Divined (13 page)

“How did you even find me?” she whispered.

“You’re avoiding the question.”

She tried to pull her hands away. “Would you stand up?”

“No,” he answered with a grin. “I heard about a batch of offerings going missing outside Cearo. It had you written all over it. Now, my proposal, Clio, what do you say?”

She couldn’t bear his searing gaze, the way his eyes were begging her to fall into his arms. “You are incorrigible,” she muttered as she got down on her knees in front of him.

He pulled her closer to him, so close she could feel him breathing.

“Riece…”

“You better not be about to think of a complicated reason to say no to me.”

“The Deities won’t be happy if I wed a mortal.”

He leaned in to her, his lips so close to hers she would hardly need to move to meet them. Pain pounded in her head, but for the first time, Clio didn’t need the draught to keep the Vision away. She had Riece’s warm eyes in front of her, his temptingly curved lips. Her chest burned, and her lips itched in anticipation. “Since when have we concerned ourselves with what makes the Deities happy?” Riece’s voice came as a soft breath against her neck.

In answer, blood trickled in a hot, thin line down her nose.

“Get away from her!” Ealis yelled, appearing in the doorway.

Clio jumped to her feet. “No, it’s all right, Ealis.”

Riece stood and reached to wipe away the blood, but she only bled harder. “What is this? How do we stop the bleeding?”

Ealis stepped between them. “Leave her alone.”

“Excuse me?” Riece’s eyes widened. “You’re very much mistaken, boy.”

Ealis held Clio’s face in his hands, tipping back her head and examining her. “Should I have the guards escort the commander out?”

“No,” she breathed, wincing. “It wasn’t what you—Riece didn’t do anything to hurt me.”

“But he was grabbing you—”

“It wasn’t like that,” Clio finished, flushing bright red.

“Oh.” Ealis’ eyes rounded. “Oh, I see.
Him
, I’m guessing?”

“Yes,” she whispered.

Riece appeared beside Ealis. “Not that this isn’t fascinating, but can we focus on the bleeding?”

Something pinched deeper in her head, and Clio felt a rush of warmth in her ears. She couldn’t hear anything above the roaring pound of blood.

“We need to get her to the temple. I can help her there.” Ealis’ voice came through soft and muddled.

She blinked, trying to clear the feeling of something thick and sticky leaking from her eyes. Blood was streaming from her ears, her nose, her eyes, running down her face until it dripped onto her chest.

“I can fix this,” Ealis said, but Clio saw the fear in his expression.

Riece shook his head. “I don’t understand.”

“The draught. It’s been keeping Vazuil out, but her body can’t take it anymore. Vazuil is breaking through, and she’s too weak to fight him off.”

“You’re still taking the draught?” There was horror in Riece’s eyes. He grabbed Clio’s arm, but the world titled around her, and she stumbled.

“Where’s this temple of yours?” Riece asked as he picked Clio up.

“Put me down, Riece.”

“Follow me,” Ealis answered, walking forward and opening the doors. Five councilors waited for them on the other side, gasping when they took in all the blood. Ealis ushered them away, assuring them there was nothing to be concerned about, but Clio’s eyes skipped past the horrified crowd, searching for Ashira. She was gone. Clio twisted in Riece’s arms, earning a stern admonishment when she almost tumbled out of his arms.

“I said I could walk!” Clio was leaning back, trying to see behind Riece’s broad frame as he walked out into the city and farther away from where Ashira should have been.

“Your ears are still bleeding. I’m not setting you down until I’m certain you won’t fall.”

“You don’t even know where you’re going.”

“That boy of yours will catch up and show me. Or you could point me in the right direction.” His arms tightened, holding her rigidly against his chest.

“Clio!” Ashira’s voice cut through the noise of the city. She appeared behind Riece and was running down the marble walkway.

“
There
you are! Where did you go?”

“The Oracle’s here.” Ashira’s face was pale, her eyes too big.

Clio stilled. “Where?”

“I lost her in the crowd. Clio, what happened to you?”

Riece walked away from the crowded square, leading them down a deserted alley.

“Riece, you need to put me down right now.”

“We’ve been over this—” he started.

“Now!”

There must have been something in her tone, something harder or more panicked, because Riece set her down facing him.

