“Preparing to leave.” He failed to meet her gaze.
Ria swallowed. “Because of what happened last night?”
“Partly.”
“Were you going to tell me?”
He shrugged. “Hadn’t gotten that far.”
Ria stared at the grove. If she had remained in the temple, would she have returned to the camp and found him gone? Was he rejecting their double bond because of what he’d experienced last night? “Why?”
“I need some time alone. To think. To remember.”
She stepped toward him. “You can’t leave. I’ve found the ancient temple.”
“That’s exactly why I must go. I’ve seen and felt the depth of your hatred for Malera.”
“Do you think I’m wrong to want justice for those she’s harmed?”
He groaned. “She deserves punishment for misusing her powers. You want to start rival circles and confront her. Think of Gydon. Will you lead others to their deaths as my parents led their followers? Will you see more innocents destroyed, or another hamlet become a waste?”
“Did I say I would go to a hamlet?”
“Where else can you gather people?”
Tears burned her eyes. “There’s a temple here and a circle with more power than the one in Rosti.”
He continued packing. “Forget this need for vengeance and come with me.”
“Not when every commoner and every priestess faces death at Malera’s hand. Anyone who could be stronger in power than her is at risk. If I can restore the circle here, I can activate the stones and challenge her. If you stand with me, we can win.”
He turned away. “Don’t be a fool. Malera has been a priestess for longer than you’ve lived.”
“Ari, please.”
“I’m newly come to power. What help can I be?”
Ria knelt and rummaged for cloths and a sack. “Go, but hear me. This is the time and the place.” If she had to stand alone, so be it. She ran back to the cavern. After scooping stones into the sack, she returned to the inner chamber.
* * *
Ari frowned. She didn’t understand. Though she had witnessed the destruction of the Gydon circle through his memories, she had no ties to the dead. Not just his parents had died that day, but friends and their families. He had lost his entire family. He had no desire to see another person die in the flames.
He completed the division of the supplies and left Bera for Ria. She might decide to follow him. Would she see his plan to take the crystals to Rosti and offer the rest of the fyrestones in the cavern to Malera would buy freedom for them? He tugged on Ber’s lead. At first, the burro balked, but with gentle prodding, plodded after Ari.
As he entered the pass, he heard noises. A courser neighed. Ari froze. Who had found the pass? Thieves didn’t ride steeds and the nomads never came into the hills.
Ari turned Ber, released the lead and slapped the beast’s rump. Ber fled down the slope. Keeping to the shadows, Ari crept toward the head of the pass. When he saw the uniforms of the guards, he knew the priestesses had found them.
“Here,” a woman shouted. “He’s here. Grab him.”
Ari turned to run. He felt a blow against his head. When he roused, he opened his eyes a slit. He lay near the fire circle with his arms bound behind his back.
Malera stood over him. She dangled the chain and crystal he’d worn for most of his life. “So stone seeker, you’re the spawn of those who rebelled against the temple. My teacher saw to the end of your sire and dam.” She laughed. “Larina shared the event with me. Would you like to see how they screamed when they died in the flames?”
Ari pressed his lips into a firm line. To answer would only raise her ire. He knew what had happened. When he and Ria attempted the triple bond, his memories had surfaced and he witnessed the end. He had to escape and warn Ria. He turned his head away from the chief priestess.
Malera knelt beside him. She grabbed his hair and forced him to look at her. “Your mother was a traitor. She lusted after the stud Larina had claimed as hers. Your mother took him, another stud, and two priestesses, and left Rosti. They tried to found a rival temple. They failed.”
Ari closed his eyes. He had to keep her from asking about Ria. “The son of a priestess. How can that be? Women who serve the temple are unable to bear children.”
Anger flashed in her eyes. “We aren’t barren. Giving birth is forbidden. To get with child means surrender to a man. The burden of motherhood keeps a woman from her duties as a priestess.”
