“I beseech you both to return to your seat, and do not bother the Magnificence of the Crystal Water with your nonsense,”a third brethren says, trying to keep the peace. Boss seethes at him and he quickly sits down and lowers his head.
Hot-Breath refuses to step down. “Do not denigrate the Goddess of Light with your silly ideas.”
This is way too confusing. There seems to be an endless number of ridiculous titles they will give Bri. Will anyone notice if I start eating? This could go on all night. I raise the food to my mouth and Bri slaps my hand away. A growl rumbles in my chest and goosebumps erupt all over her arms.
“Brethren, please, do not argue,” Bri says with a sickly-sweet tone I’ve never heard her use before.
“Of course, Gracious One,” Hot-Breath says with a bow. Boss glares at him for speaking first. These idiots are lining up to kiss her ass, and it’s getting under my skin.
“Everyone, eat. This is supposed to be a celebration,” she announces to the room. I dredge the flatbread through some paste and shove it in my mouth before she can stop me.
I earn a withering look for not waiting, but running through the desert the last two days on nothing but a handful of nutrigels is making me grumpy. Well, more grumpy than usual.
“What?” I ask with a mouth full of food.
“Nothing.” She shakes her head and takes some veg and pops it into her mouth.
Boss approaches our table reverently. He’s the same brethren who interrogated me and left me in the dungeon to rot.
He looks over at me and inspects my face. “You look familiar,” he says.
“I don’t see how that’s possible.”
Thereisa very good chance he has seen me before. Everyone on Sabaak knew what happened the last time I was here. I’m sure a holographic image was sent all over after everything went down.
“When Her Holiness is done with you, report back to your previous accommodations,” he hisses at me.
I open my mouth to reply and tell him where he can shove the previous accommodations when Bri cuts in.
“No, he’ll stay with me.”
I gape at her, shocked she would offer that. I’ll staywhere? If it’s between Bri’s room and a dungeon, I’ll take the room.
“Hm,” he says slowly and steps down from the platform. He sits at the table closest to us. No doubt to keep a close eye on me.
“What was that all about?” Bri asks under her breath.
“Don’t worry about it.” I look at her with an obnoxiously large smile, one that’s meant to provoke her. Bri’s smile turns sharp and she grabs my knee and digs in her blunt nails. It’s so easy to get a reaction out of her.
“Be a good boy and go find me something to drink.”
For everything I’ve gone through to get to Bri and save her, I decide I’m going to throttle her instead.
SEVENTEEN
Bri
Something is off with Tai. He was way too quick to agree to my plan. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he did it to shut that brethren down.
Their faces go from adoration to sneers when Tai returns with a glass of water for me. Clearly, they don’t approve of this new arrangement. I could cut the tension with a knife.
Tai drops down on the ground next to me. He shoves more food in his mouth like a barbarian, completely unaware the brethren are all glaring at him. Tai’s arrival seems to have disturbed the delicate balance. The harmless brethren appear to have sharper edges than I believed.
Their debate continues in heated whispers a few tables away. The bullshit prophecy can be interpreted in a million different ways, so it’s not shocking they might form into factions. I’d rather not get caught in the middle of their religious debate.
“Brethren, we may not agree on everything, but the prophecy is clear: the goddess must bless the holy water of the Wahadi. Perhapsthen her true purpose will be revealed to us,” Boss says. His announcement is met with a low rumble throughout the room. Something about the way he says “true purpose” sends a cold shiver down my spine.
I might not like the guy, but his suggestion works in my favor. A little time on the surface will give me a chance to get the lay of the land and the chance to get through to some of the brethren. Once I’m convinced they will stop bowing down to Boss, Tai and I can make a run for it.
