Bluedaggerstone.
Now the name of this mountain makes even more sense. Blue Dagger base. I can hardly contain my amazement. I’ve only ever seen white daggerstone. I was told that a blue variation existed, but it’s more dazzling than I ever imagined. Twisted, gnarled spears of the gemstone hang from the ceiling like glowing, winking icicles, bright enough to illuminate our path. The rare dark-blue gems catch the light, shifting and dancing across cave walls that seem to hum and pulse as we walk past them. There’s energy flowing down here. A massive amount of it. It makes the hairs on my body stand on end.
I’m suddenly transported back to the cave that Cross showed me in the wards. Full of white daggerstone and an endless sea of vibrant flowers growing from every crack and crevice in the walls, thriving in the darkness. Every inch of that cave had vibrated with energy, as if the earth itself possessed a throbbing, pulsing heartbeat.
The memory brings a deep ache. He should be here, damn it. And yes, I realize how selfish it is of me to even think that, because it means asking him to abandon his mother, who’s fragile and defenseless with her mind corrupted. Cross will do anything to protect her, I know that. But I can’t stop myself from wanting him to be with me.
“What is this place?”
Kallister smiles at my reaction. “We call it the Temple.”
The floor is uneven, but only until we enter the main chamber. There I’m greeted with another shock.
“Whoa,” I breathe.
We’re standing inside a perfect circle, on a smooth floor surrounded by thick white columns and bearing strange markings etched into the stone. The colors of the symbols might have been bright atone point, but they’re faded now. Muted shades of blues, reds, purples.
“Is this marble?” I exclaim.
“It is,” Kallister confirms.
It’s rare to see such an expensive building material on the Continent. Only the elites can afford to build with marble. The capitalists who work closely with the Company reap the rewards that come with their collusion. I’ve heard there’s a hotel in Sanctum Point that boasts miles of marble. But to find it here, this deep underground, is incredible.
The chamber’s walls are covered with more daggerstone, and between each set of columns I glimpse what appear to be natural rock alcoves bathed in blue light. I realize we’re not alone in here when I notice two shadowy figures in one of the alcoves, sitting cross-legged and facing each other.
“Did the Uprising build this?” I ask Kallister.
“No, this is how we found it. I assume whoever designed the facility discovered this daggerstone cave when they were digging and decided to use it as a religious space.” He steps forward, pointing to the center of the floor. “See this symbol in the middle?”
I study the marking, which looks like a lowercaset.
“It’s a crucifix,” he explains. “A symbol of the old religion. And if you think this floor is impressive, look up.”
I tip my head back, and a gasp flies out. The ceiling is carved into a dome and covered with a breathtaking mural that certainly doesn’t require an explanation. I see angels everywhere. Graceful females, sinuous males, round cherubs. Their outstretched arms are all pointing toward the center of the dome, the highest point of the ceiling. Angels are on the Company’s list of forbidden images, so their overwhelming presence in this cave feels like a satisfyingfuck youto our oppressors.
“It’s meant to draw your eye upward,” Kallister says. “Toward heaven.”
I glance over at him. “Do you believe in heaven?”
“No.”
“Neither do I,” I admit, though whether I share the religious beliefsof the painter doesn’t take away from this extraordinary feat of artistry and craftsmanship. “Does anyone practice religion down here?”
He chuckles. “No, that nonsense doesn’t interest us. We’re only here for the daggerstone. We’ve found that it sharpens our abilities. When you use your gifts in the Temple, everything is amplified. Shields are stronger. Projections more vivid. Thoughts clearer.”
“Why?”
“If I could answer thewhybehind half the mysteries surrounding Mods, I’d be the smartest man on earth.”
I catch a flicker of movement across the room. The two figures from the alcove step into the marble circle. The older woman is one I haven’t met yet, but I recognize the blond girl at her side. Poppy. The teenager who delivered my dinner last night.
They murmur their hellos as they leave the cavern. I study their retreating backs. “Is everyone at the Dagger expected to come down here to train?”
“It’s not mandatory for everyone, no. A lot of people choose to, though. Some just come here to meditate because they find the daggerstone soothing. But anyone with a bloodmark is required to train.”
“Do you have a bloodmark?” I ask curiously.
Kallister rolls up his left sleeve to show me the red circle on his forearm.
