The Priestess Trials Trilogy Box Set: An Asian Myth and Legend Series
Page 52
Kenda stood and placed her hands next to his. The wall crashed down, and his eyes opened.
Chapter 28
Kenda
“Thank the good spirits! We made it.” Her whole body trembled as she got up to make sure Kisig was indeed alive.
He blinked. “Thank you, but how did you know about that place?”
“It was an accident. I was desperate to heal Lucy when she was dying, and Uncle Goni told me there was nothing wrong with her physically. Her soul had left her body, and I had to retrieve it, just like what happened to you. But in that place, we’re drawn to happy memories before we die, and we don’t care about the living world anymore. If it wasn’t for Datu Goni, both of us would have… Where are they?” She looked around, but no one was in sight. Even Tala was gone. The ashes of the torch were scattered around the circle, as if they had been stepped on by several people.
She grabbed the high priestess’s staff propped against the wall. Her energy surged, and she didn’t know whether that was just her imagination or if High Priestess Mutya had removed the spell that served to weaken the torch’s power through the locks of hair when they had been transferred back to the staff.
“They wouldn’t have left us here.” Kisig headed to the exit of the underground.
Before Kenda could follow, she realized that the ashes weren’t scattered. Words were written sloppily with them.
“'We have to hurry down to the underground lake,” she said. “They went there to banish the souls to the afterlife.”
“If we go there, there’s a big chance we’re going to be lured by them too. Did you forget what happened last time?”
“Not if I summon the high priestesses to help me.” But when they reached the underground lake, the magicians were all safe. They were sitting on the sand, talking to the souls. The souls didn’t seem jealous or evil, but Kenda could feel their loneliness. They seemed to be lost.
“Kenda! Thank the good spirits.” Tala rushed back to the dry waterfall and waited for Kenda and Kisig to climb down. “I was so worried when Datu Goni arrived here without you. He said you’d be all right and that you were waking up when he left.” She gave Kenda a bone-crushing hug then bowed to Kisig.
Instead of returning the bow, Kisig hugged Tala, and the girl’s face turned red. Kenda smiled, happy that Tala didn’t have to worry about status anymore and that the torch’s corruption was finally gone.
“High Priestess,” Idja said, “when the torch was destroyed, these souls seemed to calm down, but they didn’t know how to cross to the afterlife. All of them are souls of those who tried to get a hold of the torch but died because they were rejected by it. If they continue to live among us, I’m afraid it’ll cause the veil to tear down.”
Kenda nodded in understanding. “They only need guidance. They’ve been here for a long time, and all they know is this place.” She closed her eyes and, without the aid of the locks of hair, called the high priestesses one by one. Their names were etched in her memory, because she knew one day she would need to call them with or without the staff.
“I would have pinched you in the afterlife if you’d died earlier.” High Priestess Nora stood, hands on her hips, just as when she was alive.
“I’m stubborn, Grandma. I wouldn’t die easily. And did you forget that I want to be rich? Just watch from the afterlife as I make a house made of stone and gold.”
High Priestess Nora clucked her tongue in disbelief, but Kenda knew her grandmother supported her dreams. As the trapped souls slowly disappeared with the high priestesses, Kenda led the villagers out of the underground.
Acknowledgment
Big thanks to my husband who is always supportive of my decisions. I’d also thank Brittni Chenelle, a multicultural author who is always willing to share advice on writing and publishing.
To Rasmi Sigh, thank you for pointing out typos in the unproofread version of this book.
Thank you for reading. If you like The Priestess Trials, please leave a review on Amazon. Your review will help other readers discover my book.
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