The Eye of God (The Fall of Erelith) (22 page)

“We need him,” the Emperor snarled. “It was your duty to keep him safe. We can’t use him if he’s dead. Need I remind you of this, Archbishop?”

Alphege lifted up the Heart of God, descended the stairs with his ceremonial coat sweeping out behind him, and tossed the staff. The Emperor caught it in a hand. “Do you need a dead man when you have the true Heart of God, Your Imperial Majesty? Plans change. While he isn’t the Red Bishop, I assure you, Frolar is respected enough to do what needs done. And, unlike with Blaise, you won’t have to worry about any uncertainties with his cooperation. Frolar, you’ll work with us, won’t you? It’s for the sake of the Church, after all.”

Frolar bowed his head. While Blaise didn’t hear Frolar weeping, the bishop’s despair soured the air. Unable to comfort Frolar in any way, Blaise pushed away from the wall and strode through the opened doors.

He didn’t look back.

~*~

A figure leaned against the gate blocking the way to the steps traversing the cliff. Terin sucked in a breath, and the cold of the air and of recognition froze him in place. He forced his trembling hands into the pockets of his coat. The rain hammered down on him, streaming water over his eyes. Lightning illuminated the roiling clouds.

In the glow of the storm, Zurach’s golden hair gleamed red. The man smiled, clapping his hands together. “You, boy, are quite resourceful when you decide to be. You surprised me.”

Zurach met his eyes and the man’s expression darkened. “I don’t like being surprised like that.”

A lump formed in Terin’s throat, and he tried to swallow it back. It cut off his breath. He wanted to blame the rain and wind for his shivering, but he couldn’t escape the fear forcing him to focus all of his attention on the man in front of him.

“Did you really think you could escape from me? I admit, you gave me quite the chase. My patience has worn thin with you. I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but the only one who decides what you do is me. Do you understand?”

The lightning bathed the wet cobbles in a crimson glow. Blue and red sparks skittered over the stones, crawled over his boot, and vanished, leaving behind a tingle that raced up Terin’s legs.

The thunder boomed. His heart lurched in his chest before hammering a rapid beat in his ears. Then, he drew a breath and exhaled. When the last of the air fled his lungs, he breathed in once more. Terin stilled and stood straighter. A sense of calm spread from his chest, and his pulse no longer throbbed through his head and throat.

“I belong to my master. You come between me and my master’s wishes,” Terin said. He didn’t quite growl the words, but there was an edge in his tone that promised something more than words.

It was his voice, but all thoughts had abandoned him from the shock of him saying such things to a Citizen. The fear of the collar’s wrath spiked, but it too died beneath the soothing cool that spread through him.

“What did you just say to me?”

Once more, Terin’s mouth moved without his direction, and the words spilled out of him. “You’re in my master’s way.”

Zurach stared, his mouth hanging open. The storm quieted, as if it waited for the man’s reply. “How dare you?”

Red and blue flashes of light accompanied the roar of the thunder.

“My master desires it.” While it was Terin’s voice speaking, he had no control over his mouth. Fear roused within him once more, but it was pushed back and frozen by the rain numbing his skin. The calm took him, soothing away everything until he drifted in his own body, unable to do anything other than meet Zurach’s gaze.

“Of all of the times to decide you want to be a man, it’s now. Unbelievable. Why? Why now?” Zurach asked.

“My master desires it,” his voice repeated. Terin marveled at the words coming out of his mouth.

Were they the words Terin had wanted to say all along, but had been too frightened to? Part of him wanted to turn and run. The rest of him refused to give any ground, not even flinching when Zurach’s lip curled up; the man’s words were drowned out by the storm.

They stared at each other.

“Didn’t I tell you that you’ll be killed for your failure, boy? I’m being generous. I’m willing to ignore your disobedience. Put this little incident behind us. My offer still stands. Work with me, and I’ll set you free,” Zurach said.

Terin didn’t reply. He didn’t know why or how, but he knew the man lied. He knew, and it awakened his anger, which burned away the vestiges of his fear.

“You don’t have a choice, damn you! I know the commands for your collar. You’re mine now, one way or another. I was being generous. I don’t have to be.”

