Temple of Fyre (Island of Fyre) (6 page)

She prayed he was right.

After eating, he helped her make several circuits of the room. She staggered. He caught her against his chest. Her hand pressed against the fyrestone. Strength flooded her body.

* * *

Malera cradled the fyrestone she’d claimed as her own from the ones the stone seeker had brought. Through this crystal, she would control the solstice fire. With Ria dead, there was no one among the priestesses or acolytes strong enough to issue a challenge. Her hand closed around the stone.

Ria had deserved death. The young woman had pitted her will against the person she should have honored and obeyed. Malera smiled. Ria had had the potential for great power. Only the girl’s inexperience had allowed Malera to remain alive. For this, Ria had to die before she challenged the ruler of the temple again.

A frisson of fear skittered along Malera’s spine. What would have happened if Ria had gained complete mastery of fire before she issued the challenge? The traitor could have prevailed

Fire stirred in the depths of the crystal. In five days, the solstice ceremony would awe the commoners who gathered for the festival. Already alders from the other hamlets were arriving with their tithes. All except those from Gydon, but the commoners of that hamlet would seen learn the price of defiance.

Malera prowled the room. She’d invited several of the more virile of the alders to join the private celebration in the rotunda. When the rites ended, her body would be aflame with desire. The stone seeker would be the first to quench those flames, but she would need other men. She quivered with eagerness and ran her hands over her body. The need for relief grew stronger.

The harras studs could draw off some of the urgency. She nodded. Using those pale creatures was necessary. Her body ached for the hands and mouth of the sun-bronzed man who had brought fyrestones to sell. With a sigh, she imagined his body writhing and pleading for release. And when she allowed him to stroke his rod, she would bathe in the fountain of his essence.

The beads of the curtain at the door rattled and cut short her fantasy of being serviced by the stone seeker. “Who comes?” The discordant rattle of the whites brought her tension to a peak.

The strings parted. “I’ve news about the acolyte who betrayed the temple and was stoned.”

“What?”

“As you ordered, three of us went to gather her bones to be used as kindling for the solstice fire. There were none.”

“What are you saying? How could the bones be gone? Though carrion crows are large, they can’t carry a body away.”

The acolyte’s lower lip trembled. “The fyrethorn hedge was broken. We used the passage and found the grass flattened as though someone had lain there.”

Malera strained to contain the anger threatening to explode with volcanic fury. “Show me.” When she pushed through the beaded curtain, she nearly knocked the young woman against the wall. The white crystals of the curtain sounded in a cacophonic jangle. Malera’s sandals clapped on the marble floor. How could a body vanish? She’d seen the dark birds land and survey Ria’s body. Knowing fresh blood would draw the scavengers, she had slashed the traitor’s body with the flail. Had one of the priestesses aided the girl? Which one? Why?

Questions churned and kept Malera’s anger simmering. Her sandals scraped across the tiles covering the rotunda floor. She reached the entrance and stepped into the morning sunlight. A few fluffy clouds dotted the aqua sky.

Malera reached the place where Ria’s body should have been. Her eyes narrowed. What had happened? With care, she edged through the gap in the hedge and saw the matted grass. So Ria had escaped the birds. Where was she?

She turned to the acolyte. “Surely the thorns poisoned her. Fetch the captain of the guards and one of the senior priestesses.”

When the girl left, Malera returned to the lane and waited for the two she had summoned. She rubbed her thumb across the scarlet crystal. She could use the stone to search, but until more seekers arrived, she preferred to use other ways to search. The fire contained in the fyrestones wasn’t limitless. She tapped her foot in an impatient rhythm against the cobbles. Finally, the pair arrived.

With terse words, she told them what had happened. “Priestesses and guards must go to the market and question people for news of anyone seeking help for fyrethorn poisoning. She must not escape punishment!”

“And if we find nothing?” the priestess asked.

“Then I’ll have to seek her in the flames. She has no fyrestone to protect her from such a search.”

Once the guard captain and the senior priestess left, Malera prowled the hall of the temple. Though two stone seekers waited in the rotunda, she had no time for them. She sent the aging priestess who cared for the surplus major crystals to bargain with the men. Malera continued her restless rounds until the teams of searchers returned. All reported no news.

Malera strode to her quarters. She had to know where Ria was. The need to discover the traitor overrode her concern for the crystal.

On a stone slab in a corner of her sleeping chamber, she placed the scarlet in the center of four white crystals. After calling fire, she sought Ria. For an instant, the young woman’s face flickered in the flames. The nebulous image vanished before Malera could discover Ria’s location.

Malera killed the flames and snatched the scarlet crystal from the slab. Her anger peaked. She grabbed the flail and marched to the harras. Someone must pay for the traitor’s escape. If her fury wasn’t quenched, she feared her fyrestones would burst into flames.

* * *

Ari stood near the door. “I need to purchase supplies. Is there anything you want?”

Ria shook her head. “You’ve been generous. I don’t know how I can repay you.”

“You’ll know how when the time comes.” He tousled her hair. Her eyes held a puzzled expression. “Nothing to fear. While I’m gone, exercise and rest. I want to leave the day after tomorrow.”

“I’ll be ready. I must.” She ran her fingers over his face.

Though Ari was tempted to kiss her and carry her to the bed, he opened the door. Since she’d touched the fyrestone, she’d grown stronger and her wounds were almost healed. He wished he’d kept one of the crystals, but when he’d sold them at the temple, he hadn’t known one would be needed.

The market square, though crowded, was strangely subdued. Not quiet, for whispered conversations were heard. Ari stopped to purchase a blanket roll for Ria. He scanned the square. Why so many priestesses? He watched as women clad in yellow and orange caftans moved from stall to stall. He turned to the vendor. “Why are all the priestesses about?”

