Page 7 of The Storm of the Empire (Flyers Of The First Kingdom #3)

SIX

LUKA

I kicked myself for leaving without explanation.

All the way to the temple, I fought with myself over going back, but I couldn’t stop with the memory so fresh. It had overpowered everything else, and I had to figure out if it was just another dead end or if it could actually put me on the right path. If I stopped now I could miss it. I knew that much about my gut. When it told me to do something, I trusted it.

The time I spent in the underground was dark and dangerous. Sometimes, I got lost in false memories that were actually nightmares, and I didn’t know what was reality and what my mind had created. But the sun brands were real, and now that I’d made the connection, I felt like I really had something to look for.

I just needed to ground myself in reality, which meant going to the temple to see if I was right. Then I could go back and apologize to Hazel. Beg forgiveness even. I would make it up to her.

I sucked cool air into my burning lungs, focusing on the hint of blood I could still taste because it was the only thing keeping the symbol clear in my mind.

The biggest temple in the city seemed the most logical place to start. I bowed and made the sign of the Goddess before I entered, keeping my eyes lowered. I didn’t have a plan, but that’d never stopped me before. My instincts always served me well.

My gut told me to stop in front of the statue of Kalilah’s mercy as Mother of the World. I took a copper piece, dropped it in the collection bowl, and picked up a candle, using it to light one under the altar. I replaced the candle and then struck my chest with my fist three times, the custom of atonement for her sacrifice.

Deciding to act as any visitor from outside the city might, I started a slow walk around the temple, taking in the effigies and art, taking moments to offer silent prayer and respect to the various symbols of our people. It was an opportunity to take in my surroundings and inspect everywhere for some sign that the symbol of the sun was a part of the priesthood here.

With each corner I passed, I turned up nothing, and I was beginning to feel conspicuous in my inspection. I needed to sit and appear to be praying to blend in. As the largest temple in the city, it was usually active with visitors, but if I was poking around, I would stand out.

I picked up a book of prayer and took a seat on a bench right in the center. For a minute, I watched the other fae deep in their prayers, then I placed the prayer book down to lift my eyes and hands in prayer as was the way to thank Kalilah for our blessings.

As my eyes settled on the ceiling of the grand temple, a smile quirked my lips.

By the fucking Goddess!

And may she pardon my fucking blasphemy!

Right there, covering the entire ceiling in rich gold and yellow and orange, was a mosaic of what else but the Goddess blessed fucking sun. A giant beacon in plain sight.

Was this it? Could I be that lucky, or had I just been that dense?

Did all temples have such a mark, and I’d never noticed?

I stared in awe for long minutes. I hadn’t really studied the brands on the arms of the fae involved in the Dragon’s Bane trade. They were the ones calling the shots, and in all honesty, I did my best to avoid them and never looked at them directly more than I needed to. But their brands were definitely the same as this sun. It was quite distinctive, and I would recognize it anywhere now that I was seeing it in all its glory.

It wasn’t just any sun. It had twelve points of twisted flames radiating out from it’s center, and even simplified down into the markings worn as brands, it was recognizable.

I followed the flow of the flames to their points, each one ending in a golden point. The mosaic then trailed off in a single line of gold to the edge of the ceiling and down the walls to the floor. I scanned the vast space and rose again to weave in and out of the vast columns so I could follow each line to its conclusion.

All lines met the floor of the temple save for one: the line that ran down the center of the temple disappeared behind the altar. Watching from a distance, I could not tell if there was anything other than the altar itself at that end of the temple. But as I was deciding how best I could investigate without looking suspicious, a priest walked behind the altar and disappeared out of sight.

So there was a door or an entrance of some kind back there.

Before I could think twice, I headed that way. I walked as swiftly as possible, knowing I couldn’t run without drawing unwanted attention to myself, but I wasn’t fast enough to catch up with the priest because I didn’t want to have to explain why I was somewhere I shouldn’t be.

Behind the altar was a door, very plain and innocuous but well-worn from use. It was clearly an entry to the priests’ quarters, and although sense should have me staying away from places that were out of bounds to normal fae, something told me to keep going. That if I could just catch him, I’d get my answers or at least a little piece of what I needed. I chased my past and my purpose in those tunnels, always seemingly behind.

I wasn’t fast enough. The priest twisted around a corner, and I only caught the glimpse of a heel. When I came around. I found a dead end.

He couldn’t have vanished.

I stepped into the dark, fingertips trailing over the walls to keep myself oriented in the pitch black. It was like the shadows had swallowed me whole, making me very disoriented.

Where the fuck had he gone?

I almost slammed face-first into a wall, only caught by the tip of my boot hitting it right before my forehead. I turned, pressing my back into the marble. The light had cut off like it was done magically at the opening to the passage. It had to be on purpose.

This passage was concealing something.

I felt my way to the corner, running my hands over the cool stone. I searched the entire wall, finding nothing.

Fuck.

I took a few awkward steps to the other wall and felt my way to the back, again nothing.

There had to be something here. The priest just vanished—I saw it happen. I re-examined the back wall, pushing against the stones and found small holes. I froze. They fit my fingers perfectly, and I pressed.

Nothing happened.

I pushed harder, and at last, the wall shifted to the left, opening a passageway.

Bingo.

Edging forward, I found a drop down.

I couldn’t see a thing. Were they stairs or a hole to catch intruders? I wouldn’t put it past them knowing what I did.

Slowly, I lowered my foot, looking for any kind of platform.

I found a stair and then another, and another. Keeping my hands on the narrow walls, I spiraled down.

Light returned slowly, revealing another passageway. It was almost dungeon-like with only torches on the walls, leading to another dead end.

But this one I was ready for. I pressed my palms to the stone, searching it until I found similar finger holes. The wall shifted out of the way, easier since I knew how it worked, and opened up into another passage, but this one was well-lit with magic, and there were doorways. I’d found something here, but I didn’t venture further because I didn’t want to get caught.

I stuck out too much.I needed a plan.

I was drawn to the first door and found it unlocked. A sense of urgency came over me, and I quickly closed the door behind me. I was in some sort of storage room with nothing useful. Just odds and ends. Candles and cloth. Plaster repair tools and brooms. I sat on one of the barrels of wine, rubbing my forehead, trying to think.

I needed a disguise. At least that was the start of a plan.

What the fuck was I doing?

I needed to get my hands on some of the priest’s robes, and I could only think of one way to get them. I scanned through the vials on my belt, finding the one I needed, and ripped apart a cloth I found, dumping some of the fluid from the bottle on it. I’d either find what I was looking for or end up in the guard’s custody by the end of the day, and at this point, I didn’t know which was more likely. Maybe I was chasing ghosts.

I stepped back through the door, immediately coming face to face with a priest.