“Can I wait that long?” I asked, my back stiffening with tension.
Kali pursed her lips and gently reached for the Amulet. The instinctive urge to claw her eyes out for touching it shamed me. I hated how my visceral responses to any perceived threats or disappointments now systematically veered towards violence. Judging by the subtle hint of pity that crossed her features, quickly hidden, I suspected she had sensed the savage intent that crossed my mind. That both further shamed and enraged me. Still, I managed to rein in the beast.
She held the Amulet in her open palm, staring at it like one would weigh an object. The Necromancer then locked eyes with mine, hers slightly glowing as she peered into me, beyond flesh and bone. Moments later, she let go of the Amulet and took a step back.
“If you keep the Amulet close, you might be able to wait that long,” Kali answered at last.
“Imight?” I insisted.
She shrugged with an apologetic expression. “Each person is different. At a glance, I believe you can last three to four weeks. But a variety of factors can affect that duration. Just know that you will begin to falter. So you must monitor closely any signs of weakness, absent-mindedness, and any sudden or strange illnesses. Once they appear and start becoming debilitating, you will know that you’re running out of time.”
“I will keep a close watch,” Lyall said in a tone that brooked no argument. “But what is the ritual? What does it entail?”
Kali shook her head. “I don’t know it by heart. But I will look for it. You will have it for certain by tomorrow. I’ll do some extra research to see what more might be done to help Eleni.”
“Thank you, Sister,” Lyall said with the same gratitude I felt.
I glanced at Pharos, suddenly struck by a thought. “As I understand it, Reapers can see people’s threads of life. Can you see mine?”
“Of course,” he replied, his tone suddenly reserved.
Lyall’s arm around my waist tightened, and a tense expression settled on his face as he studied his brother. They had both already guessed what my follow up question would be.
“Does mine end?” I asked.
“Let me guess. The Covenant won’t let you answer,” Lyall intervened, his voice dripping with frustrated anger.
Pharos hesitated. He stared at his brother for a second before returning his attention to me.
“All I can say is that a path still exists where you share a long and happy life with Lyall. Do not give up.”
He paused for a second, carefully choosing his words.
“There is both light and darkness in each of you. Embrace who you are.Allof who you are,” he said at last, his tone both mysterious and solemn.
In that instant, I realized he was trying to give us a hint within the constraints of the Covenant. I couldn’t imagine living with this kind of shackles. And in this specific instance, it infuriated me to be denied clarity on what had to be a vital piece of information to save my life.
“Esto quod es…” I caught myself whispering, echoing Father Paulus.
The strangest expression flashed over Pharos’s eerily beautiful face.
“Yes, Eleni. Be what you are. And this also applies to you, my brother. Be what you are,” Pharos said before giving Lyall’s shoulder a gentle squeeze.
Lyall scrunched his face as if he’d bitten into something sour.
“I hate all these bullshit riddles,” he muttered in a grumpy tone.
Kali snorted, while Pharos chuckled. Although I shared his sentiment, even I couldn’t help a smile.
“Anyway, maybe there’s something else you can help us with,” my man continued, piquing our collective curiosity. “Do either of you know this place?”
As soon as he finished speaking these words, a vivid image of the memories he’d gathered from the dead cultist in the Sanctuary appeared before our eyes. It was some sort of dungeon where the ten missing clerics were hanging from the ceiling, held by chains. A violent shudder ran down my spine at the thought that—if not for Lyall’s timely presence in the crematorium—Sienna, Vivian, and I could be dangling from the three remaining empty chains.
Both our hosts shook their heads and responded by the negative when the image disappeared. However, it was Kali’s troubled expression that retained my attention.
“What is it?” I asked her.
She chewed her bottom lip while she reflected a moment longer.
