Astrid parked a few blocks away to avoid being seen. She had a feeling that Peisinoe wouldn't be expecting to see her again so soon. That felt like the only advantage she had right now.
The sting of Daniel's betrayal still burned at the forefront of her mind, but she forced those thoughts away as she focused on the task at hand.
She snuck around the back of the Cathedral and looked for any openings. There was an open window which she could climb through, but it was very high up. Thankfully, the building had been built using flagstone, which had many nooks and crannies for her to grip onto as she climbed up the wall.
When she reached the windowsill, she shifted her body up and rested her arms on it, allowing herself to see into the building.
The Cathedral was very dark inside, but she could make out the figure of a young woman, tied up in a chair near the front. She quickly climbed in through the window and landed lightly on the wooden floor, trying her utmost not to make a sound.
Slowly, she edged along the sidewall, coming closer and closer to the woman at the front.
"H-hello? Is anyone there?" the woman asked shakily.
Astrid felt chills prickle throughout her body. She knew that voice so well...
"Please help me," Rose pleaded desperately.
Astrid threw caution to the wind and ran up to her. She couldn't bear seeing her this way.
"Astrid!" Rose exclaimed in surprise but was cut off by Astrid's hand as she quickly silenced her friend.
"Stay quiet. It's not safe here," Astrid whispered, using a knife to cut the ropes which were bound around Rose's hands and feet.
Before Rose had a chance to say thank you, Astrid had grabbed her wrist and swiftly led her to the window where she had entered.
"We need to get out of here. Come, I'll give you a boost," Astrid said in a rushed tone. cupping her hands and bending her knees, waiting for Rose to step up.
"I don't think so," Rose giggled.
Astrid went still. Something wasn't right. She slowly turned to look at Rose more carefully.
"What were you doing here in the first place, Rose?" Astrid asked in a whisper.
Rose burst into laughter, her laughter echoing through the spacious building.
"I'm surprised it took you so long to figure this out," Rose laughed again.
Astrid felt sick to her stomach as Rose continued to laugh hysterically. Tears began to well at the corners of her eyes.
"What have they done to you?" she whispered, looking at her friend with sad eyes.
"I think you know exactly what they did," Rose giggled.
Astrid felt a pang in her chest as everything fell into place.
"So that's why David went missing. They made you kill him, didn't they?" Astrid asked, her jaw clenched.
"Who cares about him. I'm so much better off now," Rose smiled.
"You cared about him! You've just forgotten. But we can fix everything. Just come with me, Rose. I'll find a way to help you," Astrid pleaded desperately, holding Rose's cold hand in hers.
Just then, the large wooden door nearby creaked loudly as it opened. Peisinoe stepped inside, followed by a large group of Sirens.
"Ah, she's earlier than I expected," Peisinoe smiled serenely, "Rose, have you kept her entertained?"
Rose ripped her hand away and walked towards Peisinoe, "Yes, mother."
Astrid didn't move. The whole Cathedral was surrounded now. Even she couldn't fight so many Sirens at once.
"Walk with me," Peisinoe said calmly, addressing Astrid.
She stepped forward hesitantly.
"I won't kill you. If I wanted you dead, we wouldn't be having this conversation," Peisinoe smiled.
Astrid knew when to cut her losses. She walked up to her and stood beside her. If she wanted to kill Peisinoe, she would have to play the long game.
"Since you were the one who so kindly decrypted the poem for us, why don't you tell all my daughters what is happening," she said, gazing up towards the big, round, stained-glass window.
Astrid noticed a pink beam of moonlight streaming in, landing on the steps leading up towards the front section of the Cathedral.
Astrid swallowed hard, "the light from the Harvest Moon is being concentrated through the centre of the window," she began, "I suspect it will activate a switch when it passes over a certain point... but you already know that."
Peisinoe gave her a knowing smile, "show me the switch," she licked her lips.
Astrid looked at the front section of the Cathedral. An intricately woven rug depicting Saint Peter had been carefully laid out on the wooden floor. She followed the pink-tinted beam of light and saw that it end on the rug.
Slowly, she bent down and pulled the rug away from the floor revealing a large golden plaque with a small disc made of clear quartz, set into the centre of it.
As the light drifted onto the disc, a distinct clicking sound rang through the building, followed by a heavy scrape, as the plaque lowered deeper into the floor and slide to the side.
Astrid could see the beginning of a staircase going into darkness as she peered into the large opening in the ground.
"Very good," Peisinoe gave a satisfied smile as she watched the opening get wider and wider.
Just then, the doors burst open and in charged a large group of Hunters, led by Timothy and Peter. Astrid couldn't think of a single time in her life that she had been more grateful to see their faces than she was right now.
As chaos ensued and the Hunters and Sirens broke out into an all-out battle, Astrid took the opportunity to quickly swing her leg out and knock Peisinoe off of her feet.
Peisinoe hissed at her as she pinned her down and drew her dagger from her belt. Astrid raised the dagger, ready to plunge it into her heart, but was stopped by a hard kick to the ribs.
She was thrown off of Peisinoe and gasped for air and she held her ribcage. She had definitely broken a few by now.
Daniel helped Peisinoe up and she quickly grabbed Daniel under the arms and lifted him into the air. Her large wings leaving gusts of wind in their wake.
Before anyone could stop her, she had flown out of the building and escaped to safety.
Before Astrid could take off after her, she sensed someone behind her and turned around to see Rose taking a step into the darkness and disappearing down the staircase.
Astrid knew that she would have to be the one to stop her and quickly descended after her into the dark tunnel.
