Page 88 of Sanctifier

Hugon only smiled, a mirthless baring of teeth. “You must think I'm an utter fool. Have you forgotten your promise?”

Simon. Cold gripped Ru’s heart. To keep Simon safe, she would do anything. To defy Hugon now, in front of the Children, would force his hand. There would be no mercy.

Gwyneth and Archie shifted, glancing at Ru. She knew they wanted her to resist, to fight. But their lives weren’t a price she would ever pay.

“I’ll go with you,” said Ru. “Without a fight. But my friends have nothing to do with it. I made them come. Give me your word you won’t hurt them.”

Hugon sighed, pressing his full lips together as if this exchange bored him. “We’ve no interest in your friends. Not yet.” He waved a hand, his gaze never leaving Ru’s. “Inda, take the academics to their rooms. Double their guard. Delara, with me.”

They were goingto Lady Bellenet’s rooms. They had passed the stairway that would have led them down toward the cavern and the artifact. It was the only other place Hugon might bring her,the only place she could imagine that might scare obedience into her.

It will be like the last time you saw her, Ru thought.At worst, she manipulates your feelings. She wouldn’t hurt you. She needs your soul, your emotions intact. It will be a mind game, and that’s all.

The words circled in her head like a prayer, but the benediction lost its meaning as she walked with Lord D’Luc, cold fingers balanced on his silken arm. Her body knew the truth of it. Lady Bellenet would siphon the life from her, one way or another.

Your friends are safe. Taryel is safe. Simon is safe. She clenched her jaw, as if the motion might forcefully ground her.As long as you do what is asked of you.

A pair of King's Guards joined them as they went, looming. Ru wondered vaguely if Lyr was still outside her door, unaware that he guarded an empty room.

Hugon was silent as they made their way through the palace. Ru couldn’t begin to guess what he was thinking. She avoided his gaze, and had no idea which Hugon D’Luc was leading her through the corridors now — the jailor or the prisoner.

“Pull yourself together,” Hugon said, as if reading her mind.

Ru shot him a poisonous look. They had come to a stop in a vacant, elegant corridor. Beautiful doors stood closed before them, closed — Lady Bellenet’s rooms.

“I am pulled together,” Ru said.

“You look green in the face,” said Hugon, with a hint of disgust. And then he faltered slightly, straightening his cuffs, his gaze falling away from Ru’s. “If it’s within your power, Delara, be compliant for once. For your own good.” He nodded sharply at one of the guards, who returned the nod stoically.

Lord D’Luc spun on his heel and left, the clack of his shoes echoing in that quiet hallway.

The guard produced a key from within her uniform and unlocked the door, holding it open. “Lady Bellenet will join you shortly,” she said. “You are free to make yourself comfortable in the meantime.”

Ru couldn’t fathom comfort in that room. It was lit by the fire and a few lamps, but was otherwise deeply shadowed. Ru drifted through the space, trying not to form complete thoughts for fear of panicking. She didn’t even risk reaching for the artifact for comfort — it might somehow alert Taryel that she was in trouble, and she wanted him far away and safe. To ground herself, Ru ran her fingers over the soft silk brocade of a cushion. Breathed deeply the scent of burning wood, spices, and the faint aroma of brewing tea. A thick rug cushioned her footsteps.

It occurred to her, staring into the large marble hearth, that she was still wearing the white robes of one of the Children. As if the cloth would suddenly burn her, she tore the robe from her body, tossing it into the fire. The flames were nearly smothered in the process, and a sickly thick smoke began curling up into the flue.

“Trying to asphyxiate us both, I see.”

The deep, resonant voice struck a chord of fear in Ru’s chest, and she spun, her back now to the flames.

Lady Bellenet stood serenely in the middle of the room, her delicate white hands folded in front of her. She had removed her veil, and now looked little more than a young woman of Ru’s age, the remains of youth in her plump cheeks and bright eyes. Ru’s dark and unkempt hair, mussed dress, and barely contained fear and rage were a stark contrast to Lady Bellenet’s well-groomed calm.

“You seem stubbornly intent on harming yourself,” said Lady Bellenet. “Have you not thought of what it might mean if you simply—”

“Gave in?” Ru interrupted, her voice shaking. “Accepted my fate and became the villain you so desperately want me to be?”

“There is nothing immoral in letting the current carry one toward one’s destiny.”

Ru closed her eyes for a moment, staving off a frustrated ache that pressed against the back of her eyes. “You’re a tyrant. A prison warden. Your followers have lost their minds in the most literal sense. I know what you’re doing to them. I saw you at Prayer. You’re not just taking their emotions, you’re… stealing their life force and taking it for yourself, to bolster your power.”

Lady Bellenet cocked her head. Her dainty brows furrowed. “What you saw at Prayer was a blessing. A holy sacrament. Those who follow Festra give their faith freely.”

She seemed determined to drive Ru into a blind rage, her answers consistently vague, never addressing the question.

“Do you truly believe that?” Ru asked, almost pleading. “You remove the Children’s free will. Is that what Festra wants? Mindless followers who have no choice in the matter?” Ru’s voice became more urgent as she spoke, as if truth was power, as if words alone could wrench her free from Lady Bellenet’s grip.

“How fascinating,” was Lady Bellenet’s reply. “You scientists will fight tooth and nail against what you see with your own eyes, simply because it is not in your books.”

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