Page 94 of The Cerulean Sister
Her dark grey veil covers her face, the gossamer fabric draped beautifully and hiding the result of the guard's violence under it. I brush it back gently, my fingers trembling against her already pale, cold skin. A sensation I wish I did not recognize.
I can only stand to look for a moment, turning away at the sight of a dark hole in her cheek, her eyes open and blank.
I could have helped her.
If I had my light, I would have fought with them and perhaps she would still be alive.
Ben collects himself and searches for his sword. "We need to keep moving, High Priestess Ferren."
"She is dead."
When I look up at him, my vision is a little blurry and dark on the edges from breathing so shallow.
He holds out his hand to me.
I stare at it, dazed. "That guard had a gun . . . An Estate guard had a gun."
"It explains the sword left in the hall back there." He flicks his fingers for me to stand.
The sword looked abandoned, like someone had just dropped it there. I have seen how they are made, the craftsmanship. No true Estate guard would leave something so cherished behind like that.
We were attacked by an Estate guard wielding a weapon of First Son. He killed this high priestess without a thought, and he would have killed me too if it was not for Ben.
I take his hand and pull myself up onto my feet.
"This way to the emperor's wing," he directs.
"I should go to the temple."
"No, I saw smoke coming from that direction when we passed the last courtyard. I am taking you to Lord Hollis. His guards will protect you."
"What? No." I step back.
"I'm going to the school. I have to."
I know exactly what he means, even without the intense look he gives me. He is going to protect Thea in the School of Divine Children, make sure whatever this is has not bled out into every part of the Estate. He knows he can't take me with him, and he is too honorable to abandon his duty. I cannot fault him for wanting to drop me off with the other guards assigned to Lord Hollis and me.
I agree with a nod, and we silently walk out of the corridor together.
The bell continues its deafening toll as we make our way back to Lord Hollis's chambers. When we skirt close to the grand hall,the sounds make my skin prickle, and as we pass it, I have to lift my gown high to step over a slain lesser priestess and avoid the blood pooling around her.
We cannot stop to make sure she is ok. We have to keep going.
More bodies litter the halls closer to the heart of the Estate, some temple members, some guards, but all motionless.
When we finally arrive at Lord Hollis's quarters, his guards meet us at the door, ready to engage. My stomach drops at the sight of them ready for a fight, but they sheath their weapons as soon as they see Ben and let us enter.
I burst into Lord Hollis's chambers like it's a safe haven away from the chaos. The interior is too serene, an eerie contrast, just like every other time I have been in this room.
Lord Hollis stands slowly from the head of the table, which is set for dinner. He eyes us both and dismisses his guards with a flick of his hand.
"You need to barricade yourselves inside, my lord," Ben advises between giving the other guards a rundown of what he saw and instructions on how to proceed.
I notice there are no servers or handmaids to help, so I frantically run to the windows to close the giant shutters. This room is normally full of his staff, all forced to witness his cruelty during my meals spent here, but now it's empty.
I pull on the ornately carved shutters hidden behind heavy curtains. The hinges are stiff, but I force them shut, locking the mechanism together. I look out into the perpetual dusky shade cast off the Estate building, some areas brighter than others from small fires burning in the distance.
I cannot see Leema's temple from here, but smoke rises faintly in the sky in every direction. It feels wrong to close us in when parts of the building are burning, but we cannot do anything except hide deeper in the Estate.
