Page 120 of The Cerulean Sister
She is going to kill me. My guards allowed this woman in, thinking we were both here to pray.
No one is coming for me this time.
I summon everything I can, all the fractions of myself and the small amount of energy I have left. I hold onto her arms, digging my fingertips into the fabric and squeezing as hard as I can, pouring myself into each point in one last chance to save myself.
Green light illuminates between us like a candle being held, lighting up her face, her angry, watery eyes looking down on me.
I loosen my hands when I feel the twining snakes in my fingertips wrapping and twirling up her arms.
Her grip relents on my windpipe, and she looks down in horror as the vines of light scale upward to her shoulder.
I gasp, breathing freely for the first time, my vision coming back to me but the ache of my head keeping me in the same position on the floor.
She stands over me, desperately trying to pull my light off her body but only spreading it around.
It travels up her neck, down her torso, and straightens her arms out to either side as she steps away from me.
My full power surges through me again. I rise into a sitting position as I lift her inches above the floor, my green tendrils of light twisting around her, doubling back, and covering every surface.
"Guards!" I shout for them so loud my throat rasps from the sharp vibrations.
Finally, I hear them opening the thick wooden door of the temple that muffled our fighting exchange.
The woman screams, but the moment her mouth opens, thin, green, glowing strands of light slither inside, holding her mouth open and full to keep her quiet.
Estate guards run in at full force, as if the battle has not already been won, and stop short where I am still sprawled in the aisle, holding this intruder still.
"Find the nearest Viathan commander!"
They both look sickly pale and stare at each other, wondering if they should listen to me.
"Viathans cannot enter the temple. We?—"
"Do it now, guardsmen! She had a gun. She could have more."
The idiots stare at each other for another long moment, and then the younger of the two runs out, hopefully to do as I commanded.
"Are you hurt, High Priestess?" the guard asks with his hand on the butt of his sword, as if he could have done anything to help me even if he was doing his job correctly.
"Be quiet."
"Beg your pardon?" His patience snaps.
"You let a follower of First Son into the temple. What do you think she was after?"
He blanches an even more pale shade, his eyes flicking up to the altar where First Mother’s stones are laid out.
He starts a few nervous sentences and then quickly walks to the entrance of the temple, looking for help.
Three commanders come running in with their guns drawn. The one at the back scans the room, and the two in the front walk right up on me.
The woman's eyes go wide as she looks back and forth between the Viathans and me, and I can feel her intent to struggle, but I hold her still as they surround her.
"This woman was let in. The wards did not affect her or keep her out because she was already here," I tell them without worrying they will recognize me.
"Can you hold her, High Priestess?" the muffled voice of a commander asks me.
"I can. Have you notified the Estate? The 99th Commander?"