When Terin said nothing, Zurach’s face contorted with rage, and a flash of lightning bathed the man’s face in the red of blood. The ground shook beneath Terin’s feet.

The collar woke, and it seared all thought from his head. Red and blue lightning fell from the sky in a column, engulfing the fence. Zurach shouted a curse and jerked away from the cliff’s edge.

Terin’s knees hit the cobbles. Tension built in his chest, closing off his throat and darkening his vision. The rage intensified, but the burning of the band encircling his throat held it at bay. He clawed at his neck and struggled to draw even a single breath.

“How?” Terin wheezed out the question before the collar robbed him of the ability to speak.

Zurach stepped forward and knelt before him. Terin struggled to move, but his every muscle froze in place, and his nerves burned from the collar’s influence over him. The man reached out and placed a finger under Terin’s chin. His head was forced up.

“How did I take control of my collar? How did I find you? Or, perhaps, did you have another question for me? Well, you’ve lost your chance, boy. I’m no longer in the mood to be generous.” Zurach smiled when Terin didn’t—couldn’t—reply.

“You must feel like you’re burning alive right now. You’re steaming. Obey me, and I’ll make the pain stop. All you have to do is say yes. Nodding is fine, if you can’t speak. I’m a reasonable man. So long as you do exactly what I say.”

The cold of steel brushed against his throat and Terin flinched. “Just demand he locate the Eye of God for us so we can be done with him,” Emeric snapped out, the man’s voice coming from behind Terin’s head.

Zurach reached up and stroked Terin’s cheek. “Don’t be hasty, Brother. I’ll get the Eye for you one way or another. I gave my word, and I always keep my word. You know that.”

Terin’s chest ached from the need for breath, and darkness narrowed his vision until the brief flashes of light from the storm above was all that filtered through the haze. The hand on his shoulder kept him from slumping to the ground.

“He’s going to die if you don’t relent. I could just run him through if you’re just going to play with him like that. Torture him later if you want. Don’t forget why we need him in the first place.”

“Do you want to die, Brother?”

The blade pressed closer to Terin’s throat before it was pulled away. “No need to get nasty.”

“Fine. At ease,” Zurach ordered. “I’ll give you one last chance, boy. There’s something I want from you, and you’ll help me get it.”

Terin choked and gasped for air, the chill biting at his burning lungs. Something shifted in his chest, as cold as the sword’s blade and the storm. It clawed its way up his throat and soothed the pain still radiating from where the collar had burned him.

“What do you want?” Terin asked, powerless to stop the words from emerging. Once again, the words were spoken in his voice. But it wasn’t him.

He didn’t want to say anything at all.

“You heard my dear brother. I want the Eye of God,” was Zurach’s solemn reply.

“What makes you think I will help you?” The words spilled out of Terin, and there was a sharp tone to them, sharper than anything he’d ever managed to say on his own.

Zurach reached out, and the man’s fingers squeezed around his neck. “You’ll help me because I will force you to help me. Don’t worry, your task is simple. I just need you to be the bait. Between you and the Hand of God, I’ll find out, once and for all, if the legends are true.”

The grip on Terin’s throat cut off his ability to breathe. When he managed to wheeze, Zurach’s grip loosened. What did the Eye of God have to do with him?

Realization hit him hard.

The thing the Citizens had been afraid to speak of hadn’t been just anything. Someone hadn’t just stolen a trinket from the Emperor.

Terin didn’t know how they had done it, but Zurach and Emeric had done the impossible: They’d stolen the Hand of God.

“Are you really going to go into that again, Zurach?” Emeric asked. The tip of a sword prodded Terin in the ribs. “We’ve got the most important piece.”

“We’re doing it my way first,” Zurach growled. “Now, get up, boy. Tonight is as good a night to begin.”

Emeric grumbled something too low for Terin to hear. Then, the man asked, “Begin what, Brother? You didn’t tell me we were starting anything.”

“Oh, did I forget to tell you? I’m sorry, Brother. I promise you’ll like this. You’ll like this a lot. Get up, boy.”

Terin didn’t stand, and the collar burned him for his disobedience.

“Will you stop teasing me and just tell me what you’re up to?”