She dangled the caged scarlet in his face. The crystal began to circle. Would it point to the cavern? Would it reveal the stone he wore on a chain around his neck or the blue one in his hand? How could he divert Malera’s attention? He closed his eyes and began to concoct a plan.
Chapter Ten
Ari focused on the trees behind the chief priestess. To watch the movement of the stone was to fall into her power. That would mean his death. The crystal beneath his tunic heated. “Shouldn’t women, even priestesses, have a choice?”
Malera glared. “The sons born to priestesses can call fire from the major stones. If men became priests and served in the temple, they would push women aside. The priestesses would lose and become slaves to men’s whims.”
“Couldn’t men and women work together? In the past they have.” The breaking of the seal over his memories had brought recollections of his parents and their friends working together. He thought of how he and Ria shared camp chores and the unity they’d found as she taught him to use the fyrestones. Why had he walked away from her?
Malera released her grasp on his hair. His head smacked the ground, bringing a return of his headache. “You were commanded to attend the solstice celebration in the temple. Instead, you slithered out of Rosti in the company of a traitor. When I sent the flames to kill you, you survived. Did this stone protect you?”
“Perhaps.” He wouldn’t tell her how Ria had blocked the sending.
Malera smiled. “And now you face punishment for that disobedience.”
He sucked in a breath. “What right have you to punish a man who doesn’t desire you?”
“All men desire me.” She leaned closer. “I could make you beg to pleasure me and make you ache for a release I wouldn’t allow you. I could use my scarlet to inflame you, or force you to tell me where Ria has gone.”
“Ria?”
“Don’t deny she was with you. The innkeeper and the gate guard identified her as your apprentice.” Malera brought the caged stone toward his face. “She used this crystal.” She cupped the stone and stared into the depths.
Ari felt her attempt to crawl into his mind. He held fast against the invasion. “No.”
“Do not lie. Where is she?”
Ari closed his eyes. “She was with me in Rosti. She left the hamlet in my company. What proof have you that she remained with me?”
“Open your eyes.” Her hand lashed his cheek. “Where is she?”
“I can’t tell you.”
With a cry of fury, she smashed the caged scarlet against a rock of the fire circle. “This is what happens to those who use fyrestones and defy me.”
Sharp pain stabbed Ari’s head. Agony convulsed his body. During the seizure, he rolled to his stomach. The heat from the new scarlet stone eased the pain and halted the convulsions. All tension left his body. His muscles went slack. Let Malera believe he was unconscious. He needed time to plan an escape and a way to find Ria.
* * *
Ria reached for the flask and sipped the tea. The first tier of the circle now held sixteen white fyrestones in the cups. She peeled a yellow citron and bit into the juicy flesh. Eight yellow, four orange, and two scarlet crystals would complete all except the top level. For that, she believed a single blue stone was needed. If she couldn’t find one, would a scarlet work?
Knowing filled her. As she had told Ari, this was the time and the place. She felt subtle vibrations from the fyrestones she wore and the ones she’d gathered in the
cavern. When the crystals were in place, she would call fire and challenge Malera. The teaching sessions with Ari had honed her skills and raised her confidence in her ability to control the flames. Once the chief priestess had been defeated, the stones could be restored to their proper use.
What would she do then? She had no desire to be the chief priestess of the temple in Rosti, or even in this ancient place. She wanted to learn more about the crystals and how they could be used. She wanted to visit the lands beyond the mountains, and she wanted to be with Ari.
Tears threatened. She choked back the cries that lodged in her throat. Why had he left? Would he take the stones to Malera? If he did, could the challenge be won? Ria drew a deep breath. She could only try. She rose and continued her work on the circle. When she finished the fourth tier, she considered what to do about the empty cup on the fifth level.
Ari had found a blue fyrestone, but he had taken it when he deserted her. Though they had bonded in body and heart, he had left. Had they really failed to complete the third bond? She shuddered. Flashes of the destruction of the Gydon circle flooded her thoughts. Why had they failed? Had the priestesses of Rosti been that much stronger?
