Mistress Vincenza exhales, “maybe.”
She takes me back to the car, getting in the driver’s seat this time after heating up the pilot fuel.
I vocally wonder, “do you… subscribe to Queen’s Orthodox?”
“Truthfully, Catarina, I never cared.” She shuts her eyes. “If any denomination answered questions better than the rest, there wouldn’t be denominations.”
The sounds of the city clear, wind whistling through evergreens in the false glade which tower above its silencing walls.
“Are there faiths other than the Great Ring?”
“No. Not any more.”
I lean closer, closer than I should. “Why not?”
“Because Ringborn are the ones who held power, and so long as the Ring was beautiful, that would never be questioned.” She throws the throttle up. “We’re not fully heated, so we’ll be traveling a bit slow.”
I slip further down the seat, arching my gaze to keep the Great Ring centered. A few stars poke through the clouds and dying daylight. “I don’t mind spending extra time here.”
“No radio?”
“As long as I don’t speak its language.”
She huffs the slightest laugh and starts tuning for a station. “Did you enjoy driving?”
“I-I think I might get a bike.”
“Those are easier to take onto streetcars and trains, aren’t they?”
Low music fills our small space, and I don’t even think to answer. Just close my eyes.
Chapter 21
The Meretrice
I stare at myself in the mirror for extra long. It almost feels absurd to whiten my face with makeup when I shine like a piece of paper. Have I always?
I can’t say I recall.
I sigh and put down the little cotton puff. It’s killing me to spend every day not pursuing necromancy. It’s what I’m here for. It’s why the Ring brought me to Mistress Vincenza.
I deserve to touch the Ring.
I do. It made me want to access it; it knows that I will try. But it’s gone a week since the church visit, and I don’t know where exactly to begin. The Ring just won’t show me.
I turn on the sink, quickly brushing my teeth—I have a terrible habit of forgetting it untilaftermy face is caked, and though it hasn’t caused problems, it feels like it should. This will technically be the first day in a while that I’m brushing first.
I swear that there used to be a taste to this stuff. I had to hold back the compulsion to just swallow the strangely crunchy—like how sand is crunchy—paste.
Oh, too many thoughts and problems. Why do I feel like an internal monologue is going to repeat on loop over toothpaste? I don’t want that. I just want to sit down maybe. My vision’s going blurry.
I stumble out from my room. Reaching for the stairs before… Ack. Fuck.
I fall onto my side, leaving a slight ache in my hip while I lay. Low and bludgeoning, the pain echoes with each beat of my heart.
Mistress Vincenza’s door quickly opens with her rushing towards me. “Kay—Catarina! Are you okay?”
“Just dizzy.” I cover my face, groaning. “I lost sight for a second.”
