I nodded, my fears having been confirmed. Although Reyna had assured me she agreed with the High King that magic should not be used uncontrolled, and that it was possible magic had exhausted the earth to the point nothing would grow, I didn’t trust the woman as far as I could throw her. If magic had caused the Great Famine, I couldn’t let the Brotherhood of Whispers restore magic, no matter what.
“It’s bad luck to think about those things,” Hugo said. “I always felt as… As if we had been cursed, all of us. And just remembering those times, makes me shudder. I know a curse of that size and impact is impossible, but that’s what it felt like.”
I frowned, but before I could say anything else, Hugo jumped off the back of the cart. “We should get going.” His cheerful mood of this morning had been replaced by a grimace, and I felt sorry for causing it.
Wordlessly, I put the rest of my sandwich away, got up and walked to the front of the cart. I crawled back against the wooden crate I had leaned against this morning and let the rhythm of the cart swinging left to right as we traveled further, lull me to sleep.
My sleep was filled with nightmares of fields of crops burning to the ground, and children crying from hunger.
Chapter Five
“We’re nearly there,” Hugo said.
About two hours after we had left Ginderstund, I had woken from my nap, and the merchant’s good mood had returned. He had whistled a few tunes, and even told me a few jokes, none of them very good, but I was glad he had cheered up.
The sun had long passed its zenith and was already starting its descent. Hugo pointed at a building in the far distance, barely more than a small dot at the edge of the horizon. “That’s the Red Keep.”
I squinted to get a better look at the building, but so far, all I could make out was its color. “It’s not red.”
Hugo chuckled. “No, it’s not. Would be quite extravagant, wouldn’t it?”
As we zigzagged through the serpentine path leading to the Red Keep located on top of a hill and surrounded by a valley crossed by a river, I couldn’t keep my eyes from the building. The lair of the beast. The place where I would probably meet my demise. It didn’t make me as nervous as I thought it would. In the end, the choice had been simple: risk my own life, or risk Sebastian’s life, and then it wasn’t even a real choice anymore.
What surprised me the most about the building was how normal it looked. I wasn’t sure what I had expected; in my nightmares, the Red Keep featured burgundy-red stones; the dwelling was surrounded by the chopped-off heads of dead mages placed on spikes, and the river’s waters were red from blood.
In reality, the building was made from brown stone, the river was a typical bright blue, and no dead-mage decoration marked the path up to the structure.
In fact, there were barely any guards, besides the two Red Priests standing near the two-story high entrance gate.
“There’s not more security than that?” I could hear the disbelief in my voice.
Hugo shrugged. “They’re priests. Why would they need security? Besides, no one is stupid enough to cross the Red God.”
I licked my lips. I hadn’t even considered that. Crossing the Red Priests was one thing, but crossing a God? The Red God was the one who had explained to his disciples how the Great Famine could be solved; it was he who had taught the Red Priests how to mark all mages with runes as old as life itself, so that our magic would be locked up deep inside of us.
I had heard stories before about the terrible Goddess of Death, how she could tighten her disciples’ airways just by clenching her hand, sending them directly to the Realm of Death. The Red God’s powers were cloaked in mystery, but like all Gods, he was probably capable of horrible things.
I had to resist the urge to throw up.
Either way, it was too late to turn back now. If I did, I would leave Sebastian to the Red God’s wrath, and that was no option.
I clenched the sides of the cart as Hugo led us to the passage directly to the Red Keep.
The closer we got to the guards, the better I could make out their faces. The one on the left looked as if someone had stolen his preferred food right from under his nose, and the other one yawned, his eyes nearly falling shut.
“Good afternoon, fellas,” Hugo said. “I’ve brought the monthly supplies.” He gestured at the crates and boxes loaded in the back of the cart, and then pointed at me. “And a new recruit.”
The guard on the left moved toward us. He shot a quick look at the supplies, but then focused all his attention on me. He lifted his chin, looking as haughty as an emperor. “Who are you, girl?”
