Page 9 of Soul Hate

F ate’s Fury, why won’t this heat give? My skin is all but melting off. The carriage comes to a stop but Father doesn’t look up from the letter he’s penning across his lap.

Giulia wastes no time, jumping out of the carriage and wafting her face with the fresh air.

“Oh, I forgot Terzo is getting married today,” Giulia says pointing at the decorations outside the church. I lean out of the open door to see them, an eyebrow rising higher. The eccentric sculptor is marrying the daughter of a wealthy merchant, and as per his usual style, these decorations are fabulous and opulent. Of course, for such a prominent Soulmate wedding, the Grand Temple would be used.

“I’ll have to write with our congratulations,” I muse, turning back to my father. He’s reviewing his letter, deaf to our conversation.

“Father, we’re here,” I remind him. He nods absently.

“One moment, it’s about the school opening the library,” mutters Father, blowing on the ink.

“Yeah, Emilia and Serra said they were going to be working down at the school this morning. I hope that doesn’t spell trouble for the opening,” I frown.

“Not from what Teacher Veletor says here. They just want to confirm we’ll be there and let us know that they’re excited for the opening.”

“Well then, as it’s not urgent the ink can dry during the service,” I say, pulling the letter from his hands and setting it on the seat next to him. He nods at me with a short chuckle.

“You’re right of course, my dear.”

I snort before I step out of the carriage to join Giulia, beads of sweat dampening my hairline and skin glistening in the heat. Giulia continues in vain to waft the air around her neck for some relief, as her cutting blue eyes search through the brightly coloured crowd.

Around us the congregation is slowly slipping up the steps towards the Grand Temple for our weekly spiritual lecture. Sunshine blasts off the pale stone and bright windows in a vicious glare, challenging anyone to enter.

I turn away from the malicious sunshine as Father steps out of the carriage, checking around him. It’s obvious who he’s searching for. Irritation flares in my stomach.

“For goodness’ sake, if I didn’t murder him in the High Chamber, I’m not going to murder him now.” I scowl, spinning on my heels and marching up the stairs towards the Grand Temple.

“Renza!”

That deep voice halts my steps. Nouis’s dark hair gleams like polished obsidian in the relentless sunshine as he confidently hurries across the steps towards me. His smart green tunic compliments his eyes. A smile stretches across my face as he stops in front of me.

“Hi.” I grin as he takes one of my hands in his.

“Can I steal you for a bit?”

“I really should go inside?—”

“We’ll be quick.” He winks, giving me a gentle tug. I look behind me to see Giulia chuckling to herself as my father shakes his head in amusement.

“Where are we going?” I ask, following him away from the Grand Temple.

“Trust me.” His hand in mine sends a shiver down my spine. I can’t pry the girlish grin off my lips as we sprint across the courtyard.

“Trust you? My, my, that sounds like trouble.” I lean into him. His wicked grin answers me. He pulls me around the corner of a building, his strong arm wrapping around my waist as his lips slip down to hover over mine.

“Trouble?” he murmurs softly. “I think you like that.”

“Maybe I do.” I wrap my fingers around his tunic. My pulse hammers in my ears, every inch of me craving his warm confidence. Everything has been so unbalanced since meeting Patricelli last week. Like I’ve been teetering on the edge of a cliff. But with Nouis I don’t feel like I’m on the edge. He’s safe, I know him, and right now I need that more than ever.

The bells start to ring, the Grand Temple’s attempt to hurry the stragglers. I sigh, pulling away to create some space between us.

“Come on. We’ll be late for service?—”

Nouis moans, leaning back against the wall.

“Let’s skip it,” he suggests, a glint entering his eyes.

“Skip it?” I mock horror. “What would your aunt say?”

“Oh, don’t bring her into it,” Nouis half groans, half chuckles. “One sermon won’t blemish our souls. I want to spend time with you.”

“We’ve spent time together almost every day since you’ve been in Halice,” I answer.

“Yes, stolen moments and secret whispers at your home, in between your meetings and family dinners. Don’t get me wrong, I love every second with your family, and with you,” he whispers, “but I want more than that. I want to take you out and spoil you properly.”

“I’m a busy woman.”

“Believe me, I get that. It’s part of what makes you so damn attractive,” Nouis groans as though he knows this well but can’t help himself. “But I want another date. A real date.”

“Well, then ask me out again properly,” I tease.

“That’s what I’m trying to do, if it wasn’t obvious.” Nouis sighs in mock exasperation. “Besides, it looks like we’re too late now.”