Ria cupped the caged scarlet she wore and tried to conjure Ari’s face in the flames. The place where he should have been was a dark area. What had happened to him? Her heart skipped a beat, and then pounded in an erratic rhythm. Was he dead? The dark shadows lightened. Ria stared, but she couldn’t bring him into view. She tore the web of grief aside before she became enmeshed in unbreakable threads. No matter what she felt inside, restoring the circle was her mission.
She had no blue stone. Would a scarlet work? When she placed one in the cup, the crystal shattered with enough force to embed a sliver in her palm. She drew the shard out and sucked the burning wound, then used her fyrestone to heal the cut.
With care, she cleaned the debris from the depression. A blue fyrestone was essential. She made her way down the tiers and sat with her head pressed against her bent knees. Healing the small cut had used a great amount of energy. As soon as her head cleared, she would return to the outer cavern and search for a blue crystal.
* * *
Malera sat outside her tent and ate the midday meal the servants had prepared. The studs followed two of the priestesses into a tent. Malera wiped her fingers on a perfumed cloth and took her fyrestone into her hand.
Where was Ria? Until the young woman was dead, Malera’s control over the priestesses could be broken. During the journey, Malera had secretly listened to the conversations of the priestesses she’d chosen for the quest. After their recovery from the shattering of the stones during Ria’s challenge, the trio had questioned Malera’s announcement of Ria’s defeat. Their questions remained. Leaving them in Rosti to foment trouble wouldn’t have been wise.
Why had Ria’s conditioning failed? The young woman had been eager to learn the ways of the temple. Why had she issued a challenge just before the solstice? The attempt had been inept, yet powerful. If she had waited until after the solstice rites when the power of the chief priestess was weakened, Ria could have won.
Malera dragged her thoughts from the past and considered her quest. Where was this fabled temple, and where was Ria? Show me, she demanded. When a dark passage lit by white crystals appeared Malera gasped. The tunnel ended in a blaze of light. The scarlet stone pulsed. The young woman she sought was near.
Malera rose to follow the pull of her stone. She gestured to the acolytes and the priestess who lounged by the fire. “Fetch the other priestesses and come with me.” She motioned to the guards. “Two of you bring the prisoner and some torches.” She smiled. When she found Ria, she wanted the stone seeker to witness the traitor’s death.
As the guard yanked Ari to his feet, his eyes flew open. He staggered and nearly fell.
Malera ran the handle of her flail along his jaw. “You survived the shattering of the scarlet you wrongfully wore. Trust me when I say your recovery is temporary. Before long, you’ll march to my command. When I find your traitorous companion, you’ll watch her burn.” His silence infuriated her, and with great reluctance, she blocked the desire to char him.
When they reached the entrance to the cavern, Malera pointed to a boulder that partially blocked the wide entrance. “Leave the prisoner here.” She waited for the acolytes to light torches and enter the cavern. Loud gasps and shrill exclamations drew her to the entrance. “What is the problem?”
“We’ll never have to purchase fyrestones again. There are thousands scattered over the floor.”
Malera stepped inside. The glow from the crystals awed her. She pointed to one of the acolytes. “Fetch as many empty sacks as you can find. If there are none, bring cloth or blankets. With these in our possession, our power will be unlimited.” She sat on a flat rock and stared at the vast treasure.
As soon as the acolyte returned, Malera took one of the smaller sacks. She picked through one of the heaps and selected only scarlet crystals. When she saw crystals in the chains like the one Ari had worn, she frowned. Why would anyone want to cage a fyrestone and miss the rush of power from holding the stone against the skin?
She looked up and studied the pattern of crystals on the dome. Almost a map, but surely not one of Fyre. ‘Twas too large. She noticed the three symbols, a flame, a beast, and a wand. With a shrug, she dismissed them and returned to hunting scarlets.
“Malera, I’ve found a blue fyrestone,” one of the acolytes cried.
“Bring it to me.”
