Silver Blood

Chapter 17

Her stomach ached, and she couldn't tell if it was from the mushy porridge she'd eaten or from not eating enough. She feared if she ate any more she'd be sick from nerves. She hoped a chance to pray would calm her for whatever ceremony loomed ahead of her.

Grian's feather felt warm in her hand. The remnants of the temple's magic clung to it. She spun it, watching as the beam of weak light shone on the colors. A gift from Grian, or at least as close as one could get to such a thing. It felt like a blessing, a reminder for her to not give up and she wouldn't.

She bowed her head and recited every protection prayer she could think of. The familiar repetition calmed her nerves and cleared her mind. Then she prayed to Orva, begging for her guiding light. She lit the candle for Orva and held the feather to the flame. As soon as the feather caught fire, the whole thing burst into flame all at once. She let go with a yelp, the heat singing her fingertips. The fire burned bright, shifting between bright oranges and dark reds.

This time she prayed for Roan. She'd long given up on her magic changing, but Roan was a light bearer and no matter how hard he tried to act like he would be fine, she knew him better than that. He'd been ecstatic when he got the same magic as his father. He'd used it in the army and then to get his position in the watch. If he lost his magic, he'd be devastated. She didn't see how he couldn't resent her for costing him such a large piece of himself. She begged Orva to not take his magic away. To leave him happy and whole by the end of the day even if she wasn't.

Loud whispers invaded the room. She glanced around, seeing no one. The whispering continued filling the room with garbled words and sounds she couldn't make out. Her hand squeezed the altar. Was there another shadow beast around? The shadows in the room looked empty. The only magic in the room she felt was the altar.

Boots scraped across the floor and her head shot up. Roan stood in the doorway. Voices drifted in from the dining room down the hall, clearer than the whispers.

"I didn't mean to interrupt."

"Do you hear whispering?" As she spoke the whispering drifted away.

"Some of the acolytes were having an argument over whether or not to go look for some treasure hunter who wandered off into the shadowlands."

"No, not them." She could hear Brigid slapping the table while she spoke. The last of the whispers died away, making the temple feel suddenly too quiet.

The candle died down, back to a normal flame and with it the whispers faded away. "Never mind. I'm fine." She scooted over to give him room to stand at the altar and wiped her clammy palms on her cloak. "Would you like to pray before I blow the candle out?"

He shuffled up beside her. Gerald once told them recited prayers were a way to be heard when your own words failed you. A person's prayers were also a window into their life, filled by their fears and hopes, but Roan had always gone for the same two when he visited the temple. First a prayer to Orva to guide him. The first prayer they had both learned as children. And then a prayer to all the gods to ask for the safety of his loved ones. He closed his eyes and prayed. Another habit of his. He used to say it helped him remember the words and keep from getting distracted. His lips moved along to his prayers.

"Do you really still pray the same after all this time?"

"Yes. Although my prayers were different in the army." He rubbed his arm. "Didn't have enough chances to visit temples or light a candle. Falling back into my old habits made returning home easier. Comforting. I...Returning home has been harder than I expected."

"How so? Everyone is glad to have you back. I hope no one's made you feel differently. We all missed you."

"It's not that." He blew out the candle and watched the smoke drift off the smoldering wick. "People like to think everything is fine in the rest of the territories, but there have been border skirmishes. Some territories haven't bounced back from the fall of the temple as well as our lands either. And to the east, the iron temple lands remain lost on the other side of the shadowlands. The stories from sailors who have claimed to make it that far are concerning.