“Saleyna.” I figured there was no use in lying about my name, and the less I had to lie about, the better.
The man’s gaze lingered on my forehead and my mark. “You’re a mage.” The Red Priest said it matter-of-factly, but a glimpse of disgust flashed across his features while he spoke.
“Used to be a mage.” I couldn’t keep the venom out of my voice.
“Hm.” The Red Priest gestured for me to get out of the cart.
“I’m sure she’s hardly the first mage signing up as an acolyte,” Hugo said, trying to defend me. “I saw a Red Priest who bore the same mark before. There’s no law against mages becoming Red Priests, or is there?”
I wanted to hug the old man, but I had to temper my enthusiasm, as I was being scrutinized from head to toe by the Red Priest. Simply because I didn’t know where to look, I decided to examine him in turn. He had short, black hair peeking out from under the hood. His eyes were green, the color of lush fields and forests. He had a five o’clock shadow and a strong jaw—under regular circumstances, he might be considered handsome, but now he looked as grim as the Grim Reaper himself.
“Why do you want to join our ranks?” he asked, still glaring at me suspiciously.
My answer to Hugo this morning hadn’t been the right one. I had realized that the moment I spoke the words out loud. I had spent hours on the cart thinking about an answer that would be better, so I didn’t hesitate when he asked. “That’s between me and the Red God.”
I wasn’t sure if this would be the right answer—if there even was a right answer—but the man grunted and shrugged. He motioned at the other guard to open the gate. “Hugo, I assume you will stay in our guest quarters tonight?”
“If I may, Cullyn,” Hugo said.
“Certainly.” The Red Priest nodded at the merchant, then turned back toward me. “Come,” he snapped, his entire demeanor changing.
Reluctantly, I traced after the Red Priest, who was apparently called Cullyn. The gate opened and Hugo’s cart rode inside, hobbling over the cobblestones decorating the courtyard of the Red Keep.
My breath got stuck in my throat, and my hands instantly grew sweaty. The Red Priests would be on to me in seconds. Cullyn was already suspicious. Everyone would be suspicious as soon as they saw the mark on my forehead.
Stupid, stupid Sebastian for getting me into this.
I glanced around, taking in my surroundings. The Keep had a traditional build; four buildings surrounded the courtyard, one of them the gatehouse. At least a dozen tall, gothic windows stared at me from the dwellings, and I wondered what secrets were hidden behind those windows. Several doors on the downstairs level had wooden signs next to them, indicating where they led. The utter-left door had a sign saying ‘guest quarters’, so I assumed that was where Hugo would spend the night.
The merchant was busy unloading the cart, but he stopped occasionally to smile at me.
My stomach ached at the thought that soon I would have to complete the rest of my mission without him.
“Hurry up,” Cullyn snapped at me. “Don’t stand there like a fool.”
I held my head down and balled my fists. I had never met anyone who was so downright rude in my entire life, especially when given no reason to be rude. With Cullyn, it seemed as if he had decided he wanted to hate me from the moment he first laid eyes upon me.
Reluctantly, I followe
d the Red Priest, waving at Hugo. The merchant looked up at me, a melancholic smile crossing his features. I could practically hear his thoughts. My offer still stands, girlie.
I wanted nothing more than to take the merchant up on his offer and have him take me back home tomorrow morning. But that would only result in Sebastian joining the Red Priests’ ranks instead of me, and I couldn’t let him do that, so I dragged my feet while following Cullyn, my heart hammering in my chest.
We crossed the square and entered through one of the doors. The first room we entered was a large entrance hall, dominated by gargantuan wooden stairs, covered in red carpet, leading to the second floor. Cullyn led me to the right, into a scarcely illuminated hallway with at least a dozen doors lined up on each side. I gaped at everything—at the torches lighting up the walls, at the crisscross pattern of stone on the floor, at the rounded ceiling—and barely kept up with Cullyn. The Red Priest sighed out loud, obviously annoyed by my stalling.
