Page 92 of The Scarlet Star

But she wasn’t Queen. And she hadn’t come here to fight for that title.

“I’m loyal to El Tsebaoth,” Ryn decided. She adjusted her grip on the spire. “I’ll stay loyal to him no matter what you offer me.”

“Skin for skin!”the shadows snapped back.“You think yourself sincere, but once your flesh and bones arestruck, you will surely turn from your god and curse his face.”

“I won’t!” Ryn shouted back.

Nyx tore Ryn off the spire and smothered her with shadows, dragging her over the side of the dome, off the edge and into a freefall. Ryn screamed as she descended, the shadows’ voices all raging against her ears:

“Kill her!”

“Kill!”

“Kill the maiden!”

“El!” she cried.

Warmth wrapped Ryn’s hands, burning down her arms as her sword tore upward from the ground and sailed into her hand like a blazing torch of light, casting gold against the shadows that flung her back through the window and onto the temple floor.

Ryn rolled over twice before she caught herself, dizzy and out of breath. “Where were you?!” she shouted.

“Right beside you.”

“Then why didn’t you speak up? And how come Nyx couldn’t see you?!” Ryn gritted her teeth and pulled herself to her feet as Nyx’s shadows separated from each other and turned into a storm of racing black insects. They rained down, sailing toward Ryn with shrieks.

“She could.”

There was no time to marvel—Ryn sliced through screaming creatures, sending gods rolling away. They dissolved into nothing once they met the blade.

The gods tried to fight back. They threw books; Ryn caught a corner against her cheek, and a papercut along her knuckles. Light flashed through the temple like a thunderstorm as two wills collided.

The battle lasted until midnight. And when it was over, the air was clear, and the Priesthood Temple was clean. Hundreds of false gods were no more.

26

GEOVANI

What came were the forces of hell themselves.

A strange voice lifted in the sanctuary. Geovani heard it from where she sat in her office penning letters. She’d been there most of the night, unable to sleep like some of the other priestesses. Something foul was in the Per-Siana air tonight; it left an irritating itch on her elbows.

“We can offer you power. You don’t have to be quiet anymore.”

The High Priestess lifted her eyes, wide and sharp as her flesh tightened. Surely the priestess in the sanctuary knew better. Still—she dropped her lead pen and raced around her desk, flinging her office door open wide.

“Don’t answer!” she shouted as Quinn gasped in the sanctuary, a water glass slipping from her fingers and smashing over the floor.

“I didn’t!” she promised as she dropped to her knees and held the sides of her head. The girl wept and cried out, “Leave me alone!” It was then Geovani lifted her spirit eyes and beheld the horrors—the dark beings crawling along the ceiling of her temple.

“Priestesses!” Geovani’s shout echoed through the sanctuary to stir every soul from their sleep.

The High Priestess swept toward the pews as young women opened their doors and emerged from their rooms, yawning and rubbing their eyes.

A dark wind channelled through the temple, smacking open books on tables, making the pages roll. Candles tipped over while sacred objects fell from shelves and smashed on the floor. Priestesses screamed in alarm.

“Make a fence! This is war!” Geovani called, positioning herself in front of Quinn. The priestesses swept around the girl, facing outward in a circle. They all began to shout.

The darkness shuddered as intercession wove light in radiant branches that spread over the floor and up the walls. Geovani pointed at her enemies, calling them out one by one. Some shadows fled, but the braver ones grew, giving the appearance of height and strength and demanding undeserved fear. Nebulin shrieked, and Geovani grabbed her hand.

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