We’re interrupted by Seniia, who comes running. “We need to leave. Now,” she says, out of breath, her chest heaving. “I was right next to the great mallochs when they sounded their warning.” She pauses, gulping down another breath. “They have spotted at least two dozen warriors, and the great mallochs can sense several C’elen amongst them.”
“Void,” Vilder swears under his breath, his jaw flexing. If it’s due to the warriors or him having to break his word to the wise one, I don’t know. Maybe both. Before we can contemplate how to get out of this mess, the wise one, Rìven, is there.
“They seek you,” she declares, eyes locked on me. How she knows this, I have no idea, but we all know she is right. “I shall not hold any lives on my conscience. Please take what you require to stay alive. You have my permission to leave.” She turns to Vilder, then to Seniia, giving them both a small bow. “Singer, Priestess. Until our strings cross again.”
“Until our strings cross again,” they say in unison, bowing to her.
“You should have a day or two on them,” Rìven says, her lips pressing into a thin line. Then, with one last incredulous stare toward me, she whirls and disappears into the crowd.
chapter twenty-seven
PULLING MAEVE TO A STOP, I stare at what can be defined as nothing but wasteland before us. “We’re here,” I whisper.
“We’re here,” Vilder echoes, pulling his mare to a stop next to me.
Having trailed behind on the steep ascent, Seniia finally reaches the crest of the hill, and she gasps when she sees the view of Anam’gate. It’s a sight to behold. We sit in silence, taking in the sacred mountain of the gods.“The gate of the soul,”Rìven called it.
The hilltop we’re on offers an excellent view of the path forward. In front of us is a steep drop, followed by a narrow path snaking through a dark, dreary landscape. Jagged black rocks litter both sides of the narrow path for as far as the eye can see.
The Plains of Death.
When I asked Vilder why the morbid name, he said that Reans enter Anam’gate for one sole purpose: rebirth. And to be reborn, you first have to die. The thought is not exactly comforting. I squint myeyes, taking in what look to be two enormous winged wolf statues framing the road at the other end of the Plains of Death, each carved out of a mountain.
“Mah and Zerex,” Vilder whispers. There’s no one here but us, but I can understand him. There’s something unsettling about speaking out loud. “Two divine guardians, weighing the soul of every passerby.”
Even with the warm furs I’m wearing, a chill runs down my spine, and I can’t shake the heavy, ominous feeling that permeates this place. Behind the winged guardians, Anam’gate resides, tall and dark, its ragged peaks towering toward the heavens. It makes everything else appear minuscule next to it, and split straight down the middle, it is indeed as if it has been struck by a powerful bolt of lightning. The most ominous thing about the mountain is still how it looks to be absorbing every ray of light, causing its rocks to appear an unnatural shade of black. The sight of it is terrifying.
I swallow. What if the gods don’t let me pass through? A sudden dark movement catches my attention.
“Is that someone moving toward their gates?” I point toward a tiny figure moving rapidly toward the entrance between the two guardians of the threshold, but before he reaches the massive wolf statues, the last rays of the sun disappear behind the mountain, leaving the path in darkness. The four lesser moons, which have barely begun their climb toward their peak in the night sky, give no light to speak of.
A deafening roar echoes through the desolate wasteland, causing my heart to skip a beat.What was that?Despite the cold, my palms are now slick with sweat as we exchange worried glances.
As I stare in the direction of the terrifying sound, two pairs of glowing eyes pierce through the darkness. Then the guardians’ eyes flare, and searing lights pierce through the twilight, shooting forth from both sides to form an X, before plunging everything back into darkness.
I blink.What was that?
“You don’t have to go,” Seniia says quickly.
I twist to meet her gaze. “Yes. I do,” I say. “I’m so tired of not knowing. Of being a pawn in everyone else’s game.” I run a hand across my face. I’m tired to my core. Even my bones are tired. To say the past moons have been rough would be the understatement of the century. I have to go. Have to know.
Even if you’re executed in the process?My gut tells me that is what happened to whoever approached the gate before me.
There’s not much else to say, so we sit in silence, the stillness broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves. But when the full Celestial Moon crests the horizon, its pale light illuminating our faces, I know it’s time.
If I don’t enter Anam’gate now, I may as well forget about it. I didn’t fight my way here only to fail due to lack of courage. The Mi’Awal Moon is still hanging low on the horizon though, so it should give me at least three bells before it reaches its peak.
“Ready?” Vilder asks.
After drawing in a steadying breath, I release it with a heavy sigh. My lower back is aching, and I’m tired, but I nod despite not feeling ready at all.
Vilder’s gaze roams my face, clearly sensing the lie. “We’ve got your back,” he says.
“Always,” Seniia adds.
Blinking back tears, I nod. “Let’s go.”
Left with no other option but to climb down the cliff, we leave the horses behind. There’s no way they can make it down the steep cliffside, and backtracking to choose another route will take too much time. Time we don’t have.