As we rounded the corner into an almost identical hallway, I asked him, “Where are we going?”
“To see the High Priestess, of course.” He rolled his eyes. “She decides who we accept as an acolyte and who we turn down.”
“I didn’t know you turned people down…”
Cullyn stopped so abruptly I nearly bumped into him. He turned around, his eyes as dark as the sky on a starless night. “When we get to the High Priestess’ chambers, I recommend you keep your mouth shut, and only open it when the High Priestess wants to ask you a question.”
My heart slammed against my ribcage. If Cullyn was this bad, then what would the High Priestess be like?
I nodded, showing him I understood.
Cullyn continued, and I trailed behind him, my blood rate increasing with every step I took. The last time I had been this terrified was ten years ago, when that Red Priestess branded my forehead with the mark that locked up my magic.
After walking for about fifteen minutes down the labyrinthine halls of the Red Keep, we eventually made it to a hallway with a larger door at the end.
Cullyn headed straight for the door.
My ears rang, and I had trouble breathing. These Red Priests filled me with fear on a good day, and now I was surrounded by the lot of them. For the thousandth time today, I wished I had never met Reyna or the Brotherhood of Whispers, and that I was safe at home with my brother.
Cullyn knocked on the door, waited for the High Priestess to respond, and then opened the door, gesturing for me to walk in.
The first thing I noticed was the size of the office. It was larger than I had expected. The center of the room was dominated by an oversized oak desk and bookcases leaned against the walls, filled to the brim with leather-bound tomes. Two tall, arched windows allowed light to stream into the room.
Behind the desk sat a woman wearing a red robe covered in runes similar to the one disfiguring my forehead that had been weaved into the fabric.
I couldn’t say for sure, but I had the sickening feeling this was the same woman who had slit Aife’s throat in the market square of Bellhaven, just a little over two weeks ago.
The woman looked up from a staple of papers she was reading. Blood-red eyes gazed into mine, and I stumbled back, startled.
Besides her creepy eyes, the woman was beautiful. She had a small, elegant face, full lips, and porcelain skin. I estimated her about forty years old, but with the strange eye color, it was hard to tell—I could usually estimate someone’s age by looking at their eyes.
“Who is this?” the High Priestess asked, obviously talking about me, but addressing Cullyn.
“A new acolyte,” Cullyn replied, not bothering to hide his disdain.
“Hm.” The woman pursed her lips. She motioned for me to come closer. I counted at least three rings, two of those in gold, the other a bright red ruby, on her fingers.
The woman analyzed me from head to toe, her gaze lingering on the rune on my forehead. “I’m Altheia, the High Priestess,” she introduced herself. “Who are you?”
“Saleyna Loxley,” I replied.
“Where do you live?” The High Priestess crossed her hands, glancing at me curiously.
“Bellhaven.” I figured telling the truth was the safest option for now.
“Bellhaven.” Altheia let the name roll off her tongue. “I was there, not too long ago, for a magic-wielder hiding her powers.”
I cleared my throat. “I know. I saw.” It was hard to keep a straight face while my heart was trying to jump out of my chest.
“And what did you think?” Altheia asked. Her face betrayed no emotion except mild curiosity.
What kind of question was that—and more importantly, what kind of answer could I possibly give?
“I…” I struggled to find the right words.
“Be honest,” the High Priestess warned.
“I’m not fond of executions, nor being forced to watch them,” I said eventually, because it was true, and because I had a feeling that if I lied, this woman would pick up on it right away.
“Hm.” Altheia leaned back in her seat. “No one is, unless you have an evil streak. I dislike executions, too.”
She certainly hadn’t looked that way when she had paraded on the stage in Bellhaven, or when she had cut Aife’s throat, without a moment’s hesitation.
“But they’re a necessary evil, I’m afraid.” Altheia shoved her seat back and got up. She walked toward me, her long robes gliding behind her. “What is your stance on magic, child?”
