Fire and Gold (Sisters of the North Book 1)

by Mara Amberly

  The mountain rose high above them and to the right they could see the similarly steep mountainside of ‘Treachery’. The pass was a narrow channel between the two, which had no ceiling other than the sky. There was nowhere anyone could easily hide on the mountainsides above the pass, because they were so steep, but there was a great deal of cautious searching before the group entered the pass single file. Of those present, Knave had searched the mountains the least, paying more attention to the ground outside and below the opening to the pass than the priestesses, who were more concerned with watchers or perhaps even archers who might rain down arrows on them. The ground was an interesting shade of orange here, as were the steep cliff-sides of the mountains. It seemed quiet, even desolate here, as they made their way along the curving channel toward the plain that would grant access to the city.

  “I would suggest you ladies draw your weapons in case we run into enemies. We’re coming up on the end of the channel now,” he said after no more than fifty metres.

  Knave’s footsteps slowed and he more cautiously approached the end of the pass. There was a massive iron grating positioned above the end of the channel, he knew, but it had not been lowered, as it would be if the city was under attack. Carefully he stepped into the last curve of the channel. He saw a guard walk past its end, wearing a familiar uniform. Dark blue, with a functional sword sheathed at his hip.

  “On second thought ladies, put the weapons away.”

  Cassia scowled at him, but she did as he said. Still, she kept her hand close to her sheathed knife in case it was necessary to draw it in a hurry and she was already extending her senses in case she needed to draw on her magick.

  “It’s alright,” Knave reassured her. He raised his hands harmlessly as he approached the guard at the channel’s end. Another looked through, and Knave wondered how well-protected the city entrance was. He assumed they would soon find out.

  “Come out slowly,” one of the guards ordered – a young man with sandy blonde hair and hazel eyes.

  “I am,” Knave said, speaking carefully and walking out into the open. He almost told them about the women, but he wanted to see how they reacted towards him first. The guards would notice the priestesses if they rounded the corner, so he hoped they’d have the good sense to stay out of sight for the time being.

  “What is your business here?” the guard asked, looking over Knave but making no move to take his weapons.

  “I’m returning home. I’ve been in Kalle for years and now I’m back. If you know Sergeant Aveline, you can tell her Rudolf the Bastard sends his regards.”

  A woman called out, “you can tell her that yourself.”

  An attractive woman in guard uniform, she stood out most for her long, blonde hair. Aveline approached, embracing Rudolf warmly. “It has been too long, my friend!”

  He looked almost like he’d seen a ghost, but he was clearly happy to see her.

  “I thought I’d never see you again, Aveline. They had me on death row in Kalle until these – until I was freed.”

  Certain now that the way was safe, Knave decided the time for secrets was over. “I have friends,” he said, and that was when Brigita, Alexa and Cassia turned the bend and approached them.

  “You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?” Aveline asked, noticing how glad the women looked to have reached the city safely.

  There was an open area beyond the passage, just as Knave had described. A high wall ran from one mountainside to the other and the only way through was the gate.

  There were battlements that ran along the top of the wall, as well as arrow slits in the wall itself, which only would’ve made this a more defensible position.

  “You timed your visit well or poorly, depending on your viewpoint, Rudolf,” Aveline said.

  Cassia smiled, “he goes by Knave now.”

  The Sergeant, if she still was one, raised an eyebrow. “Of course he does. As I was saying,” there was a note of arrogance to her tone, “you’ve missed a violent attack and the success of our rebellion in the last few days. It’s just like you to turn up once the fighting’s done. We sure could’ve used your help, but now you’re here, perhaps you could lend us your aid or at least your sword arm to help us deal with the few remaining pockets of resistance.”

  Cassia wondered aloud, “who are they?”

  Aveline grinned. “The former government. Who is this girl? She’s slow on the uptake.”

  Knave may have dealt with a few critical comments from Cassia, but he was growing protective of her. “Be nice, Aveline. She’s a friend.”

