Page 154 of The Cerulean Sister
Someone is trying to hold me.
Moving my limbs feels like they are weighted, and swaying to get away makes me sick with nausea.
Four elders stand across from me, staring with intense inspection, moving slowly closer together in a tight group. The invisible restraints tighten, as if testing me for defiance, seeing if I will try to leave.
Even if I wanted to, these women would not let me now. They know something is off, sensing the panic I am desperately trying to keep at bay.
They watch me through heavily wrinkled eyes, a sign of their age and power. These women are not frail; they are dangerous and even more so because they are the ones who stayed behind when they thought someone was giving birth today.
They are complicit in the evils done here.
They are monsters.
"Elders, if I have to go through you, I will. You will not keep me from my sister." I summon my light. I will not be able to take all four by myself, but I have to try.
The very moment my hands illuminate green, I am thrust back into a pillar, pinned with my arms at my sides.
I gasp for the air that was stolen from me, the rounded surface of the stone crushing and conforming my shoulder blades around it.
"You will not make threats in this temple!" The elder with dark undereyes grits her cream-colored teeth at me.
Each inhale sends a sharp zap through me, the pressure so great my bones feel like they are on the verge of snapping in two.
An elder priestess’s gifts grow stronger with age, and I have no doubt they will try to kill me now, but I will level this temple in the process.
I pull at my ties, knowing more than one of them is holding me in place.
I have to call for help. I thought I could do this alone, but there are people, my family who want to help me.
"Calliape,"I whisper into the tether I have shared with her before.
The connection is weak but it catches, and I can sense her body jolt at the energy I can't help but send her way.
"Leema is in danger. They are holding me at the Temple of Divine Mothers."
"I will tell the others."
"99 is almost here but I need you.Will you come?"
"Yes."Her answer is simple, confident, and ready.
"Leema is likely with Crixa. If you can only carry us one at a time, I will stay behind and deal with the aftermath."
"Selene is coming too,"she says as if she is talking to her aloud.
If Calliape can take Leema out right away, then Selene can stay behind with me to finish this.
"Come."I close my eyes and call out across the ether, sending Calliape images of where I am, of the walls, the people around me, updating her on every detail I can possibly muster.
When I open my eyes again, Calliape stands beside me, Selene right next to her.
The elders’ faces are wild with fury, their grip tightening around me.
With Selene and Calliape now at my side, feeding me strength, I shake my hands and slide out of the sticky webs holding me. Like wet clothes, their restraints fall to the floor in a useless flop.
"We are sworn to protect this temple. You are all intruders and you will not leave here alive," the dark undereyed elder says, stepping forward as the leader among them.
My fingertips itch, begging me to release my light into this space and relieve some of the pressure. "You will step aside, elders."