Her hand went to her sheath. Empty. Out of the corner of her eye, Clio saw the Oracle. She stood at the far end of the alley, silhouetted in the sunlight and wearing a dark cloak. When she turned to step back into the crowd, her hood slipped, and a black mark stood out against her hairless scalp.

“There’s a woman in the crowd wearing a dark hood,” Clio whispered.

Riece turned his head to the side, just enough so he could glance behind him into the traffic of the street. “I see her.” He pushed them deeper into the alley until the noise of the street started to fade behind the echoes of their clattering footsteps.

Clio pulled them up to a halt, straining her ears for any sound of the Oracle’s approach. Every doorway, every crevice between buildings held the threat of an attack Clio had no means of foreseeing. She reached for Riece’s hip, and his head snapped back to face her as she edged her hand slowly down until her fingers rested on the hard hilt of his dagger. He nodded once and shifted so her hand was hidden by his cloak.

“Clio!” Ashira’s screamed, her eyes wide.

Clio turned and caught a glimpse of the Oracle leaping off a low roof. She landed in the shadows at the edge of the alley, her dark cloak at odds with the white marble. She reached into her robes to pull out a long dagger.

Clio tried to move, but Riece still held her. His eyes were on the Oracle.

“Get out of here, Riece,” Clio pled. Her head burned, and blood filled her vision once more.

“Stay down,” Riece commanded.

“What are you—” But before she could finish, Riece had tossed her to the ground. Her chin collided hard with the marble floor, and the breath was knocked from her chest. She tried to stand, but her legs were shaking and her arms folded under her weight.

Spitting blood, she got to her knees, the world spinning around her. She turned, searching the ground for any trace of Riece or the Oracle. But they were gone.

Ashira lay on the ground in the middle of the alley. Clio fought to regain her breath as she stumbled to the girl. There was no blood, no obvious sign of injury, but Ashira was unconscious, all her weapons gone.

“Come out and face me yourself!” Clio yelled, her voice bouncing off the walls without response. She raised her dagger and limped to the end of the row, peering into the undisturbed bustle of Cearo’s noblemen and women outside the council house. There was no sign of a fight, almost as if the Oracle had taken Riece and disappeared.

No one had been able to hide from Clio before. If she allowed the Visions back in, she could be Shown where Riece was. Unless the Deities would rather he be killed.

She wanted to scream. Never before had she been so powerless, so lost. There was no one guiding her, no one but herself to make the decisions that could result in the difference between life and death for everyone she cared for.

Footsteps sounded softly behind Clio, and she turned, dagger raised.

Ixie stepped out of the shadows. She was dressed in her old armor.

“Ixie…” It came out little more than a breath. “What are you doing here?”

Ixie turned, her face catching the light. “I’m sorry, Clio.”

“Wha—” But the rest of Clio’s words were cut off as Ixie slammed the hilt of a dagger into Clio’s head.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

The blow spun Clio. She slammed into a marble wall then dropped to the ground. Above her, Ixie stood, her face unreadable as she looked at Clio struggling on the ground.

“What are you doing?” Clio reached for the dagger she’d dropped.

“I’m going to take you to Riece.” Ixie’s voice was flat. She stooped down and picked up the dagger, storing it in her belt.

“You’re
helping
her?”

“I don’t want to hurt you, Clio. I never have.”

Clio laughed and choked on the blood in her throat. “What about Ashira?”

Ixie’s gaze flashed to Ashira’s prone form. “She’ll be fine,” Ixie said, guilt pulling her lips thin. “I promise no harm will come to you or Riece if you surrender.”

“Where is he?”

“I can’t tell you where. Let me bind your hands and I’ll take you there. Trust me, Clio.”

A shape emerged behind Ixie. Ealis. He crept silently down the alley, a club in hand. Clio didn’t dare look at him, keeping her eyes trained on Ixie.

“
Trust
you? After this? Traded in one Oracle for another, didn’t you? I hope she’s everything you wanted.” If Ealis could get Ixie off her feet, Clio could dive for the dagger. They could use Ealis’ powers to find Riece.

“I won’t defend myself to you. Do you want to see Riece or not?”

Ealis raised the club, preparing to bring it down, but Ixie spun. In two quick moves she knocked the club from Ealis’ hands and slammed him into the wall, her hand wrapped around his neck.

Ixie laughed when she saw who she was holding. “I have to say, I didn’t think you would have it in you to try.”