The girl scurried across the cavern. Malera snatched the stone from the girl’s hand and stared into the core. Malera smiled. With this crystal under her control, no one could challenge her and win. Though tempted to call fire from the blue, she could wait until she found Ria. Now there was no way the younger woman could survive the challenge.
One of the priestesses waved. “There are three passages leading from this place. The right one is blocked, but the others appear open. The center one has fyrestones to light the way.”
Malera strode to where the woman stood. Her scarlet crystal pulsed. Malera peered into the opening and knew this was the tunnel she’d seen when she’d searched the flames for Ria.
She pointed to an acolyte. “Summon the guards to carry the stones to camp. They are to remain there until I summon them. I believe we’ve found the ancient temple where no man may enter the inner chamber. If the fates are kind, we will find the traitor and end her rebellion for all time.”
* * *
Ari slumped against the boulder and tried to make himself invisible. Once Malera saw the vast store of firestones, surely she would forget him? Could he free himself and join Ria before disaster struck? If Malera found Ria, a challenge would be cried and the pair would duel with the flames. Ria was alone. Malera had three priestesses and two acolytes to help her. Ari groaned. Would his presence at Ria’s side be an aid or a hindrance?
As soon as Malera and the priestesses entered the cavern, Ari began to work on his bonds. He wiggled along the boulder until his ropes caught against a sharp protuberance. He began to move his arms and shoulders. Several times, his skin was torn instead of the ropes. He suppressed cries of pain. The shouts and laughter from inside the cave gave him hope there was enough time for his escape before Malera searched for Ria. Where was she? Was she aware the chief priestess had arrived in the glen?
A young woman dressed in a white caftan, now stained with streaks of dirt, dashed past. One of the guards chased her. “Is there a problem?
She turned. “Malera needs some things from the camp.”
He trotted after her. The other guard lounged against the wall. Ari scanned the camp. He watched a figure dash into the orchard. Had Ria taken refuge there?
He worked harder on the bonds. Silently, he cursed himself for leaving her. Together, they could have found a way to escape. If only the bonding of their minds hadn’t brought knowledge and fear, they could have faced Malera and her minions as a team. Why had the final s
tep of the triple bond been so hard to achieve?
His shoulders cramped. Agonizing spears of pain shot down his arms. He paused to allow the pain to subside. Once the ropes were severed, would he be able to use his arms? The spasms ebbed. He sucked in a breath and once more, began to rub the ropes against the rock.
An odd thought arose. Why had the convulsions aborted after Malera had shattered the scarlet he’d worn for most of his life? Could the new scarlet he wore have protected him?
The acolyte and the guard returned with sacks and pieces of cloth. Ari rested again. His throat was dry. How long would the priestesses gather the stones? Would they find more blue fyrestones? Did Malera know how to use one?
Ria had known about the blue crystals. She’d told him of the things she’d read in the scrolls. Could there be more information in the scrolls she feared to open? Had Malera and the priestesses found the cylinders? What information had been lost when the papyrus had fallen into the fire?
With a snap, the bonds broke. The sudden release of tension in his shoulders brought tears to his eyes. His arms tingled, and then burned with the rush of returning blood. Ari clamped his teeth on his lower lip to stop a roar of pain. He dare not let his captors know he was free. While he waited for an opportunity to escape, he focused his gaze on the grove. Where was the person he’d thought he’d seen earlier? He saw nothing. He closed his eyes to rest and to plan.
Sometime later, one of the acolytes called to the guards. “Come and carry these sacks to the camp. You are to remain there and guard the contents until Malera summons you.”
The guards entered the cavern. When they emerged, each man carried four large sacks. They bent beneath with weight of their burdens. Neither man glanced at Ari. Once they were across the stream, he pushed to his feet. He exercised his shoulders to relieve the last of the kinks and slipped toward the opening. One of the guards had left a full water flask behind. Ari drank deeply. He turned to survey the camp. The guards dropped the sacks and sat beside the fire.
Temple of Fyre (Island of Fyre) Page 15