Laughing loud and long, Zurach grabbed the front of Terin’s coat and hauled him to his feet. “I only intend to do just what you wanted me to do from the very beginning. I’m going to knock that little Emperor from his perch. That’s all. Don’t you think he’s had his head in the clouds for far too long?”

“You’re insane.”

“I won’t let him slip from us again. He got away once. We won’t get another chance at this. His former owner is desperate enough to do things not even I can anticipate. You wanted your revenge. Well, I’m giving it to you. It’ll begin tonight. I don’t know how long it will take to finish, though. We’ll teach them all the errors of their ancestors. Of course, they won’t live long enough to regret those mistakes. Wesoran will be reborn, after all these years. Together, we’ll rule Erelith and destroy it as our people were destroyed.”

“You make speeches like the Emperor, that’s for certain. I already know the story, Zurach. For some reason, I doubt your little slave cares much about why you’re using him.”

Zurach pulled Terin close with one hand. With the other, the man prodded Terin’s cheek. “Don’t you want to know where you came from and why you’re a slave? I’ll tell you, you little Zorsan brat. The Emperor desires what he doesn’t have. For that, he crushed your home and your people. With your help, you’ll set it to rights. You’ll release everyone from the Emperor’s grasp.”

“Why are you bothering, Zurach? The boy was enslaved from birth. He’s too young to have been anything other than an infant when Zorsan fell.”

Terin flinched at Zurach’s continued prodding. The former convict grinned, then said, “Don’t you want to know the truth? Don’t you want to be free? You could free many slaves if you help me. You’ll help me anyway, you know. You’ve no choice in the matter.”

Zurach’s hand released his coat and before he could pull away, grabbed the back of his neck and turned him around. “Come along then. We’ve work to do.”

Terin succumbed to his despair and obeyed.

Chapter 10

Blaise crept through the halls of the cathedral, pausing to listen for any sign of pursuit. All was quiet. The uncertainty of his disguise clung to him, and he slid his feet over the floors to hide his presence. The few roaming the corridors wandered out of his path as if God shooed them away with a wave of His hand.

It wasn’t Blaise’s efforts making those around him avoid his path. Instead of projecting his presence, he contained it and penned it within his thin, fragile human shell. A shiver ran through him.

The back of his neck tingled with the sense of being watched. He spun around and stared at the backs of two gray-clad figures vanishing around a corner. The sensation didn’t fade. Swallowing back his unease, he skulked down the hall to the main doors of the cathedral.

God didn’t meddle. His punishments didn’t end early, either. Blaise couldn’t shake the feeling that he hadn’t quite fallen out of His sight or mercy. God could’ve forced him to return to the Garden, but hadn’t. All it would’ve taken was the forbidden words turning on him, something He and He alone controlled.

Which meant God had permitted Blaise to twist and pervert His words so he could escape the church’s grasp.

God didn’t meddle, but Blaise couldn’t shake the feeling that he was missing something crucial.

What did He, who saw all things, know that Blaise did not? Why had Aurora been restored as the Heart of God? It should’ve cost him a great deal more than it did. His tail, which had been destroyed, shouldn’t have been restored so quickly. He should’ve had to wait for months—or years—as the bone regenerated.

Blaise turned the corner and stopped to stare at the backs of the two yellow-tasseled lieutenants standing guard on each side of the doors. Both of the great doors were thrown open, and numerous cadets scurried back and forth at the order of a general, who stood at the top of the stairs.

Careful to slide his boots over the stone to keep as quiet as possible, Blaise walked among them. They moved from his path without noticing his presence. The front yard of the grounds was devoid of people, and a row of soldiers blocked the way to the road circling the cathedral. The line of men and women stretched out as far as Blaise’s divine eyes could see in the darkness.

His upper lip curled in a snarl. Maybe He was disgusted with how easily His church fell to the Emperor’s will. Crossing the yard, Blaise walked up behind one of the guards, judged the height and distance to the cobbled street beyond, and jumped.

Blaise’s boots slapped on the stones as he landed and one of his knees buckled from the force of the impact. His gloved hands clapped against the ground.

“Did you hear something?” a man’s voice asked from behind.

The sky rumbled in answer, and a cold rain began to fall. A chorus of curses and grumbles came from the line.

“Just another blighted storm,” a woman muttered. “Like we needed this on top of everything else.”