“Seems they’re seeking a missing acolyte.” The man shrugged. “Didn’t say why when they questioned me, but I know a few things.”

Ari looked toward the center of the square where the logs for the solstice fire had been placed. “I would think they would be preparing for the celebration.”

The man chuckled. “Them? They do as they please. ‘Tis the alders who see to the public celebrations.”

“How could the temple lose an acolyte?”

“Heard she ran away. Now that’s a puzzle to me. Priestesses have an easy life. The tithe provides them with the best products from the hamlets and when they come to the market, they take what they want.”

Ari grinned. “With one missing, that would mean one less to share the bounty. I would say good riddance.”

“Exactly.” The man leaned closer. “They’ve threatened to sell anyone who helps the missing acolyte to the slavers. Asked for the names of anyone seeking help for fyrethorn poisoning.”

Ari hoisted his purchase. “Wonder what this acolyte did?”

The merchant grinned. “I hear she’s the one who raised the flame the other day. My cousin’s a guard and that’s what he said. He also said the chief priestess plans to use the acolyte’s bones to light the solstice fire. If they don’t find where she is today, tomorrow, they’ll search the inns.”

Ari’s hands clenched. They hunted Ria. Was she strong enough to leave the inn before sunrise tomorrow? She would have to walk. Though he could rent a courser, the gate guard would question why an apprentice rode when the master walked. Ari met the merchant’s gaze. “Never knew sacrifices were part of the ritual.”

The man shrugged. “Malera says a new rite is needed to cleanse the temple.”

Ari paid the vendor and made his other purchases. He paid bearers to carry the goods to the stable. Once they were stored, he returned to the market and found Bil. Ari crouched beside the one-legged beggar and dropped a gold coin in the man’s cup.

“Ari.” Bil grinned and deftly removed the coin. “Must have been a good hunt this time.”

“Very and I was first in.” Ari flashed more gold. “I need to hear my story. These two after I have all you know and have learned.”

The old man studied the square. With his chin, he indicated the priestesses and their guards. “Don’t want them to hear. Would bring danger to your path.” He slid behind the stall.

Ari followed. “Danger? Why?” He sat beside Bil and where he could see the square.

“You know how we found you, Jorg and me. But I saw you before. One time in Gydon. There were priestesses there. Had their own circle and they called fire, both men and women. Helped the hamlet prosper. Chief priestess before Malera destroyed them.”

“Why?”

“Called them rebels. Now you’re grown, you look like one of the men. He was the spouse of one of the priestesses.”

Ari tried to absorb the things Bil had said. “Why did you and Jorg keep me?”

“Part of the why is another story, but mainly because Jorg hated the slavers. Didn’t like the priestesses either.”

“But he sold stones to the temple.”

Bil nodded. “For his quest, but that ended with his death.”

“Perhaps you’ll tell me what he sought another time.” Ari dropped the gold coins in the bowl. “Could there still be someone in Gydon who can tell me more about my parents?”

“’Tis possible.”

“How do I find this hamlet?”

“Use the North Gate and head straight across the waste. You’ll find a trail leading to Gydon.”

“Why didn’t I hear this before?”

“I had my accident. Jorg didn’t want to work alone. He cared about you. Said sometimes you reminded him of the man he’d been. Didn’t want to lose you. If the priestesses had suspected you had a crystal, they would have put you in the harras or sold you to the slavers.”

Ari looked away. “If what you’ve told me helps, next time I’m in Rosti, there’ll be more gold.”

Bil clasped Ari’s hand. “No need for coins. With this, and what you and Jorg gave me over the years, I’ve enough to buy into an inn called Fyredragon. Always be a room for you there.”

Ari rose. “I’ll return in six lunars.” As he strode back to the inn, he made plans. Before he and Ria hunted crystals, they would go to Gydon. If the fates were with him, someone in the hamlet would know who he was and give him the names of his parents. He entered the inn and paused in the common room to order food for the nooning and a large evening meal.

The innkeeper bustled across the room. “Stone seeker, a moment. There are two in your room.”

Ari nodded. “And you’ve been well paid for my custom.”

“Of course.” The skinny man stepped closer. “No complaint, just a question. What will happen to the boy when you leave? I could find a use for a lad with his looks.”

“He’s to be my apprentice.”

“What does a street rat know about crystals?”

“As yet, little, but I’ll teach him.” Ari studied the man and distrusted what he saw in the man’s dark eyes. A sop was needed. “If he doesn’t work out, when I return for the winter solstice, we’ll talk.” There was no way he would give Ria to this man. The innkeeper’s sly and knowing smile amused Ari. The man had no idea Ria was a woman. Ari turned back. “Add a flagon of spiritus to the order for the evening meal.”

Ari carried the tray of flatbread, meat and cheese for the nooning down the hall. If the prying landlord believed Ari intended to drink himself into a stupor, the man wouldn’t expect his guests to depart once the inn settled for the night.

When Ari entered the sleeping chamber, he found Ria huddled in a corner. Her packed haversack lay on the bed. She jumped to her feet. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“I forgot to bar the door. The innkeeper came to snoop. I was in the bathing room and he didn’t see me. He was searching your haversack. I yelled. He scurried away, but I fear he knows who I am.”

Ari clasped her hands. “He believes you’re a boy and he offered to buy you.”

“What if he sends for the alders because you’ve kept me in your room?”

“He won’t. I’ve paid coins for the room until after the solstice. What he thinks doesn’t matter. We leave tonight.”

Her eyes widened. “Tonight?”

He sat at the table. “Once the inn is quiet, we’ll slip out and go to the stables to load the burros. We’ll be at the gates when they open.”

“Why must we leave now?”