Page 127 of The Cerulean Sister
"Have you been here long?" I ask Calliape.
"No, well, yes. I came earlier to get away from Selene, but you were not here." She glances around. "I cannot believe they put you back in this room."
I sigh at her with big eyes, letting her know I feel the same about this space.
"Can they hear us?" She points to my door, where my guards are posted.
"No, and we are safe until morning. I told them not to disturb me, that I am in mourning after the death ceremonies. 99 replaced them with Viathan commanders anyway."
"The Estate allowed that?" She leans against my little desk, glancing back to make sure she didn’t jostle the little glass bottles that line the surface.
"99 assigned them to a few other temple members as well, so it was not obvious. The emperor has resolved to using Viathans for protection after the coup and temple attack."
"Huh, that is odd. I thought I heard it was you who stopped a temple attack, not Viathan commanders." She pretends to ponder, looking off to the side dramatically.
I can't help but laugh at her. "I am just happy I can move around more freely."
She rolls her eyes but nods in agreement.
"You said you came early to get away from Selene?" I ask while removing my formal temple robe and then loosening some of the pins in my veil.
"I did." She purses her lips, pulling them to one side.
"How do you do it?" I ask.
"Do what?" She walks to the massive open wardrobe and runs her hand across the high priestess gowns. "Should I wear one of these?"
"You can if you like, though the library is normally pretty empty. And I mean how do you handle it with Selene here? She is so . . ." I cut myself off before I insult the woman who is helping us.
She takes a gown out, holding it by the wooden hanger. "This is very pretty. Um, like I said, I came early." She smiles again and then forces herself to be serious. "She was really hurt that I left.She thinks she knows what is best for me still. If it were up to her, I would be hidden away on the mountain forever."
"And what do you want?"
"I wish I could say." She holds the dress up to her tall, slender form, admiring herself in the door's mirror.
It's hard to decipher if she meant she does not know or if she wishes she could confess the truth aloud.
"Would you like to wear that, Calliape?"
She shakes her head like she is being silly for even considering it. "I should be asking if you are alright. 99 mentioned you may not want to speak on it so he let me know what happened, but I want to know if you are ok."
I shut the wardrobe and turn toward her. "If you mean my light, then yes, I am fine."
"I know your light is fine." She slants her head, playfully indignant. "I mean about the other priestess, Thea."
She knows I failed getting the ledgers from her, the reason she is here, why we have to try the harder of the two options Selene gave us.
"I cannot ask Thea to help me anymore. She is lost to this place, I think. I have to put distance between us for her safety."
"I'm sorry."
"Thank you." I make sure my door is locked and try to quickly move on from thinking of the way Thea broke when she recounted how Ben died. "Are you ready?"
Calliape straightens. "Do you know where we are going?"
I nod.
"Alright, think of the details of the location and keep yourself open."
