Page 159 of The Cerulean Sister
I spin quickly, not expecting to hear Selene's voice coming from the archway of the room.
I stare at her for a long time, watching her pupils dance back and forth between me, the torch I am holding, and Crixa pinned and motionless on the floor.
"The horror I saw in this temple has haunted me. All those women that came here while I lived my life on Frith. Thank you . . . for letting me make this right," Selene says.
I nod because there is nothing to say, then walk to another torch attached to the wall and force it out of the iron grip, handing it out for her to take.
She has her reasons for helping me, and her own guilt or not, I will gladly accept it so we can burn this temple to the ground.
"This ends now. Blessed night," I say, not knowing if I am speaking to Crixa or announcing it to First Mother herself, hoping she will understand.
I walk to the farthest corner of the room, kissing the flame to the long, draped fabric coming down from the walls.
It ignites instantly, sending heat through the space, traveling upward.
Selene touches the cushions of the furniture with hers, engulfing the fabric in a hissing discolored flame.
We work our way around the now impossibly hot space until we both stand in the exit.
The fire engulfs the furniture around Crixa. If she is still alive, she does not move.
I tighten my hold on her, making sure she stays put until my light has nothing to grasp onto but her scorched bones.
For a moment, the roaring blaze of the beautiful room crackling and hissing almost sounds like the flames are speaking to me.
I tell myself it’s Crixa calling out my name, screaming from the epicenter of the fire. But the voice I hear is distorted, deep in tone, and elated at what I am doing.
The fire speaks again, like a lover praising me, wanting to reach out across the ether.
"Do you hear that?" I shout to Selene over the roaring blaze.
She looks to me utterly confused, confirming the voice is somehow only meant for me.
I back my way out of the room, feeling uneasy and that my sanity will come down with the temple.
When we reach the main chamber, I throw each torch from its placement onto the ground, knowing they will catch on the woven rugs.
Every chair, table, or large decor item has been piled up and blown together, a tall mound of broken pieces where the elder priestesses fought us. Selene used everything she could, down to the furniture, to disable the last elder.
She throws her torch into the pile. "We need to hurry!"
I kiss the edge of the splintered furniture, wanting to make sure nothing is missed. "Go! I am right behind."
The halls of the temple glow with an otherworldly hue as the fire travels from its depths.
Glass oil lamps burst in the adjoining room from the heat, spitting and fueling the hungry flames.
"Ferren!" Selene yells through a cough from the exit of the temple.
I follow her out, the cold exterior air hitting my lungs in a shocking contrast.
My eyes sting, not able to adjust to the darkness, but I know I have to seal the doors. I turn back and muster every bit of my light into my palms, holding it up to the iron handles of the temple entrance.
My fingertips burn and ache as the ornate metalwork begins to melt, the mammoth black knob morphing into a buckling shape.
When I dissipate my light, the metal cools and creates a seal—no one can get in and no one can leave.
I refuse to wait for the leaders of the three worlds to help me. When they come to finally investigate the horrific events that transpired in the darkest corners of this temple, they will find ash instead.