I was not a child—I stopped being one the moment my mother screamed until her throat was raw as she was being destroyed from the inside-out by the magic that had been in our family for generations.
It took all my willpower not to look away when the High Priestess approached me. I kept my hands balled into fists, standing as straight as I could. Don’t show them fear. Never.
“Magic caused the Great Famine,” I said, remembering what Hugo had told me. “We can never let anything like that happen again.”
“So, you agree magic must be bound?” The High Priestess halted in front of me. She towered over me; when she was sitting down, I hadn’t noticed how tall she was, but now she seemed like a giantess.
“If that is what it takes, yes.” I still hadn’t said anything that wasn’t true.
Altheia lowered her head until she was at eye-level with me. “Why do you want to join us, become a Red Priest?”
I licked my lips. “That is between me and the Red God.”
The woman blinked slowly, trying to gauge my intentions, I assumed. Then, after staring into my eyes for several minutes, she pulled back and whirled around. “Very well. Cullyn, bring Saleyna to one of the acolyte cells and hand her some robes. Her training will begin tomorrow.”
Cullyn grimaced but bowed his head. “Yes, High Priestess.”
He moved to the door, and I turned to follow him, but then, the High Priestess said one more thing. “Saleyna Loxley of Bellhaven. I hope you don’t disappoint us.”
I gulped, but before I could even formulate a response, Cullyn grabbed my arm and roughly pulled me onto the hallway.
My stomach felt hollow, as if my insides had been carved out and I had become an empty vessel.
Cullyn shut the door to the High Priestess’ office and strode down the hallway.
As I chased after him, I realized that Reyna’s assumptions hadn’t been accurate at all. I wasn’t just walking into the belly of the beast, and it was far from the safest place for someone of my kind to hide. Everyone here loathed me and my kind, and they would do everything they could to bring me down as soon as the opportunity arose, even the High Priestess. And honestly, what else had the Brotherhood of Whispers expected?
My one advantage was the Red Priests’ own arrogance; never, not in a thousand years, would they suspect their runes were failing and that some of us still had access to our powers, albeit limited.
I contemplated this while Cullyn escorted me through the hallways. After what seemed li
ke an eternity, he paused in front of a door, opened it and walked in. I followed him, gasping as I saw how small the room was. Claustrophobically small, barely one meter wide and two meters long. The only furniture in the room was a bed.
“What’s wrong, magic-girl?” Cullyn sneered. “Too tiny for your liking? Obviously, you’re used to more luxurious quarters.”
I shot him an angry look but didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of replying.
Cullyn’s smirk vanished when he couldn’t draw a response from me. “I will come back with your robes.” He rushed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
With the door closed, the room seemed even smaller. Like a prison cell, potentially even worse. The only window was so narrow I couldn’t even look through it. I tried to breathe, but it seemed as if there wasn’t enough oxygen in the miniscule cell to fill my lungs.
I sat down on the edge of my bed, keeping my head between my knees. The room is not that small, I told myself. There’s enough oxygen in here for five people, if not more. This is just your claustrophobia speaking.
As I finally started to get control of my air flow again, tears stung in the corners of my eyes, and I cursed Sebastian for the thousandth time that day, cursed him for forcing me to come here, to the last place on earth I wanted to be, and surrounded by the very people who despised my kind.
Stupid, stupid Sebastian.
Chapter Six
Cullyn appeared again about half an hour later, and brought me my robes, some bread and a bowl of water. He didn’t say anything as he dropped them off, turned on his heel and disappeared, locking the door behind him.
I put the robes on. The fabric was crude, the color a dull grey. I guessed you were only allowed to wear the red robes once you were a full-fledged Red Priest, and that the acolytes had to wear grey. After a few hours, I ate a piece of the bread—it was so dry I nearly broke my teeth on it.
Even if I wanted to escape to Hugo, Cullyn had locked the door. There was no way out. Once one signed up as an acolyte to the Red God, there was no going back.
Magic Underground: The Complete Collection (Magic Underground Anthologies Book 4) Page 70