The sounds of fighting quickly became muffled, the deeper Astrid walked down the stairs. The walls felt damp to touch and she could feel that the steps were gradually becoming narrower, the deeper she went.
She could faintly make out the sound of Rose's footsteps as she descended a few meters ahead of her. Astrid tried her best to keep up without making a sound, although it was challenging with the damp, stone steps. She had to be very careful not to slip.
She felt uncertain of herself as she continued to follow Rose. There had to be something she could do to help her. Maybe she could convince Rose to come with her to the Synedrion. Maybe they could reverse what had happened to her...
Her eyes flicked downwards when she heard Rose step onto a pressure plate embedded in the ground, activating a number of torches, which had been attached to the walls of a chamber at the end of the tunnel.
Rose giggled to herself and disappeared into the room. Astrid quickened her pace until she was standing in the shadow of the doorway.
Before her lay a square chamber made entirely of flagstone, which had become mouldy with age. In the centre of the room, there was a glass case which contained a glittering musical instrument which resembled a small harp - the Golden Lyre.
Astrid felt chills as she gazed at it. The light from the torches glinted off of its golden surface, leaving a playful sparkle behind. There was something about it that made Astrid feel uneasy. It was so dazzling and beautiful, she could feel it pulling her closer.
"It's more beautiful than I imagined it," Rose spoke, letting out a happy sigh.
Astrid snapped out of her daze and looked at Rose, who still had her back turned to her.
"I was hoping it would be just the two of us," she giggled, turning to face Astrid.
She swished her dress as she rotated her body back and forth. She seemed almost... childlike.
"You don't have to do what she tells you," Astrid said gently, taking a step closer.
Rose started to laugh again, "you don't get it. I want to do what she tells me. Peisinoe has a vision. She sees a world where there are no more men. No more children. Just us," her eyes glimmered in the torchlight, "you can join us, Astrid. You can become a Siren and live forever... with me. We could be goddesses. Together."
Astrid felt a lump in her throat as Rose offered a hand for her to take.
"That is what you wanted, isn't it? You wanted to be with me forever," Rose smiled, resting her hand on Astrid's cheek.
A single tear ran down Astrid's face as she leaned into Rose's hand. Rose's hand felt soft and familiar, but so cold. Astrid wondered how long she had known. How could Rose have known when she hadn't even accepted it herself?
"Rose," Astrid whispered, "you're right, I do want to be with you, but not like this," she gently took Rose's hand away and cupped it in her hands.
"Don't let those Hunters fill your head with lies. Forget about them. They've brought you nothing but suffering. Let me show you what true happiness is," Rose grabbed Astrid's head with both hands and touched her forehead to Astrid's.
Immediately, Astrid found herself in a house she didn't recognize. Sunlight trickled in through the gaps in the curtains.
She stretched out her body and turned over in bed. There she saw Rose, sleeping beside her. Her plump, pink lips were slightly parted as she slept. Her chest rose up and down in slow, steady breaths.
Astrid felt her heart swell at the sight of her. She moved a hand forward to run her fingers through her golden hair but stopped when she noticed a glimmer on her hand.
She was wearing a golden ring. Astrid looked down at her own hand and saw that she was wearing a silver one. They were married. She began to cry, causing Rose to stir awake. She sat up and rubbed her eyes.
"What's wrong, my love?" she asked sweetly, bringing Astrid into a comforting embrace.
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing is wrong," Astrid smiled through her tears, "I love you."
"I love you too," Rose said, before pulling her into a deep kiss.
Astrid felt herself crash back into reality and quickly realized that she was really kissing Rose. In the corner of her eye, she saw a glint of silver, moving around to her back.
Her heart ached as she forced herself to pull away. Within seconds, she had given Rose a hard push, causing her to fall to the ground and drop the dagger she had been holding. Astrid quickly snatched the dagger up and held it tightly in her hand.
"The Rose I knew would never love me that way," Astrid said bitterly, watching Rose cautiously as she stood above her.
"I don't know what Peisinoe sees in yo," Rose spat, "you're a waste. You're handed absolute power on a platter and you still say NO! YOU SAY NO TO ME! You're PATHETIC!" she screeched, jumping up and charging at Astrid.
Astrid did nothing as Rose pinned her to the ground and punched her hard in the face, although she kept the dagger safely in her hand, just in case.
"How many people have you killed? Is David the only one?" Astrid shouted back, lifting her head slightly as she forced Rose to look her in the eye.
"Oh Astrid, why do you still hold out hope for me? I've lost count of all the people I've killed! The Rose you thought you knew is gone!" she cackled, forcing Astrid back down.
"I see," Astrid whispered as she took another punch from Rose.
After a few more punches, she tasted blood in her mouth. Her lip was split, but the pain was nothing compared to the pain she felt inside. Rose was gone. The woman in front of her was nothing but a monster now.
In a flash, she had kicked Rose off of her and was now the one in control. Blood ran from her lips and trickled onto Rose's face. Rose's eyes widened as she realized what Astrid was about to do.
"NO!" she screamed as Astrid struck her in the heart with the dagger.
Her skin went white as snow and her breathing quickened as she began to die. Her eyes glazed over as she looked at Astrid.
"I'm so sorry I couldn't save you," Astrid whispered, her tears spilling as freely as Rose's blood.
Rose lifted a pale hand and stroked Astrid's cheek. Her hand felt just as cold as it had before. Her breathing became more strained as her lungs began to collapse.
"The real me did love you," Rose whispered, her eyes fluttering closed.
Astrid watched her helplessly as she took her last breath. After a few seconds of processing what had just happened, she began to sob, holding Rose's body close to her and rocking back and forth.