By Destiny Bound (The Lost Shrines Book 2)

by Amberlyn Holland

  Food tasted like dust in her mouth and any appetite she might have had evaporated in the oppressive silence. After a dozen half-hearted bites, Yve gave up breakfast and pushed her plate away. When she stood up and headed for the door, noise once again erupted in the breakfast room behind her.

  Cutlery dropping, chairs scraping, and furious whispering as the entire Order hurried to follow her.

  Carefully, Yve chose her place directly in front of the Temple’s oldest tapestry. Hoping it, and her medallion, gave enough air of authority to make up for her youth, her clumsiness, and her eternal inability to fit in. It didn't surprise her when Gyrt was the first one into the meditation chamber. Looking stern and smug at the same time, she stood at the center of the room, facing Yve like they were about to duel. The rest of Order filed in, taking seats behind the elder Seryt.

  The High-Seryt was the last to enter, raising eyebrows when she bypassed the benches and came to stand at Yve's shoulder.

  It seemed to take Gyrt by surprise as well, if the way her sneer slid into a scowl was anything to go by. It didn't stop her, however, from launching into her screed.

  The screeching diatribe held no surprises for anyone. Filled with words like inappropriate and immature. Unsuitable and unprepared. Yve's head dipped with every harsh word and her shoulders drooped with every reminder of yet another example of her failure to conform.

  "And this morning, the worst transgression of all. No regard, no discretion, no humility. She simply flaunted her disdain for the tenets of our Order. A man in her bedroom."

  No shocked gasp, of course, as that bit of knowledge had already skated from tongue to ear and back. There was a renewed murmur and a multitude of nodding heads.

  "She broke the very first tenet we learn as novitiates," the elder stepped forward, pointing sharply at the tapestry behind her and the passage embroidered along the bottom. "We memorize the words almost as soon as we enter the Order."

  "The Order of the Temple of the Moon Goddess protects and guards the sanctuary of the sacred knowledge of the Goddess. All faithful are welcome to the Centrum but the Temple beyond is sacred and secret from all but Temple residents."

  The elder read the words loudly, and Yve pinched her lips to stop herself from whispering the familiar refrain along with her.

  "The first rule we learn is that outsiders must not be allowed to venture past the hall and the Centrum." Gyrt paused dramatically before pointing an accusing finger at Yve. "It is our duty to protect the sanctuary. And she betrayed that duty."

  To avoid the disapproving glares and self-righteous nodding, Yve turned to stare at the tapestry, feeling her own guilt at her indiscretion curl in her gut. She studied the rippling pattern of colors under the image of the Temple. Yve had always assumed it was from the sun-fading of a time when the tapestry hung somewhere brighter.

  This close, though, the pattern became something else. Something deliberate, not accidental.

  Offset beneath the depiction of the Temple was a faint but recognizable image of a Labyrinth.

  Dizziness consumed her, and a whirlwind of vision took her breath away.

  The red and white twist dissolved into the Hound and the Assassin as they spun, the world changing around them. Red left the world broken, two paths reaching out into eternity. One darkness and flames, the Temple burning in the void. One uncertainty with a spark of hope struggling to endure. White was joy and peace, but a sense of things left unfinished. A silver altar stood at the center, stained with blood and darkness. Yve understood her burden. The Hound fought the man, but she protected the heart of the Order itself.

  "...a respected member of the Order, Goddess hold her, suffered severe punishment when she only wanted to show her sweet nephew what life was like in the Temple," Elder Seryt Gyrt's diatribe continued, gaining in volume and emphasis, pulling Yve back to the moment. "And she willingly risked purpose of the sanctuary, to protect our sacred knowledge. All for a foreign man with a secret mission."

  "You're wrong," Yve said, voice strong and clear and cutting through the elder's continuing tirade.

  Gyrt's lips sucked in with shock, pinching her face into desiccated-looking parody.

  "I'm not wrong. I saw him with my own eyes."

  "Not about Maddyn. You're wrong about what we're protecting. You're wrong about our purpose."