“Kill me and the council will hunt you down,” Ealis wheezed around Ixie’s hand.

“I’m not afraid of your council.” She turned to Clio. “Submit and I won’t kill him.”

“Don’t do it, Clio.” Ealis kicked out, only earning a blow to the stomach for his effort.

“You said no one would get hurt.” Clio couldn’t look at Ixie. The girl Clio had known would never take an innocent life. “Put him down. I’ll come with you. I’ll let you tie me up. Just don’t do this, Ixie.” Clio stood and held her hands out, ready for surrender.

Ixie released Ealis. He fell to the ground, rubbing his neck as Ixie pulled a thin rope from her belt and knotted it tightly around Clio’s wrists.

Ixie searched Clio for weapons. “Follow me, and we will go to Riece.”

Clio nodded. “What about Ashira? We can’t leave her.”

“Ixie,” a woman’s voice shouted from above them. The Oracle stood on a roof at the end of the row. Riece was nowhere in sight. “What is taking so long?”

“We’re coming,” Ixie answered with a bow.

Clio shrugged out of Ixie’s grip. “Where’s Riece?”

“He’s on his way to our destination. Are you ready to come without a fight?” the Oracle asked.

Clio raised her bound wrists in answer.

The Oracle nodded. “Who’s the boy?”

“No one,” Ixie answered.

“We can’t leave him behind. He’s one of the city’s prophets. Kill him or he’ll use the council’s magics to find us.”

Ixie’s gazed flickered between Clio and the Oracle, and for the first time, Clio saw something familiar in the Vessel’s expression. “He won’t come after us. The council won’t concern themselves with this.”

The Oracle closed her eyes. Clio watched as the woman’s fists clenched. She was having a Vision. “If we let him live then he tracks us with the other prophets. We’ll fail. He needs to die or all this will have been for naught.”

“Then let me bring him with us. He’s not a fighter.”

The Oracle paused, closing her eyes once more, then nodded. “He’s your responsibility, along with the girl.” The Oracle gestured to Ashira. “If they resist, you will subdue them however you can, or the deal is off.”

“I understand,” Ixie answered.

The Oracle disappeared down the backside of the roof, and Ixie picked up the tether connected to Clio’s wrists. “We will be going now.”

“What was all of that about?” Clio asked.

“None of your concern.” Ixie’s voice was cold again. “Ealis, pick up Ashira. You’ll carry her. Disobey in any way, and I’ll have no choice but to kill you. You heard what she said.”

Ealis nodded. He looked at Clio as he walked toward Ashira.

“No more delays.” Ixie tugged on Clio’s wrists. “It’s time you faced what you’ve been running from.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

They walked until the sun hung low in the sky. Ixie led them past the city walls, and the towers of Cearo faded on the horizon. The Oracle kept a few paces behind them, a constant threat and reminder that there was no escaping.

Clio’s head hurt worse with each step they took outside the city. The draught was wearing off, and she knew Vazuil would be back soon. She didn’t care anymore. All she had was Ixie’s word that Riece was safe and had been put upon a wagon paid to deliver him to their camp. For all Clio knew, they had lost everything already. What did it matter if Vazuil finally broke her?

She tried to keep her gaze fixed on Ashira’s unconscious form slung over Ealis’ shoulder, but as the light faded, Clio found it harder and harder to walk. She tripped, weak from the draught and all the blood she had lost, and fell in the dust.

“We’re nearly there,” Ixie said as she lifted Clio to her feet.

“Don’t touch me.” Clio shoved away, tilting as she struggled to walk in a straight line.

When the sun burned off red and orange, they reached a gaping hole in the middle of the dense underbrush.

A small man stood at its rim, and the Oracle raced ahead. Clio watched as the woman pulled gold from her robes and pressed it into the man’s hands, thanking him for his service. Ixie pushed Clio forward until she could see into the pit’s depths. Vines spilled over the lip, draping down like green ropes all the way to the cave’s floor, which shimmered in the fading light. A rock slipped over the edge, plunged into the hole and landed with an echoing splash.

“We can’t go in there.” Ealis’ voice sounded frightened. “This is a place of darkest evil.”

The Oracle laughed and held her arm out, gesturing for Ealis to walk forward. “You first.”

“But only those seeking death come here. They say it’s the mouth of the underworld.”