  As irritable as his reaction seemed, there was no denying a spark of happiness beneath the surface. It seemed like the realisation of a hope or long-held dream.

  “They all are,” he said, “and they’re under my protection. Please, let’s go into the city and find some drink and food, and a place to rest. Oh, and I know I could certainly use a bath too, and maidens as well!”

  He only said the last part to see if the priestesses’ sense of humour had grown. He at least managed to extract a smile from Alexa.

  The gate was opened for them, and as sore as their feet were from the journey, they hurried through. It was a relief to finally be in Kelbani. The city was large enough that the Temple of Victory couldn’t be identified from here, though there were many spires and one or more may have belonged to the temple. It looked like any normal city might, aside from the location, and the people they saw went about their business quickly. It seemed as if they paid as little attention as possible to the newcomers.

  There was a noticeable sense of tension in the air.

  “Your best bet is the market district for an inn. The administrative district has considerable damage, and that’s where the last of the trouble remains. Come look me up at the library when you’re free and washed,” Aveline said.

  Knave looked slightly confused. “The library?”

  Her smile confirmed the fact. “It’s become our new headquarters,” she said with a grin. “There are reasons, which aren’t worth getting into right now. I’m needed at the gate now.”

  Knave nodded. “Goodbye, Aveline. Nice seeing you again!”

  Alexa wondered how well they knew each other, but it wasn’t her place to pry. It didn’t mean she wouldn’t, but she would try to be subtle about it.

  “An old friend,” Knave said, blushing slightly when Alexa gave him a questioning glance.

  “Where’s the temple?” Cassia asked of Brigita, but Knave answered.

  “It’s close to the administrative district. Do you want to go there first or would you rather rest and eat first?”

  They all felt like resting, but Brigita answered. “You’d better show us to the temple.”

  Cassia sighed, but no one commented when she did. They felt the same way. It had been a long journey, despite the mere days that had passed since they’d left Kalle.

  They didn’t know if they would be heading back to Kalle soon after this, but somehow Alexa knew that she and Cassia wouldn’t be remaining here indefinitely.

  The streets felt eerily quiet as they passed closed stores and a marketplace where only a few customers bought their necessities. A stall with bright red apples caught Cassia’s eye. She and the other priestesses didn’t have a lot of money left and food from the temple should be free once they got there, but she decided to stop and buy a bag of apples anyway.

  “Oh, thank you so much,” she said, handing over a silver coin to the friendly woman selling them, and receiving her change.

  Cassia offered apples to her travelling companions and no one declined. They may have been an odd sight, walking toward the temple eating apples, but they were hungry and thirsty, and fresh fruit was a luxury that somehow made them feel better and more refreshed.

  As they passed more stalls and stores, Cassia pointed out a statue positioned on a tall boulder in the centre of the marketplace. “Is that–?”

  “Nichaea, goddess of Victory,” Brigita answered, staring up at
its artistry.

  “Yes, I believe it is,” Alexa said, taking a close look at it herself. The goddess had been carved from stone and silver inlaid over her surface. The boulder she sat on held a plaque inscribed with her name and the year ‘3593.’

  “It marks the year the Order of the Sisters of Destiny was founded. Nichaea was the goddess who took prominence after an ancient battle with Haledor,” Brigita explained.

  Alexa nodded, because she remembered teachings on the region’s history. Kelbani was little more than an encampment then and refugees had sought safety in the mountains. “We must be close now, unless they left the statue in a public place.”

  Knave nodded to the ladies, “this way,” and led them down an alley and through another one adjacent. Plants grew in pots and troughs beside houses, and a grey kitten darted out of sight.

  He guided the ladies past an old warehouse, which was still being used for storage. Soon they overlooked a park and a massive, beautiful building beyond it.