  Gyrt's mouth worked silently for several seconds before she spit out, "How dare you?"

  Calm certainty suffused Yve, leaving no room for self-doubt. She picked up her medallion by the chain and walked forward until the pendant swung like a pendulum in front of the elder.

  "I dare with this."

  Dropping the medallion, she stepped back and looked around the room. Making sure she had everyone's attention.

  "I dare because I've seen the lost Sword in Daen's hand. Because I've seen the Temple burn and I've seen the light prevail."

  Yve swallowed the icy fear of her most recent vision that still chilled her veins.

  "I dare because if Maddyn fails, destiny will split in two. One path can still save us. The other ends in fire and blood and screams. The continent and the Isles enslaved in unbreakable chains.

  "I dare because I finally know the secret I was born to protect."

  The secret that the Temple guarded the Labyrinth and the Labyrinth guarded a power that could destroy the world in the wrong hands.

  Around the room, some faces had gone white with fear, some heads were with doubt. Poor Gyrt was frozen, stunned and gaping.

  Yve didn't have time to deal with Temple politics or the petty gripes. She had a world to save.

  "Everyone out. Now."

  Her voice, strong and unwavering echoed slightly in the chamber, and few more doubters blanched. Still, she was surprised when they obeyed, filing out with much less glee than they had entered with.

  When Brynna moved to follow the crowd, Yve held up her hand. "Wait, Brynna, stay. Please. I need your help."

  *****

  When the last of the Order had dispersed, the door firmly shut behind them, Yve dropped her head and let her shoulders sag.

  Brynna stood demurely, hands folded and spine straight as she patiently waited. Yve had always admired that superhuman calm and serene acceptance in the face of any situation. Now, she felt empathy for Brynna. And guilt. The woman had spent her whole life being molded for a role that had been thrust on Yve instead.

  "What's that say?" Yve asked, pointing to the embroidered words at the bottom of the tapestry. The same words Gyrt had just recited to castigate Yve.

  Brynna looked at her askance though she didn't ask the question obviously dancing on the tip of her tongue.

  Yve shook her head in exasperation. "I know what we were taught. I memorized it like everyone else. I wasn't that bad as a novitiate. I need you to translate the passage. I need to know the literal translation."

  "It is the words we were taught--"

  "Please. Just read it."

  Yve got another odd, contemplative look from the High-Seryt before Brynna gathered her skirts and knelt down to get a closer view of the embroidery.

  "The Order of the Temple of the Moon Goddess protects and guards the sanctuary of the sacred knowledge of the Goddess."

  She glanced back, eyebrow raised as if she'd made her point, but Yve only made a shooing motion, urging her to continue.

  "All faithful are welcome to the faith--" Brynna stumbled on the word and squinted at the embroidery. Her expression smoothed, and she continued translate with certainty. "To the Centrum but the Temple beyond is sacred and secret from all but Temple residents."

  Yve pointed to the place Brynna had hesitated and asked, "What does that say?"

  "Centrum," Brynna repeated, frowning a little.

  "Yes, but that's not what you started to say. Look." Yve held her hand over the first half of the word and pointed to the second part. "That's the word for Goddess. What did you start to translate the first part as?"

  "It looks like the word for faith
, but--"

  "So the word for Centrum is faith and Goddess written together as one word?"

  "It seems so. I think it is a common convention of the language. I know the word for library is room-knowledge."

  "Of course it is," Yve muttered and started to pace, mind racing with possibilities.

  "What is it? What is going on?" Brynna asked hesitantly. "Mother Orra kept many secrets. Most of them related to...related to the gift. Is this part of that?"

  Yve bit her lip, the need for secrecy battling with her need to confirm her own theory. Brynna was High-Seryt. But for a quirk of fate Yve still didn't truly understand, she should have been Kelan. She should be the one wrestling with these confusing and overwhelming matters of state and the Order's security and tradition.

  Pulling off the amulet, Yve handed it to Brynna, inscription side up. "Can you translate this for me?"

  Brynna frowned down at the back, fingers tracing over the engraving. After a moment or two, she started hesitantly stumbling through the words.

