Page 54 of The War and Deceit Series omnibus

“Father! What are you doing?” Jacob’s voice reaches me, and I see him run into the courtyard, looking up at his father in horror. “Where is Clarissa?” he asks, looking around the crowd, but he doesn’t even look at me as I’m dragged away, not recognising me with black hair. I see the moment Jacob spots the body of his mother, and the rage that overcomes him as herushes at his father. Two guards jump in front of him and tackle him to the ground.

Fighting against the guards’ hold, I try to break free. I don’t know what I’ll do if I manage to get loose, but that part of me that has been hidden for the last twelve years is trying to take control. But I’m not strong enough to escape, and as we reach the chapel and yet more slaves are killed, I meet Tor’s eyes once more.

“Liv!” he shouts again, but I lose sight of him as I’m hauled back into the darkness of the sanctuary.

The doors shut behind us and I get a second in the dark to pretend this is all just a terrible nightmare. Just a dream that my brain has come up with based on all my insecurities.

I can’t do this. This isn’t happening. All those slaves—the queen—just slaughtered like they were nothing.My thoughts whirl and spin in a tangled web and I have to fight back a sob. People had been attacking the tribesmen. Tor called me Liv. Why? He’d looked like he’d seen a ghost. I hope Jacob will be okay, he might be related to the king, but he’s been nothing but kind to me. A deep disappointment falls over me. I don’t know why I expected Grayson to turn up and save us all, but it didn’t happen. Where is he? Why didn’t he come?

I know where the guards are taking me, and as Rodrick appears, his smile wide, I know I haven’t escaped their purge of “evil.” The only evil person I can see right now, though, is the priest, the person who is supposed to guide us and teach us the love of the Great Mother.

“The time has finally come, 625, for you and thatelf,” he crows gleefully, his eyes running over me as we reach the hidden stairway. Turning, I spit at him, unable to hold back my disgust. I should have expected his sharp backhand, the pain and force behind it making me stumble, and since the guards had let go of me so I could walk down the stairs in front of them, I fell. DownI go, the sharp corners of the stone steps breaking and bruising my body. I don’t know how many steps I fall down, but the priest’s cruel laughter echoes off the walls and seems to follow me.

When I eventually come to a stop, I stay in place, panting and trying to focus through the pain, adrenaline running through my system.

“Get up,” the priest demands as he reaches me. Biting back the agony, I pull myself up and walk down the rest of the twisting stairs. My thoughts are quiet as I use all of my energy to focus on walking and not falling down. When we reach the bottom of the staircase, the priest gestures toward the door, which the guards start to open. “Make yourself useful until we come to finish you.”

“Why don’t you just do it now?” It would be a mercy for him to kill me straight away, to stop this pain, both physically and mentally.

“I have orders.” I can tell from his frown and clipped tone that that’s exactly what he wants to do.

I stumble forward into the underground room, wanting to put as much space between the priest and myself. The door closes behind me and I take a few unsteady steps so I’m farther into the chamber. The constant sound of hammering stops for a second and I sway on my feet as I meet Vaeril’s piercing eyes. The sob I’ve been holding back finally breaks free and I fall to my knees, pain racking my body. Curling in on myself, I try to focus on breathing, pushing away the images of all those slaves who were just blindly killed, their blood covering the ground as it poured off the platform.

“Clarissa.”

I jerk back in surprise at how close the voice is to me, and as I look up, eyes wide with fear, I see it’s Vaeril, his gaze scanning my body. Holding up his hands in a gesture of peace, he kneelsdown, the chain on his ankle keeping him from coming all the way to me.

“I need to see your wounds,” he tells me, but I don’t move, the horror of what I’ve just seen playing over and over in my head. “What happened?” His voice is soft, realising that my physical wounds aren’t the only thing upsetting me.

“They killed the queen and they are killing the slaves, every single one,” I gasp out, his cursing filling the space between us. The screeching sound of metal has me looking over at him again, and I watch as he reaches down and breaks the chain around his ankles with a flex of his arm. Walking slowly, cautiously, towards me, he crouches down again, taking a seat next to me.

Reaching out unhurriedly, he gently runs his hand over my arm, carefully prodding the skin and checking for breaks and cuts. I numbly let him, watching as he flicks me concerned looks. I probably shouldn’t feel so comfortable sitting this close to him, but right now, I need him, need his support.

Lifting my head, I lean back slightly and he pauses, meeting my eyes.

“We’re next. They’re going to kill us,” I say softly, and he simply nods.

“I know.”

He continues to examine my bruised body, his limbs starting to shake as he keeps himself away from his work, the magical cuffs punishing him for deviating from his task.

Is this how it’s going to end? In a forgotten underground room with my enemy at my side?

“What’s that?” Vaeril questions wearily, backing away slightly from my glowing mark. A warm, gentle tingling feeling encompasses me, like a warm embrace, and I recognise the Mother’s presence. Closing my eyes, I fall into that hug, feeling her love surround me.

“You need to be strong, my beloved. I didn’t bless you without reason. Remember, I am with you, always.” Her voice reaches me, not something I can hear, but I canfeelit deep within. I feel her pulling away and I blindly reach out, grasping for her, not ready for her to leave me just yet despite what she just said.

“I don’t understand. Why me? What am I supposed to do?” My insecurities rise to the surface and I feel the weight of responsibility fall on me.

“You know, my beloved. You are stronger than you think.”

She leaves me with a final wave of power that floods through my body, so intense it’s almost painful. Her presence fades and I open my eyes with a gasp, looking down at my now healed body.

“What just happened?” Vaeril inquires, frowning as he looks over my body. “You have magic?” He shakes his head as if he’s not actually talking to me, but himself. “No, I felt another presence, like someone else was here.”

“It was the Great Mother. My Goddess,” I explain as he continues to frown, but I ignore him and think back on what she said.

I know what I need to do.

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