  “The Temple of Victory,” he said, smiling at the ladies. The temple still stood, seemingly unharmed. It was almost as tall as the grand marble structure in the city of Kalle. Whereas the Temple of Solitude was fashioned from tall columns of pale marble, this one matched the colour of the city walls and the earth of the mountaintop.

  It was a rich, red marble, but it was carved with as much beauty and care as the temple in Kalle, if not more. It seemed to have been built as a symbol of hope and like its name, victory.

  “I am without words,” Brigita said, almost brought to tears by the sight.

  Cassia thought it was beautiful and she was in awe, but she feared what control the sisters might exert over her and her life. She didn’t want her freedom taken from her, but she had the choice to leave. They hadn’t taken that from her in Kalle and she saw no reason why they would here either. Cassia relaxed at the thought, because it helped her feel more comfortable and less trapped.

  Alexa was impressed by the sight, but only time would tell how she felt about being here, and where the future would take them. It seemed odd to her that she didn’t feel more emotional or hopeful about the future, but the truth was that she didn’t. So much had happened and there was still so much left to do. She hurt from the walking, but her heart hurt as well; she would be grateful to rest when she reached the temple, if she could.

  A bath would help soothe her nerves and in that moment Alexa felt she needed one. She didn’t feel safe anymore, and parts of her that once were whole and complete now felt compromised or broken. Before, she’d felt undeniably and unbreakably a sister of the order. Now, Alexa knew she’d lost her way and would need to find it again if she was to become what she should be, what she could be, and what she felt in her heart she was meant to be. Alexa knew she’d changed and she hadn’t figured out yet who this new person was.

  “Are you ready to go?” Knave asked.

  She didn’t realise she was holding them up, staring at the temple for so long. Alexa nodded, “yes,” and drawing her cloak around herself comfortingly, she followed the rogue through the park toward the Temple of Victory.

  Alexa would miss Knave. She’d only known him for less than a week, but she felt like she’d come to rely on him and that in some strange and undeniable way, they’d connected. She’d been careful to not get too close, so she didn’t feel she’d acted inappropriately.

  Alexa thought she actually liked him, and that was a strange feeling in light of everything else. As if with the destruction of the temple, another door had opened that she’d wanted to remain closed forever. Maybe she was overthinking it, but she wasn’t sure.

  “Will you be staying in the city?” she asked him, as they made their way down a set of stone steps and on to the road that led to the front of the temple.

  It wouldn’t be long now; the gateway was in sight, protected by three Kelbani guards.

  “I honestly don’t know,” he said, smiling at her, “but I don’t see myself going anywhere in a hurry. I’ll be around for a while yet, I think. Don’t you worry.”

  She grinned at that, because the truth was now she wasn’t worried quite so much.

  Kelbani felt safer and so did she.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  The sisters’ reintroduction to temple life had felt strange after their time away from it. Alexa, Cassia and Brigita entered the Temple of Victory warily at first, at least in part because there was a slight air of distrust among the Kelbani sisters. It wasn’t unreasonable, but after their long journey and all they’d been through, the priestesses from the Temple of Solitude found their welcome far from warm.

  There were minor signs of damage in the temple corridors - scorch marks on the walls from fire spells, and features like sconces and statues had been smashed off the walls. The red marble hid a multitude of sins. The walkways seemed clear, as if the broken stone and the loss of life had been cleaned up already; they hadn’t been forgotten.

  The priestesses were directed to Magister Kelcedone’s study by Sister Eluria; a blonde initiate who wore a brown robe much like Brigita’s own, associated with the earth element.

  Sister Eluria knocked on the door and it was opened by an older woman in blue, who left the office as Brigita, Cassia and Alexa entered.

  “Magister Kelcedone, these are the sisters from the Temple of Solitude.” Sister Eluria inclined her head respectfully and left the study, softly closing the door behind her. The room was larger than that the Arch-Magister had used at the Temple of Solitude, but Calla Orelle had been known for her choice of Spartan accommodations.

