Page 48 of Sanctifier

“Well, obviously,” Gwyneth said breathlessly, as Archie nodded in agreement. “All that rubbish in the throne room about paradise and cleansing fire… they’ve built a pretty religion as a cover-up for a new Destruction.”

“What’s really sticking in my craw,” Archie said, “is that Taryel got himself involved somehow. What’s he up to? We asked around for Simon, you know. Couldn’t find hide nor tail of him.”

“Simon came to my room,” Ru said, blowing on her tea to cool it. “To warn me that Lady Bellenet is behind all of this, and she’s more powerful than she seems.” She pursed her lips. “And Simon’s working with Taryel, though I had to hear that from Taryel himself.”

“Theywhat?” Gwyneth gasped, teacup halfway to her mouth. “Is Simon mad?”

“Yes,” Ru said, “but his madness is neither here nor there.”

As clearly and efficiently as she could manage, Ru told her friends everything that had happened to her since last night’s dinner. Taryel’s appearance, the realization that Regent Sigrun was under Lady Bellenet’s control, her meeting with the regent, breakfast with Lord D’Luc, and Simon’s information. She wasn’t sure why, but Ru found herself strangely reticent when it came to Taryel. As if their conversation earlier that evening had been something to hold close to her heart, or, more likely, she was afraid of judgement.

But Gwyneth’s intuition was too strong a force. She eyed Ru over her tea. “You’re strangely calm, Ru. Considering you just discovered that Fen… sorry,Taryelis at the palace, playing god with your brother.”

“I wouldn’t say he’s playing god,” Ru said. “More like—”

“Wait, I know that look,” said Gwyneth, sitting up straight. Her gaze was hard and penetrating. “He’s already halfway to charming you back into his good graces.”

Ru snorted. “He’s decidedly not.”

“Yes he is,” said Archie, narrowing his eyes. “You can’t hide from us, Delara. Tell us everything.”

“I’m nothiding,” Ru protested. “He hasn’t charmed me. It’s just… I didn’t know how to bring it up without you both looking at me like that.”

“Like what?” Gwyneth asked.

“Like you’re looking at me now,” Ru said. “With obvious judgment and far too much worry. Just… it’s really fine. When he came to me in the woods, it—” She pressed her lips together, realizing she had said too much. She hadn’t meant to tell them about that night; it was too private, a tangle of emotions that she had yet to sort out.

“Excuse me,” said Archie, his words dramatically clipped, “I thought you saidwhen he came to me in the woods?”

“You misheard,” said Ru, knowing it was useless.

Gwyneth’s eyes were nearly the size of tea saucers. Ru couldn’t tell if she was angry, scared, or both. “Ru,” she breathed, “has he been… influencing you? Hurting you? Coercing you? You can tell us.”

“This is a nightmare,” Ru muttered, downing the rest of her tea. “He hasn’t influenced me.” She recalled the way he’d kissed her in the forest, hot and needy. She swallowed. “Not very much, anyway. I can tell when the artifact is reacting to him, and when it’s me. I’m a big girl, I can resist the Destroyer, I promise.” She glanced around the room. “Do you have anything stronger than tea, Gwyn? If I’m going to tell you what happened in the woods, I need a stiffer drink.”

Ru told them everything in as little detail as possible without leaving out any important details. She relayed all of the information Taryel had revealed to her in her rooms, how he’d come to live at the palace, the truth of the Destruction. And when she finished, she was met with an extended silence.

Archie’s face squeezed into a thoughtful frown, chin resting on intertwined hands.

Gwyneth, on the other hand, continued to stare wide-eyed at Ru with tear-wet eyes. “Ru,” she said, placing a soft hand on her friend’s knee. “Be careful. I know you said you don’t trust Taryel, but… remember who he is. You’re not rational around him.”

“I know,” said Ru, reassuring herself as much as her friends. “I don’t trust anyone but you two, Lyr, and my brother. But listen. I came here because I think we can benefit from this ridiculous Festra fad.”

“We’re listening,” said Archie, fingers steepling. Gwyneth nodded eagerly, eyes still bright with unshed tears.

“Why not play along? My brother and Taryel are already doing it. If I act like I’ve been taken in by Taryel, that I’m finally being a good little puppet, I’ll be able to get closer to Lady Bellenet. Presumably, anyway. Maybe I’ll overhear things, find cracks in the armor.”

“Perhaps the religion itself is a front,” mused Archie. “If so, the closer you are to Lady Bellenet…”

“The more likely we’ll learn how her power works,” Gwyneth finished.

“This Festra fad is only going to get worse,” Ru said. “There’s nothing to stop Lady Bellenet from turning everyone into Children, one by one, if we don’t do something. She already has the regent under her finger. Who will be next? Me? Taryel? Something tells me that if we don’t fight it, she won’t have a reason to change us.”

“True,” Archie said, musing. “Though you step out of line, I’d wager it’ll be Hill and Tenoria on the chopping block to teach you a lesson.”

“Don’t talk like that,” Gwyneth said, visibly shaken. “Time isn’t on our side, here. It’s only a month and a half until the winter solstice. I say we do it.”

“Play the parts?” Ru said.

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