Children of the Eternal

XVI

"He already pays for her lodging," Matthew said, knowing the word hospice would invite suspicion. "He arranged my work. We can't ask more."

Everything grew brighter as they reached a street with a sanctuary and Kate's resigned features were illuminated. "Would you at least let me ask Elijah if he knows anyone else?"

Matthew had already asked, but he nodded to appease her. "I'm going to meet with her later. I wouldn't bring her to my mother unless I felt safe."

"You shouldn't go there."

Matthew swallowed his response to Kate as they navigated their way through a small crowd gathered around the neighborhood sanctuary. Though most people in the area tended to avoid sanctuaries if possible, public humiliation was the cheapest form of entertainment. At grander sanctuaries, these punishments would take place in a more open courtyard. But this little sanctuary was crammed between other buildings, so the spectators clogged the street.

Since he had as much curiosity as anyone else, Matthew took a look to see what was happening. The white walls of the sanctuary radiated with the Eternal Light, and Matthew's eyes watered as he looked directly at the unearthly brightness. Just as people grew accustomed to the grayness of the Edges, most could acclimate to the white-hot light if they spent enough time in a sanctuary. Matthew stayed out of them as much as possible and paid for it with pain. At least according to the research of heretics.

The Sacred State would say it was because he was a sinner.

He blinked until his vision cleared enough to allow him a glimpse of a nightmarish scene. At the top of the small staircase leading into the sanctuary, a woman was chained to a pillar as an acolyte read out her crimes in a jeering tone.

"Indecent exposure of her body..." the acolyte shouted, his squawking voice almost not loud enough to be heard over the heckling audience.

If the situation wasn't so serious, Matthew would have laughed. When it came to the Sacred State, bare elbows could have been the reason for the charge. But he hated the way Kate pushed down her skirt after hearing. It seemed an unconscious habit, but it meant these displays were successful at making people fearful.

The acolyte wasn't finished as this was his one chance that month to get any attention. "Owning indecent written materials..."

That could be anything from owning a book of a forbidden faith or something explicit.

The acolyte pointed at the prisoner in a theatrical way. "The seduction of a virtuous married man and subsequent adulterous actions!"

The woman should have just gone through a purification, but likely couldn't afford the fee. So her payment would consist of this cruelty, even though purifications were supposed to happen as soon as possible, so sins didn't bring the Dark.

Kate cocked her head, her expression hiding her feelings. "I'm glad Shin isn't here."

Matthew gave a shaky nod. Shin couldn't stand to see people tormented that way. More than once, he had to run from guards after a failed attempt to help.

"Should we attempt to go around?" Kate asked under her breath.

If it were up to Matthew, they would have gone around the crowd. But two guards were positioned around the audience, likely keeping an eye out for troublemakers. If they attempted to avoid the horrific spectacle, they might get reported.

Matthew held his bag tighter, knowing at least one forbidden book was buried in his belongings. "No worse than other things we've seen."

He wished that was an exaggeration. Everyone had to learn to look at horrors and walk away in this world. At least almost everyone. The upper classes could live in their idyllic neighborhoods and never see the grisly rituals that were the foundation of the Illuminated World.

They ventured through the crowd, mostly young people who were bored and wanted any sort of thrill that wouldn't get them in trouble.

As they grew closer to the prisoner, Kate paused and recognition shone in her eyes. Matthew dared to look at the poor victim of the Sacred State and winced. Laura, a bubbly young woman who was involved with Umbra. If the authorities knew, things would be worse for her.

Better that her only known sins were adultery.

Matthew and Kate inched through the crowd. If they left too fast, it would look like they had sympathy for Laura. So they had to listen to people saying vicious things, as if not one of them had ever sinned.

"Getting darker every day... all the fault of those kinds of people," a woman said, her eyes blazing with righteous indignation.

A girl gave a fierce nod. "Why do we even bother to save them?"

The first woman made a face as if she smelled something rancid. "I live near her and I swear my lamp wasn't bright enough. Corruption ruins life for everyone. That woman should be drowned."

Jostled by the crowd toward the pillar, Matthew caught sight of more of the damage than he wanted. Laura barely held herself up, and from her shaking, he knew she had been scourged. It made no sense how anyone could think this frail young woman could bring darkness.

He kept all emotions from his face and was careful not to look away too fast. If he were a better person, he would denounce the crowd or try to help the woman. Instead, he made his way back to Kate. "Let's go," he whispered.

Kate kept a careful mask until they turned down a shadowy alley for a shortcut and she shuddered. "Do you think they knew everything about her?"

"They couldn't," Matthew said, forcing certainty into his tone. "This was a public shaming. If they knew about her connections, they would be interrogating her."

"My sister used to be friends with her." Kate leaned down as if to catch her breath. "If they asked her anything..."

"They asked her nothing." Matthew imitated the unwarranted confidence of Shin and held his head high. "This was just to remind us that no one is safe. It's to remind us to hate those who don't follow the sacred laws."

His mother had explained it that way to him when they had come across a similar punishment. After all these years, Matthew couldn't recall the person's transgressions. He remembered his mother squeezing his hand so he wouldn't draw attention to them by looking away. His memory was stained with the crimson drops that fell on the ground.

"They want us to hate and not understand or forgive," his mother said. "When we turn on each other, they have us."

He had been too young to understand at the time. Now he knew that the Sacred State wouldn't have as much power if people stood together. But fear kept people divided and isolated.

Matthew gave a pained smile as Kate straightened up. "So you don't have any reason to worry. Laura could have given up the people that she knew. But if she stayed quiet through that ordeal, they won't pry anything from her."

"Are you sure?" Kate asked.

No.

Matthew gave a firm nod. "Of course."

She eyed him. "Are you going back home?"

"No." He nodded his head to the left. "Like I said, I'll be meeting with Sam's sister."

"Aren't you going to get in trouble if you're not back before curfew?" she asked. "Can't you go some other time?"

"I don't have any other time," he said. "I have too much work to do. So I'll have to hope my absence won't be noticed."

She folded her arms. "Then I want to come with you."

"Are you sure?" he asked. "If we're caught... it won't be pretty."

The last thing he wanted was to get her in trouble.

"I know." She clucked her tongue. "But you need someone unbiased. You really want to help your mother. You might overlook any problems."

Matthew chuckled. "I should be insulted, but I'm glad for the company."

He shouldn't have been surprised that she insisted on coming with him. Kate had a fearlessness that burned like candlelight. It was true, warm, and more inviting than the Eternal Light.

He feared one day it would be snuffed out.