The blade of Dmitri’s gift glowed, a sheen of blue, green, and yellow dancing on the metal when its movement caught the light. Runes ran up either side of the bone hilt. Such a beautiful thing to come from a plain-living man. Martin would have to invent stories of how such a fine weapon came into his possession, or he’d be questioned endlessly by his fellow guards.
Martin slipped the knife into his belt, angling the blade to do no harm.
“Walk with me.” Dmitri led them away from the temple. No one seemed bothered by a man wielding a knife during the whole exercise. Had Dmitri somehow kept them from being seen?
Martin strode beside Dmitri. “Why do you watch me? Don’t your edicts teach against fraternizing with those not of your faith? None of your kind ever tried to convert me. Why not?” He’d heard tales of priests accosting people in the streets, preaching the way of the Father, attempting to lure passersby from the Lady.
They weren’t often successful.
A chuckle came from under the priest’s hood. “It’s not that the Father would reject your service for being a nonbeliever, but you have your own path laid out before you.”
“A path? Ever since my parents died, I’ve been merely existing. It’s like I’m waiting for something, but I know not what.”
Dmitri stopped, clutched his hands together, hood tipping down. “I mentioned knowing your parents. Your mother was dear to me.”
“Dear to you!” Martin whirled, the pain he’d kept for so long shifting to anger. “Why didn’t you protect her like you did me? Why did you let her die?”
“Because she was too far away. I thought her safe.” Genuine regret sounded within the words.
Too far away? She’d been brought to E’Skaara, hadn’t she? “Not good enough! You’re a mage—”
Dmitri’s voice remained eerily quiet. “She’s not the only one who suffered. During that time, hundreds died or took missing within a few sevendays. I barely kept the few who lived in the city safe.” He paused and whispered, “Some I failed.”
As much as Martin would love to hate him, Dmitri lost people too. “How did you know her?”
Dmitri turned away, facing the sea in the distance. “She and I shared a homeland.”
“Where is that? She never said.” So much about Martin’s mother remained secret, but he’d heard his parents and grandmother talking late at night when they thought he slept.
A note of wistfulness crept into Dmitri’s voice. “Someplace far away that we never speak of.”
“Where there were mages, and they practiced freely.”
“Yes. An enemy came in the night, so to speak, and we fled in every direction. Some came to E’Skaara; some took refuge in other lands.”
“What happened to them? The ones who went elsewhere.”
“Most were discovered and put to death. Those of us who survived took to the cloth. Who would ever think to look beneath a priest’s robes for a mage?”
“Why didn’t you hide me, then, instead of giving me an amulet and letting me fend for myself?” Martin nearly barked the accusation.
This time, Dmitri’s calm gave way to a bit of a growl. “We chanted many a night over your amulet’s creation long before giving the gift. So you see, we knew you were coming.”
“How?”
Dmitri chuckled. “We’re mages.”
Would hitting a priest get Martin arrested? “But why all this hiding? Why didn’t you just talk to me?”
“You needed to find your own way, and we needed time to assess your abilities. Though you were mage-born, how did we really know you possessed a useable gift or that you wouldn’t betray us?”
Martin scoffed. “A mage betraying another mage.”
“Sadly, it has happened. Now, come along, enough talk of the past. Let us speak of the present.” Dmitri resumed his long strides. “The Lady’s followers will announce the Chosen next fullmoon.”
“Ah, the Choosing, when the Lady picks the novices who’ll serve her more closely.” And the ones who’ll fuck worshippers. Martin failed to keep the bitterness from his voice.
“Your friend Cere hopes to be chosen for service.”
