Page 15 of The Garnet Daughter (The Viridian Priestess #3)

“Well, lying to them brings too much attention to the fact that they know how many ships were in the air space above the Estate. Mine has sat idle and documented,” August informs.

99 crosses his arms and nods, but Ferren doesn’t seem as convinced.

Selene smiles at August in a way that crawls under my skin.

“Both Viathan and Cosima are busy with the conjunction and all its facets. By the time they cross-check that information—” She doesn’t finish her sentence, instead leaving the air empty of the rest, confident enough in her argument that she leaves it to each of us to fill in.

And whatever August uses to fill in the last sentiment doesn’t seem to sit right with him.

“Selene, they already know she is divine,” Ferren says.

“Knowing she is Mother blessed is one thing. The extent of that power is another. Folding between worlds is . . .” Selene shakes her head. “They will inquire too much.”

A chill runs across my skin as I listen to both of them speak. There is always a current of tension between them, but with it, a sense that some of the context is missing, a secret understanding only the two of them share, having both been vowed to the priestess order.

“What does that mean?” August sounds furious.

“They could . . . take an interest,” Ferren explains.

I huff a laugh because it seems ridiculous. “But what other explanation do I have?”

Ferren nods in agreement.

“No other ships left that day,” 99 says. “It’s well documented.”

“And if that were true, we would have had an answer for them earlier.” Ferren turns to me and Selene more gently. “We will have to be very careful. Lying will complicate things, cause the order to investigate more.”

“If there is no other way, let us pray they are too preoccupied with electing a highest,” Selene offers.

I exhale deeply, now convinced I cannot get out of doing this.

“I will draw up the statement, and you only have to sign it. We will inform them you folded to Frith to urgently request help and remained there while your elders considered it.”

Selene scoffs.

“Alright, I will sign it. And I did speak to the elders and asked for their help.”

“Calliape.” Selene’s tone is disappointed.

I glare at her. “We were trapped on Frith with no way back. Of course I spoke to our elders. What did you expect me to do?”

She leans in. “Tell me what you told them.”

“Selene.” August puts his arms up like he will block her if she gets any closer to me.

I glance at her in disbelief as she awaits my response, but she won’t have it. I did what was necessary, what I thought was right. They are my elders too. I should be able to seek their wisdom without her consent.

“Like I informed 99, the beacon was damaged, and we needed to ask permission to fix it to return,” August tells Selene, a sweet attempt to sway the tension, and for a moment it calms the room. But I must tell them the other reason for going to the elders, why it was so critical we returned.

“Will the council not ask about the failed ritual?” I ask, turning the conversation to my point.

“Very few elders know the stone is missing,” Ferren says.

That is not exactly what I was thinking, yet surprising.

“Frith’s stone has not been present here during every conjunction. The elders have refused the invitation to unify the stones in the past. Two stones guarded is enough,” Selene chimes in and sits, resting her forehead on her palm, exasperated.

“The stone will be recovered after we are fully protected.” Ferren nods in agreeance with Selene.

I glance between them, missing something. “But what of the creature that took it?”

Ferren looks down as if I’ve accused her. “I saw that . . . thing when I was in the Estate dungeon. When Crixa’s ward dissipated, it escaped. The conjunction tremor destroyed the temple and its holding cell.”

I cast a look at August, and of course he’s watching me to see if this relieves any guilt.

But it doesn’t. Crixa’s ward was not the only thing holding that creature in place.

When she died, it did not run free and breach the temple because of a conjunction tremor.

But that is what they honestly think, such true friends they could not possibly believe it was actually my fault.

That the temple broke because of the failed spell and I called the monster toward us.

That is why Ferren was so happy to see me. She has no idea and I am terrified to correct her.

“It is documented the creature was kept beneath the Estate,” 99 confirms.

“Not a creature. An old god,” I reveal with a shaky voice.

If I can’t confess my wrongdoing, then I can at least warn them.

“It’s called Omnesis. It was known to the Frithian elders.

They weren’t concerned with it taking the stone either, knew its intention was to protect the stone it once housed in its temple in the birthlands. ”

Selene’s face is pale as she listens.

“What else did they say?” Ferren leans in.

I reach for her hand because it is too painful to keep this from her anymore. Ferren deserves peace, but this thing will not let her have it and she needs to be aware.

“It spoke, called you a word I didn’t know the meaning of until I spoke with the elders. It said abomination.”

“No, it spoke, but . . .” She shakes her head, trying to recall.

“It spoke in the language of the gods,” Selene murmurs.

“I don’t know how I understood it, but I did. And when I brought it to the elders, they speculated the word meant it intended to balance what the Temple of Divine Mothers tilted.”

“Clarify.” 99’s voice is tense.

With a painful exhale, I add, “Snuff out those it considers to have false divinity.”

Ferren begins a few stammering sentences and gives up.

“If we can speak to that elder priestess who was in the temple with us. The rituals they were performing in the Temple of Divine Mothers could only be performed because someone trapped it. She might have more information.” I can’t hide the panic in my voice.

“The elder priestess can’t help us. She is dead. I remember what she said, but I thought it was gibberish,” Ferren admits with a faraway look.

“What happened to her?” I ask.

“Suicide,” 99 answers in a way that sends a chill down my spine.

“It could have killed me right then and it didn’t,” Ferren muses almost dismissively.

“Could it really kill all the women who were born in that temple? Doesn’t that seem like it would disturb more of the balance?” August asks, and it makes little sense to me but Ferren clings to it.

“That’s true. Even if I am an abomination as it says, how many of us are walking around Cosima with lives that branch to thousands of people?

Killing us all could change the course of this war, and if it took the stone to protect it from First Son like the Frithian elders believe, then it must be on our side in some way. ”

The longer she speaks, the more confident she sounds, the worry draining from her face. She is tired and has been through so much in a short amount of time. Knowing that an otherworldly force is destined to kill her is not something she will accept after fighting for her new life for so long.

Selene is silent. I suspect she is probably thinking the same as I am.

“We have to deal with one thing at a time. Calliape, I know you are worried. Once the ward is in place, it will be safer and we can look more into this . . . Omnesis creature,” Ferren plans.

She is being brave, but the person she was when I first met her would not have been. When her head was sharp and clear and not tarnished by constant danger wearing away on natural instincts. She is not afraid, but she should be, and I’m not sure how to convince her otherwise.