father?
He stayed back as he watched her circle around the House. Why didn’t she go inside? Was she meeting with someone? Trailing behind her, he waited for her to give herself away. Instead, she stared up at stained glass windows, slowly moving around the building until she was at the front again. The only entrance. What in the name of the Lord and Lady was she up to? He rubbed at his shoulder blade, trying to ease the tightness, wishing he could remove the bandage and set his wings free before they became painful.
Chapter Thirteen
Brianne
There was only one entrance. Brianne frowned. Just like at home. One path to the Lord and Lady. And if everything else was the same, then maybe they had history archives too. It was worth a try.
Taking a hesitant step forward, Brianne forced herself to straighten her shoulders and take the next step with more confidence. She might need to ask something of them, but that didn’t mean she had to go shuffling forth with head bowed and begging.
Looking around at the inside of the almost familiar building, she saw a penitent, not far from the altar, replacing burnt out candles with fresh ones. Striding forward, she kept her gaze mostly on the penitent, with an occasional glance around to check her surroundings. She was nearly upon the penitent before they looked up, the hood creating dark shadows where a face should be.
“Welcome to the House of the Lord and Lady, how may I serve you?” A masculine voice came from the hooded figure.
Her stomach lurched. She was about to lie to a servant of the gods. She really hoped that when she had to face the reckoning at the end of her life they’d accept that it was for a good cause. “Holy One, I suffered a head injury recently while I was on patrol and lost the memories of my entire past.”
“I am sorry for your suffering. Would you like me to pray for you?”
“No, well yes. But I also wondered if you could help me with something else. I know nothing. Not only is my history gone, but that of our people. The Lord and Lady are names, the Master of the After World also an unknown deity. I thought if I could read our history and learn it all over again it might help bring back some of my memories.” She hated how she couldn’t see the penitent’s features. How could she tell if her words were having the effect she wanted? Even the hands were covered by gloves. She’d never thought about it before. Summer must be unbearable for them covered up like this. All of them. The Supreme One, Elders and the penitents.
“I am sorry, I wish I could help. No one can enter the archives without first gaining permission from the Supreme One. He is the only one who has the key, but he is currently away communing with the gods.”
She barely masked her disappointment. “Do you know when he’ll be back?”
“When the gods have told him all they wish him to hear.”
Brianne nodded, the words so very familiar. The Supreme One for her people came and went according to the dictates of the Lord and Lady too. “I’ll come again another day. If you might pray for me in the meantime, Holy One?”
“I would be honoured.” The head dipped and the hands were momentarily raised in supplication.
“Thank you.” Brianne turned away, trying to walk softly through the otherwise quiet building. She would have to come up with another plan. Maybe things would be different at the earthly dwelling of the Master of the Infernal World. Stepping outside, she raised her eyes to the sky, checking for the location of the sun. It was strange to look into the sky and see no towers reaching skywards, no winged people travelling from building to building, sometimes hovering as they greeted a friend. The skies here were empty.
Once she’d figured out the direction the Master’s dwelling should be in, she wound her way through streets. As she drew near to the wall around the city, knowing she must be close, she asked a passerby for directions. She had less luck in the
He stayed back as he watched her circle around the House. Why didn’t she go inside? Was she meeting with someone? Trailing behind her, he waited for her to give herself away. Instead, she stared up at stained glass windows, slowly moving around the building until she was at the front again. The only entrance. What in the name of the Lord and Lady was she up to? He rubbed at his shoulder blade, trying to ease the tightness, wishing he could remove the bandage and set his wings free before they became painful.
Chapter Thirteen
Brianne
There was only one entrance. Brianne frowned. Just like at home. One path to the Lord and Lady. And if everything else was the same, then maybe they had history archives too. It was worth a try.
Taking a hesitant step forward, Brianne forced herself to straighten her shoulders and take the next step with more confidence. She might need to ask something of them, but that didn’t mean she had to go shuffling forth with head bowed and begging.
Looking around at the inside of the almost familiar building, she saw a penitent, not far from the altar, replacing burnt out candles with fresh ones. Striding forward, she kept her gaze mostly on the penitent, with an occasional glance around to check her surroundings. She was nearly upon the penitent before they looked up, the hood creating dark shadows where a face should be.
“Welcome to the House of the Lord and Lady, how may I serve you?” A masculine voice came from the hooded figure.
Her stomach lurched. She was about to lie to a servant of the gods. She really hoped that when she had to face the reckoning at the end of her life they’d accept that it was for a good cause. “Holy One, I suffered a head injury recently while I was on patrol and lost the memories of my entire past.”
“I am sorry for your suffering. Would you like me to pray for you?”
“No, well yes. But I also wondered if you could help me with something else. I know nothing. Not only is my history gone, but that of our people. The Lord and Lady are names, the Master of the After World also an unknown deity. I thought if I could read our history and learn it all over again it might help bring back some of my memories.” She hated how she couldn’t see the penitent’s features. How could she tell if her words were having the effect she wanted? Even the hands were covered by gloves. She’d never thought about it before. Summer must be unbearable for them covered up like this. All of them. The Supreme One, Elders and the penitents.
“I am sorry, I wish I could help. No one can enter the archives without first gaining permission from the Supreme One. He is the only one who has the key, but he is currently away communing with the gods.”
She barely masked her disappointment. “Do you know when he’ll be back?”
“When the gods have told him all they wish him to hear.”
Brianne nodded, the words so very familiar. The Supreme One for her people came and went according to the dictates of the Lord and Lady too. “I’ll come again another day. If you might pray for me in the meantime, Holy One?”
“I would be honoured.” The head dipped and the hands were momentarily raised in supplication.
“Thank you.” Brianne turned away, trying to walk softly through the otherwise quiet building. She would have to come up with another plan. Maybe things would be different at the earthly dwelling of the Master of the Infernal World. Stepping outside, she raised her eyes to the sky, checking for the location of the sun. It was strange to look into the sky and see no towers reaching skywards, no winged people travelling from building to building, sometimes hovering as they greeted a friend. The skies here were empty.
Once she’d figured out the direction the Master’s dwelling should be in, she wound her way through streets. As she drew near to the wall around the city, knowing she must be close, she asked a passerby for directions. She had less luck in the
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