  "When the Way is ready to reopen, the--" Brynna shook her head, finger brushing over a section of the inscription. "I don't know this word."

  "Don't worry, keep going. I think I only need to get the gist of it. We can figure out the specifics later."

  "When the Way is ready to reopen the something Kelan will appear. Begin in the--" Brynna broke off and smiled at Yve. "In the room-knowledge to find the... portal-Way?"

  "I'm guessing that's the entrance to the Labyrinth."

  "But the Labyrinth is a myth. A metaphor we use for focus and meditation."

  Yve stared at the faded tapestry with its cleverly hidden image. "No. That's what we're supposed to think. It's very real and very powerful, and it's in danger of being used for a monstrous purpose.”

  Brynna's lips parted, questions brightening her eyes, but she just shook her head and focused on the inscription again.

  "The mark of the Kelan is the key to enter the Way and find the path to center and knowledge-Goddess."

  "Stand at the center and know the Goddess," she murmured.

  "What?"

  "I'm sorry, I don't have time to explain everything. I have to find Maddyn."

  "What can I do?"

  "Try to keep the others upstairs, out of the way. And don't let any outsiders other than Maddyn into the Temple. He really is the only exception."

  Yve knew that running through the Temple would only call unwanted attention and speculation. Especially when it seemed like half the Order was casually wandering the hallways, probably hoping to hear or see something gossip worthy. Yve of a week ago wouldn't have cared about drawing attention or causing a stir in the moment, though she might have regretted it later. Now, though, she had a secret to protect. But, more importantly, she had a role to play. As Kelan, she had to project the appearance of the leader the Order needed her to be.

  Whether they wanted her or not.

  Once her feet hit the soft grass of the garden, however, and she was sure none of the Order had followed her outside the Temple, Yve picked up the pace. Still a walk, but a fast walk that occasionally skipped into a run for a step or two.

  Halfway to the Keep, hidden from view in the dense evergreen nook, a gravelly voice startled her from behind.

  "I didn't think a drudge like you would ever put it all together, let alone so quickly."

  Yve stopped in her tracks, heart slamming against her ribs, and twisted to face the looming figure behind her.

  The dark red cloak and menacing leather mask were terrifyingly familiar. The assassin who murdered Orra in the Temple. Fear choked the breath from Yve's lungs, her body froze, eyes locked on the wicked looking knife he held. No doubt, the green tinge staining the metal blade was the same poison that had taken the true Kelan from them.

  "I intended to wait until the barbarian got bored and wandered off to bother another kingdom. But you surprised me."

  He spoke casually, as if innocuously commenting on the weather. But he circled closer with every word. "I must claim the power that belongs to my master before your Harbinger interferes. I'm afraid I need your jewelry to do it. I had intended to simply steal it once he gave up and left but you were too clever for your own good. Now, you'll meet the same fate as your predecessor."

  Fear shifted to burning anger, and the rush fueled her to twist sideways and throw herself out of the path when he lunged forward. His blade missed, but his shoulder slammed into her chest. The breath rushed out of her lungs, and the impact sent her stumbling back further.

  She kicked out at his leg, foot tangling in her skirts and taking most of the momentum from it but still managed to push him off balance. He stumbled a bit and let out a satisfying grunt of pain. She grabbed her skirts and kicked again, connecting with the knife and sending it flying.

  Over her own shaking anger and cold fear, the moon-bond burned to life. She could practically hear Maddyn's roar of outrage. Could feel him racing toward her with fury and savage protectiveness consuming him.

  The assassin closed in on her, and Yve darted away, knowing she only needed to hold the bastard off until Maddyn reached her.

  He lunged, hands stretching for her throat and she ducked backward again. Yve hoped she survived that long.

  -9-

  ONCE again cleaned up and wearing his own clothes, Maddyn went in search of the prince.

  Outside of the closed door of Daen's study, Maddyn found himself toe to toe with the prince's seneschal. Lennar guarded the ornate door like it was the royal treasury.

