Alicia shrugged. “I’m afraid t’admit, the shield is limited by the strength of the Priestess who wields it. You’re Triloth, girl, and you’d likely need a few friends t’make the shield last more than a few minutes. Now, with the Trila-Glís activating it, we’ve a different story. Would you like t’see—”
An explosion rocked the ceiling above us, setting off a chorus of screams and rattling dirt loose from the rafters.
My father’s hand wrapped around my elbow as he pulled me tight to his chest. “Goddess be damned, what in the world wasthat?”
“I—” The High Priestess gasped as another, lesser explosion popped above us. “I don’t know! Just a moment! Let me—”
I released the virgin Glaith just in time to feel her senses whip out around us, touching every living thing within the temple grounds. When she came back to herself, eyes wide, pupils dilated, I knew what she’d say before the words crossed her lips. For I had felt it too.
“Goddess. We’re under attack.”
Chapter 11
Something above us crashed to the floor, igniting another round of terrified screams as a poof of dust was shaken free of the rafters. I glanced toward the ceiling, rolling the virgin Glaith between thumb and forefinger as a chorus of questions circled around the room. Spoken so quickly and by so many people, I couldn’t begin to put names to faces.
“What’s happening up there?”
“Who would dare attack us here? We’re a peaceful nation, for the love of the Goddess!”
The foundations of the building shook with the next explosion, rattling test tubes and setting the scientists off once more.
“Can you hear that?”
“Are thosescreams?”
Seizing my forearm, the High Priestess motioned for silence, but it was my father who said, “It’s the Glaith. They must be here for the Glaith.”
“Who?” Ancaster asked. “Who’s here for the Glaith?”
For the space of three breaths, the room was silent. And then, “The Caledonians.” It was an answer spoken by my father and the High Priestess as one, for they both knew. She with her otherworldly senses, he because of the countless hours spent negotiating trade deals with the very warmongers currently hammering those beautiful carved front doors to bits.
“But they’re our allies!” Ancaster said, spluttering.
“That doesn’t change the fact that there’s an army of Elites on our front steps,” the High Priestess snapped, glancing at my father. “The Priestesses cannot hold them. Do you understand me, Senator?”
My father nodded, swallowing. “They’ll be here for the prototypes and raw materials, I’d wager. Bet they’dloveto get their traitorous hands on technology that allows unblooded citizens to wield ki, too.”
Ancaster cursed, clenching his fists as he spoke above the terrified mutterings of his colleagues. “We will not sit idle and let those bloody warmongers take what we worked so hard to create! What are your orders, Your Grace?”
The High Priestess shook her head. “There’s no time. Goddess, they’re already at the gate.” She shook off her anxiety, summoning a young woman in a white coat. “Send word to the others that I’ll be up in a moment. They must hold the line for as long as they can, do you hear me? We’re evacuating these labs.”
“Y-Yes, Your Grace.”
The High Priestess nodded, pushing a trembling hand through her silver-blonde hair. “Good. Hurry now. We haven’t a moment to spare. I’ll be right behind you.”
Stepping forward, Josh cleared his throat. “Have you any weapons? We could fight—”
Ancaster cut him off with a humorless bark of laughter, thunderclouds gathering behind his pale Tritan eyes as he flung his hand toward the ceiling. “None I’m willing to test right now, son. They’re more likely to backfire and kill us all than do any predictable good.”
I knew the feeling well.
“Then we flee.” My father released me, stepping up to stand beside the High Priestess. “My estate is neutral ground. We’ll go there.”
Ancaster snorted. “Senator, do you think neutral ground will matter to those willing to attack a bloodytemple?”
“Perhaps not,” the High Priestess allowed, “but we cannot stayhere.” She clapped her hands. “Now. I want each of you to pack up a sample of your work—the best you’ve got. You will destroy the rest. And then…” She trailed off, pressing her hand to the hollow at the base of her throat. “And then you will flee.”
“But this is our home!”