  Magister Kelcedone wore red to denote her proficiency with fire magick, much as Cassia had before she went into hiding. The Magister’s hair was a vibrant auburn – brighter than Cassia’s own, and her eyes were a dark golden brown. Her appearance placed her in her 30s, but with some mages it was hard to tell.

  “Ahh, so you finally made it. Please, sit down. You must be tired from your journey.”

  There were only two chairs in front of her desk, but her study was large enough that it held a separate table and chairs, so Cassia brought over another one, as Brigita and Alexa said down in front of her desk.

  Magister Kelcedone had an immensely vibrant look about her, and while she seemed calmly placid, she gave the impression that she was an immensely busy person who found it hard to sit still.

  “Thank you for your kindness,” Brigita said, by way of greeting. “We must apologise for not contacting you as we made our way up the mountain. It appeared some spell-work was underway, and we didn’t want to take a chance that it might interrupt you at an inopportune time.”

  Brigita noted the way Kelcedone looked back and forth between Cassia and Alexa.

  “Ah, that,” she eventually said. She was clearly trying hold back the details from the younger priestesses. “Yes, you were right to do so. An interruption at the wrong time could’ve been catastrophic.”

  Alexa lightly gripped the side of Magister Kelcedone’s desk. “We already have some knowledge of starlight magick. One of the senior priestesses informed us about it, so please, there is no need to talk around the subject.”

  Alexa received a meaningful glance from Sister Brigita, as if to say ‘that was bold of you’. The truth was that Alexa had little patience with being kept in the dark, especially after all they’d been through.

  “I – I see,” Magister Kelcedone responded. “It’s not normally the way things are done, but these are far from normal circumstances. You all are aware-?”

  Cassia nodded, “yes, I am as well.”

  Magister Kelcedone looked a bit taken aback, but she adjusted quickly to the change of circumstances. “Well that simplifies things quite a bit, I suppose.”

  “If I may ask,” Cassia said, keeping quite a straight face despite the smile begging to break through, “what about the nature of magick were you trying to change?”

  Kelcedone smiled and looked quietly over those present.

  “We’re slowing down the flow o
f magick, so we have time to reach the manses before they’re charged. If we don’t, we may not stop them in time,” Kelcedone explained sombrely.

  Unsure whether the younger priestesses understood, Brigita explained, “they’re occult structures designed to channel and contain magical energy. There are five that we know about.”

  Alexa looked confused. “What do we need to prevent?”

  “The end of life as we know it.” Kelcedone’s expression was grim. “They’re trying to annihilate us.”

  EPILOGUE

  Nemorath Stronghold - Present Day

  Even lit by the desert sun, the room was veiled in darkness for Elena Briette. It was always there, the diaphanous veil of black that her brother insisted she wear at all times. As soft as gossamer, its appearance belied its true weight. She had seen so much death that it felt like a veil between the worlds; between herself and the living world around her. As if she were dead and alone, because it was how she felt every moment of every day.

  Jarlath was cruel. He was a killer, ice cold and violent when the mood took him, but he could be generous too. No one knew for sure why he did all the things that he did, but his worshippers seldom demanded answers. They trusted him completely, their fanaticism fuelled by Jarlath’s examples of power. Elena Briette subtly questioned her own role but she couldn’t have explained why she even lived. Jarlath had murdered their whole family except for her, and made her witness it. She hadn’t considered herself his favourite before that time but perhaps that wasn’t what it was about. Maybe he needed a witness to his handiwork so he could gloat? It was hard to say. When she thought about it too much, it made her sad.

  Beneath her veil, Elena Briette knew she had once been beautiful and others had seen it too. Now she felt twisted or damaged, broken in some important way that didn’t normally show on the surface; only in her case, it might. Maybe that was why Jarlath made her wear a veil. Her dress was dark blue; she thought it was called midnight blue, but through her veil it looked black. Like her hair, and she wondered if like her heart, too. Certainly like Jarlath’s heart.