inclines her head, then gestures to the stool in front of the vanity. “Alright. Thank you.”
Her touch is soothing as she gently works out all the tangles. When she’s finished, the other woman takes her place and begins to braid my hair. I wonder if they don’t speak by choiceor if it’s required of their order. Or perhaps it’s more sinister and they can’t.
I’m not sure I want to know.
When they’re finished, they bow to me, and I return the gesture, which seems to surprise them. “Thank you for caring for me,” I say.
They smile, but I don’t miss the sadness behind it.
“Are you worried for me?” I ask.
They both nod once.
“I am, too,” I confess.
The older of the two points to her heart, then presses her hand flat against her chest. Then she does the same to me. I don’t recognize the gesture, but I smile and nod, and she returns my expression with a smile of her own.
They walk me through the halls to the large front doors. All the legionnaires we pass are careful not to stare at me. There is nobody else around. I suspect they were kept away from my path to keep me isolated.
I’m led to a carriage, and the priestesses join me, maintaining their silence. Once we begin, they close the shades. The younger one passes me two coins.