I spin to see the huge black and white chequered doors of the Grand Temple being pulled shut. The beginnings of the first hymn start swirling out of the stained windows and tall spires. “Not quite, if we’re quick we can slip in through the side door.” I grin, easing out of his arms.

“Fine. I can deny you nothing, Maineri. We’d better be quick then.” He chuckles, grabbing my hand as we hurry together back into the square, the sunshine lighting up his face like a beacon. My heart swells, the edges pushing against my ribs.

SLAM!

A vicious blast whips towards me and a wall of fire knocks me down hard. Fragments of stark black and white marble erupt from the holy building in front of us and a ball of flames surges from its centre, consuming everything in its path. Its blistering fingers wash over my face, dragging fresh sweat to the surface of my skin, smearing my features with soot. Dirty smoke sits deep within my nose, making me gag.

The brightness fades. My eyes dance with vermillion stars, focusing on the trails of black smoke scarring the otherwise clear blue sky. Numbness engulfs me. Ringing consumes my mind. Gasping, I can’t catch my breath. My mouth is filled with copper and salt. Something wet and hot is rolling down my face.

The world is miles away as I watch my body pick itself up from its tangle of bruised, soot-stained limbs. My grimy hands move amongst the shower of flaming amber ashes on the ground and I crawl to see what’s left of the Grand Temple.

Wrathful red flames claw into the sky, writhing like a monster. They devour everything. Sickening black smoke stains the air and the white stone pillars of the Grand Temple stand like a trampled rib cage.

My soul slams back into my body.

Father. Giulia.

“No!” I scream, scrambling upright on battered limbs. Tears blur my vision, eyes stinging with soot. I stagger towards the building, stumbling over the smouldering steps leading to the destruction.

As I navigate the blistering rubble, the heat is drowning me, stealing the air from my lungs as the skeleton of the temple starts to crumble.

Hacking coughs rip through my body as I try to move forwards, past the charred marble that used to be the aisle. Splintered, vicious fragments of stone are sprayed in every direction, the blast of the explosion having unleashed a violent wave of tiny marble knives upon those trapped inside, before crushing many with a collapsing ceiling. Everything that can is burning, wooden pews, curtains, tapestries, people . It’s all consumed by wicked, orange tongues. Greedily the blaze devours everything in sight. Blood is sprayed over broken white stone. Blackened corpses of my colleagues and friends are crushed and marred to the point that I keel over in the flames and vomit.

“Father! Giulia!” I scream into the inferno. I spin around, searching through the smoke and flames for any sign of life.

“Please! Father! Giulia! Anyone!” My throat is raw with desperation. I plough forwards, searching for something—anything or anyone. I spy a familiar figure lying on the floor through a gauze of sweltering smoke.

Getting closer, I fall to my knees next to them.

Jacopo Patricelli. Mangled and limp, his lower half is still buried under the collapsed stone. Blood is caked over his hazel eyes, open and staring blindly into the smoke. My insides crumble, fresh tears brimming my eyes. I shake my head, catching sight of another familiar face to his side.

My heart plummets, splintering as it falls.

“No! No!” I sob, desperately scrambling for the body. I reach my father, limp and unmoving. Head caked with blood, features blackened by the fire, eyes staring endlessly into the writhing red monster around us. The scream that rips through me could split me in half. I grip hold of my father’s body, as though I could physically claw him back from the afterlife. Every part of my body is shaking. I might shatter at any moment.

“Renza! Renza!”

That deep voice, thick with worry cuts through the black. Through the scorching flames and curtains of fumes I see a tall figure diving around the rapidly crumbling stone.

“Renza!” Nouis’s relief crushes something inside me. He charges towards me, grabbing hold of my arms.

“We have to go,” he yells over the flames.

“Giulia! We have to find her!” I gasp.

“We have to go now ,” he shouts, dragging me away. Then I see a flicker of something pink in the distance. Giulia’s dress. She was wearing pink this morning.

“Giulia!” I scream, wrenching towards her. My hacking coughs tighten like a noose around my throat. Falling embers plant burning kisses on the naked skin of my face and hands as I stagger over the rubble.

I collapse next to my sister, pulling her over.

“I can’t … I can’t leave her,” I sob. Anguish tears through my body, catching and crushing my heart. Nouis doesn’t hesitate. Reaching down, he grabs Giulia and throws her over his shoulder.

“Move! Move!” he chokes on the smoke. The world is spinning. My limbs are refusing to obey, grief rendering them stone. Nouis drops a hand to my forearm, dragging me backwards. The world is swirling with flames and ashes and I feel my face blistering, hands scorched.

Nouis pulls me outside. All I see is a brilliant blue sky stained with cinders before everything fades to black.