  "His Highness does not receive visitors at this time. If you would like to make an appointment--"

  "I'm trying to help him protect his damn kingdom, I don't care about his schedule. Tell him I'm out here, and I have news about our issue. That I think we are getting close to finding-- To solving the issue. Let him decide if he'll receive me."

  The seneschal drew himself up, pointed chin lifted in disdain. "That is not the way it works. I am responsible for protecting his schedule and making sure he is not disturbed with unimportant nonsense."

  "Nonsense?" Maddyn roared. He moved forward, looming over the lackey. Reluctantly, he was impressed by the man's willingness to hold his ground.

  The sacrosanct door opened, and Daen looked between them with a faint smirk. "Problem?"

  "I may have some new information," Maddyn said, talking over the top of Lennar sputtering about appointments and schedules.

  Daen blinked, smile becoming softer and more hopeful. "Did you find it?"

  Maddyn glanced at the seneschal, unwilling to share much in front of him. "Not yet, but we’re getting closer. I have some questions for you."

  "It's all right, Lennar. This is important," Daen said.

  The seneschal's face pinched more, but he dipped his head in acknowledgment. "Of course, Your Highness. I'll just rearrange your afternoon schedule."

  He glared at Maddyn and settled back behind his oversized desk with the air of a martyr making the ultimate sacrifice.

  Maddyn followed Daen into his office, closing the door firmly. He filled the prince in on the tale he'd heard. Then explained in broad strokes what Yve had stumbled on, careful to gloss over exactly where she'd discovered the inscription.

  "Do you know anything more about what happened to the sword?"

  "Not much more than what you've found. There are a lot of theories. Every decade or so, some treasure hunter gets a bee in their bonnet and goes looking."

  A burst of enthusiastic glee slipped through their bond, flooding Maddyn with Yve's excitement. He didn't realize how wide he was smiling at her giddy enthusiasm as if it were his own.

  "Something funny?" Daen asked.

  "No. It's Yve."

  When the prince raised his eyebrows, Maddyn fidgeted a little at his slip and coughed to cover his embarrassment. "The Kelan, I mean. She's excited about something."

  "You think she's found something?"

  "Maybe. We'll know soon. She's coming to us."

 
Daen sat back in his chair and pinned Maddyn with a long, considering stare.

  "The bond is strong, already. What will you do at the next full moon?"

  Maddyn answered with silence because he'd just finished telling himself he'd be gone as soon as possible. Done with Yve and with the bond. He couldn't force those words past his lips, though. Couldn't make it real by saying it out loud.

  A sudden shift in the emotions shimmered along their connection. Fear. Anger. Pain. Danger so dark and real it was almost palpable.

  Maddyn came to his feet with a roar that echoed over the bond. He followed it with a push of surety that he was coming for her.

  "Maddyn. What's wrong? What's going on?"

  Barely coherent enough through fury and fear, he raced to the door and answered briefly. "Yve's in trouble."

  Maddyn yanked the door open, shifting to his other form before he even made it all the way through.

  The race through the Keep and out into the garden was a blur until he caught sight of the struggle in the secluded nook. Yve was kicking at the looming figure trying to get his hands around her neck

  With a menacing growl, the Hound leapt forward into the fray. At the same time, Yve kicked out again. The assassin’s hand wrapped in the medallion's chain and tugged, breaking the metal links. Then he grasped Yve's shoulder, yanking her off balance and pushing her into Maddyn's path.

  Maddyn twisted to take the brunt of the fall, trying to save Yve from as much of the impact as possible. He still heard her grunt of pain, felt her go still.

  In a panic, he shifted back to human form to check her over. His heart lodge thickly in his throat when he saw the poison-streaked blade on the ground, not far away. He remembered how quickly Orra had faded, and all he could think was Not her. Not now.

  "Yve, damn it. Yve."

  *****

  The vision was the same as before. Yet different. The Temple burned, but she was inside it now. Bodies of a dozen Seryts tortured, defiled, murdered littered the floor. The red-cloaked assassin stood at an altar, bathed in blood and the vile power of his atrocities, enslaved the magic of the Labyrinth until it turned red and unclean.