Page 151 of The Cerulean Sister
I felt myself rip apart when my light manifested fully, and now I am being pulled and broken like the stones, two different worlds cracking me apart. Should I be standing somewhere in the middle between Crixa and the Viathans, not truly assimilating to their world and never fully fitting into this one?
"Commanders!" A booming voice captures my attention across the courtyard, and every Viathan stands straighter, pulling their legs and guns closer, at attention. The lord general has removed his helmet to address the entire fleet. "You have given yourselves in protection of the three worlds! You have taken an oath to uphold the peace and the safety of the stones by any means." The lord general pounds on his shoulder where the emblem of the three worlds is etched into his armor.
"Commanders!” 99's voice sends a chill up my spine, my skin responding to its timbre from across the courtyard. "Who do you fight for?"
The commanders each cross their armored chests with the guns they hold so tightly and pound onto the plates of their shoulders. 99 does the same, encouraging them in a steady rhythm.
"Who do you serve?" His powerful voice carries across the vast space.
The sounds of all of their fists crashing into their own armor makes some of the priestesses jump.
"Who do you pledge your life to?"
Another clashing of metal rings out, the echo swallowed by the wind, but with it, I notice a flood of amber affection washing over me so hard and fast that I sway in place. And when I am able to look around the taller high priestess in front of me, I can see 99's helmet fixed in my direction. I can not tell if he sees me or just senses my nearness through our tether. I want to send him love in return, but with Crixa so close and all the other vibrations of divinity around me, I do not want to risk testing my ward.
The lord general and 99 walk down the middle aisle toward Crixa, but she does not move to meet them. The entire courtyard waits as they speak to each other, too low to discern the words.
99's chiseled frame is turned to the side, the insignia on his shoulder of the three worlds in dancing conjunction polished in its satin sheen.
But something catches my eye just under the armor plate, as if it were tucked away. I keep my eyes on it, the only thing I can focus on as they speak.
When 99 turns slightly, I can finally see what he has placed there, the object that was never there before.
My fern hair pin is nestled just under the symbol for his world, his vows, and rank. The insignia denotes he has made an oath to protect our worlds, but the fern pin symbolizes his allegiance to me.
This is what he wanted me to witness when he told me to look for him, a secret, intimate display among the Viathan fleet and priestess order just for me.
As he shouted to the crowd and enticed the fleet to be proud of the symbol of their oaths, pounding on it to show who they serve and pledge their lives to, he was swearing on the symbol of me as well.
It does not take long for the bell tower to call us to service after we finish our ceremony with the Viathan fleet. I walk briskly toward the Estate temple, unveiled priestess sisters joining me from every direction to attend the service. They smile and look so hopeful, some even chatting brightly to each other as I weave past them, pulled toward my destination.
If I could run to Leema without causing a scene, I would.
My hearing muffles out everything but my own panting breaths and swish of my gown, and my vision tunnels until I reach the Estate temple wing.
I enter and take a seat in the high priestesses’ section, the temple a flurry of activity even as the bell dies down for the service to begin.
The women from the Temple of Divine Mothers are in their usual spots, white dresses and large bellies on display, but today they do not take up an entire row.
I search each face, looking for Leema's. If I can give her a meaningful look, it will calm my nerves enough to get through this service until we are alone and I can tell her we are leaving.
I scan the row again.
But she is not here.
My light threatens to come out of my pores in tiny pinpricks as I look around the rest of the temple, hoping she is sitting somewhere else.
I rise out of the pew and shuffle past the few priestesses who mutter rude remarks while I bump into them to get back into the aisle.
Why is she not here with her temple?
I exit past the few priestesses who trickle in late as the doors are about to be shut.
Thea walks up to me with a concerned look and grabs my hands. "Ferren, I was hoping to speak with you. I'm so sorry for my behavior the other day. I was not myself."
"Where is Leema? Have you seen her?" I interrupt, not caring about anything else.
"No—"
