Page 57 of The Scarlet Star

“Easy, Heva!” Ryn scolded. “I’m not as strong as you.” She rolled her stiff shoulder. “Can’t we take a break? Also, you should think about what the King will do to Matthias if I get hurt.”

Heva got a wicked grin. “We should do this in the palace gardens sometime,” she said.

“People would see us.” Ryn dropped El’s sword and fell back to sit. Stalks tickled her cheeks as she uncorked her canteen and guzzled.

“Exactly. Maybe people would think twice before messing with you,” Heva said. She raised her weapon in the sunlight, the glow soaring down the blade.

Ryn grunted and wiped a bead of water from her lip. “I’d have to be good at this for them to think twice.”

“You’re not bad, Ryn,” Heva admitted. “I thought you’d be worse.”

They’d gone over tackles first. For hours Heva taught Ryn how to outmaneuver a soldier using his strength against him. Ryn wasn’t strong enough for most moves, but she had flippedHeva onto her back twice. It made her think about when she’d discovered that Kai and the priests were training in secret. She wondered what Kai would think if he saw her doing this.

“Let’s do another round,” Heva said when Ryn tossed her canteen aside. “You’re going to pick this stuff up fast, I can tell.”

Ryn shook her head and pointed to the field’s edge where Geovani was wading into the wheat toward them. “The priestesses are here. I think that means we should call it a day.”

Heva sighed and slid her sword away. “You and your excuses.”

Geovani brushed her fingers over the golden stalks. “Swords were never my thing,” she said when she was close enough, “but I do know how to battle.” She leaned to see Ryn hiding in the wheat. “Let us show you how we go to battle, Adassah.”

“You fight? What weapons do you use?” Ryn asked, tossing her sword to Heva. Heva caught it and sheathed it in the same motion.

Geovani grinned.

Five minutes later, Ryn looked skeptically from priestess to priestess. Heva didn’t look happy about it either, but they—along with six priestesses—sat around in a circle in the grass.

Heva scowled when Nebulin started picking her nose beside her.

“This is called intercession,” Geovani said to Ryn. “Have you tried it before?”

Ryn crossed her legs. She didn’t have to think hard to know she’d never sat in a circle with a bunch of priestesses before. This was weird.

“Let’s choose something to intercede for. Any ideas?” Geovani glanced around the circle.

Nebulin raised her hand. “Let’s intercede for the kingdom!”

Geovani nodded and tapped her chin. “Excellent, Nebulin. Our kingdom needs us.” Then to everyone else, she said, “Does everyone agree?”

The priestesses nodded, and so did Heva—her cheek leaning against her fist in boredom.

“Let’s hold hands as we go to war,” Geovani said, and Heva shot up, sitting straight again. She cast Nebulin a glare as if to assure her she shouldnottry to hold her hand after where it had just been.

Everyone else did though. Ryn reluctantly took Heva’s and Kristin’s hands at her right and left. “What do we do now?” Ryn asked. She was tempted to ask El what was wrong with all his people that they sat around and held hands for no reason and then called it war.

“We pray,” Geovani said. “All together, and all at once. We pray to the First God. TheonlyGod, some would say.”

“I’m ready.” Seeda stated as she closed her eyes.

Geovani smiled. “Then begin,” she said.

Suddenly six voices lifted: pleading, whispering, and speaking things over Per-Siana. They called for the freedom of the people, for truth to be revealed. Ryn’s grip tightened on the hands beside her as her stomach warmed.

“No more pain! No more suffering!” Tears ran down Kristin’s cheeks as she spoke it out. Ryn stared at Kristin. The love in Kristin’s heart spilled out like a physical force Ryn had never felt. How could a priestess have such love for people who were complete strangers?

“Spirit of fear, be broken off of every household!” Geovani commanded.

Moisture tickled Ryn’s face. She didn’t let go of Heva’s or Kristin’s hands to wipe the tears away. Instead, she glanced over at Heva in question.

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