Page 43 of The Revered and the Pariah

Ellie finally finished with her hair and Arianna settled back as the carriage continued down a well-worn dirt path. She shifted the soft curtain to glance out the window and her heart jolted at the village ahead.

Smoke curled from stone chimneys, rising up to blend with the late afternoon sky. Figures chased chickens and other livestock away from their intended destination and already silhouettes were gathering at the edge to greet them.

Her palms turned sweaty. She’d opted to leave the gloves this time and had stuffed them in Ellie’s bag. Arianna counted the seconds. The minutes. The seemingly infinite lifetime before the carriage finally slowed to a halt. A fury of movement outside told her the warriors were assembling.

Ellie squeezed her hand in reassurance. “You’ll do fine. Just remember to maintain eye contact and pretend you’re in charge.”

Right, that wasn’t hard at all. Why couldn’t Ellie have been born The Divine? Her little sister was already eating this up and they weren’t even at the gates.

Eye contact. Smile. Pretend. It wouldn’t take long. She’d blink, then Rion would be at her side and they’d be hidden in a room together. The anxiety would fall from her shoulders and she could pretend they were back in the little cabin safely nestled in the woods.

A light tap on the door. Talon. Ellie opened it and bright sunlight flooded in, reflecting off Ellie’s silver buttons. Her sister gave her a final reassuring smile before taking Talon’s hand and stepping outside.

Arianna was alone now and could already feel the nervous energy buzzing beyond the door. A hushed silence fell over the crowd that told her Ellie had taken her place. They were waiting.

Smile. Make eye contact. Look for Rion.

No. Don’t look for Rion. He was nearby, the bond told her as much. She tugged on it slightly and felt a gentle caress on the other end.

It’s all right, he seemed to say. I’m here, you’re safe.

Arianna inhaled and closed her eyes. She imagined her mother in this moment and how she might have felt the day she was crowned High Lady of Móirín.

One more steadying breath and Arianna stood, reaching for Talon. His fingers wrapped around her own, passing his strength onto her as she stepped down the tiny stairs and onto the dirt path.

Talon released her, closed the carriage door, then stepped back.

Alone. She was utterly alone before these people.

A myriad of faces stared at her. Some old, some young, others indistinguishable due to eternity freezing the hands of time. But they all held a reverence in their gazes that told her they expected far more than she felt ready to give.

Arianna let her hands fall to her sides and lifted her chin. She braced herself, then stepped forward.

She wouldn’t trip. She wouldn’t bow. She wouldn’t hesitate.

But her heart beat faster than a hummingbird’s fluttering wings. Sweat rolled down the scars along her back, reminding her just how weak she’d once been, and the fabric of her undershirt clung uncomfortably to her body. She stepped again, half expecting someone to dart from the crowd and offer her escort.

No one did.

Arianna kept walking, putting one foot in front of the other as she made her way down the path, passing face after face after face. They bowed as she went, some lowering their heads and whispering prayers to the gods while others fell to their knees and sobbed.

Arianna stepped over a crack in the road and around a loosened stone. She kept moving. Maybe they intended for her to walk through the village and greet everyone present. Maybe she’d walk too far and look like a fool.

A shift on the path, then Talon was following, Ellie close behind. The guards trailed after them, but she resisted the urge to glance over her shoulder.

A light breeze lifted the hair on her shoulder, shifting the loose tendrils as if it too greeted her. Despite her nerves, Arianna refused to lower her head or fidget as she passed civilians she had no idea how to lead.

The air shimmered. It moved in a way she couldn’t quite describe, then four Fae stood on the path as if they’d materialized from thin air.

They stood in a near perfect line dressed in robes of deep cobalt with swirling gold patterns embroidered down the center. It reminded her of the gold and black dress she’d first eyed in Levea.

Her eyes scanned them. Two females, two males, though their ages were impossible to identify.

Old, she told herself. They were very old. It was something in the way the air crackled around them, like their magic couldn’t be contained. Or maybe it was the way their bodies stood so still one might have mistaken them for statues.

The council, she realized.

Arianna sensed a shiver down the bond, but she couldn’t discern its meaning. A warning perhaps, but Rion needed to wait until they were within the city walls. Arianna glanced past the Fae. Unless . . . this was the city.

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