Divined (27 page)

Mannix.

The crowd was screaming now, their cries too frenzied for her to discern any individual words. But the intent was clear. They wanted his blood.

“This man wanted to steal the throne. He wanted to lead us away from the Deities, from their strength. He thought himself safe because of his blood, but I ask you this, is any blood too great for the Deities? What better offering could we mortals hope to give to our Deities than a descendant of our most loved leader? What better token of our faith, of our continued devotion?”

The crowd cheered as Nox opened his robes and pulled out a long dagger. Clio felt her heart constrict when the thick blade caught the light. Red. The amulet. Suddenly everything made sense, and Clio gripped her dagger so hard her fingers went numb. It had been Nox. All along. He had been the one to give her the draught, to make her weak and ask her never to return to the Empire. The night of the Emperor’s death, Nox had come back to the temple, bloody and injured not because of rebellions but because the Emperor had fought back. Nox even demurred when Ealis tried to heal him, knowing Ealis would be able to sense his lies. On top of everything, Nox had put Clio and Riece in the perfect position to eliminate the one person standing in his way, and they’d played into his plan perfectly.

Nox stood over Mannix and held the blade aloft for a dizzying heartbeat. Clio couldn’t see Mannix’s face. She couldn’t hear her brother’s final words. And when Nox sunk the dagger deep into Mannix’s chest, Clio closed her eyes, unable to watch his body fall to the ground. Something smashed into the back of her head, and she turned to find people running, fleeing. The crowd was chaos, some cheering for blood, others running or standing still, their expressions stunned and uncertain. Almost out of nowhere, a ring of priests lined the square, penning in the crowd. A few brought out their picks and axes in their harried attempt to escape, but their simple weapons were no match for the Order’s obsidian.

Nox’s voice rose above the mayhem. “Our city is in danger, and we must be cleansed if we are to survive. Cleansed with the blood of sacrifice. Tomorrow we will give the greatest offering to the Deities in mortal history. Those who bring offerings to the temple will enjoy our wealth and blessings as thanks.” Nox looked to the impenetrable line of amber cloaks and smiled. “Those who resist will be punished as enemies of the Order, the Empire and the Deities themselves.”

A scream split the air, and Clio turned in time to see a man fall under the club of a priest.

“We need to get out of here,” Riece hissed, his fingers digging into Clio’s arm.

Everyone around them was pushing toward the back. Some had turned their weapons on their neighbors, desperate to claim offerings. Clio tripped, landing on a fallen man’s legs. Riece pulled her up, and she faced a wall of people. Everywhere she turned she met with more twisting limbs, more panicked faces. Something wrapped around her neck—a noose. Air squeezed from her lungs, her eyes watered. The rope tugged, and Clio swung around, kicking a leg out as she fought for air.

The man fell, dropping the noose, and Clio broke free, but there was nowhere to go. There were too many ahead of them, and the Order was making its way into the square. Riece fended off an attacker and pulled Clio to the wall.

“Up.” He nodded to the roof and cupped his hand above his knee. Clio climbed up, striking out behind her when she felt someone’s hands on her robes. Rolling to the rooftop, she dropped her blade and reached a hand over the ledge to help Riece.

He scaled the wall easily and stood on the edge, overlooking the carnage.

“We have to go.” His voice was stony. Flames had broken out in the market, and smoke filled the air, turning the square black.

Clio spared a glance over her shoulder to the palace steps. Nox stood in the center of everything, somehow untouched by the madness and blood. His eyes flashed in her direction, and Clio ran.

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

Atzi waited for them at the south end of the palace, Ixie and Ashira kneeling at her side.

“We need to get out of the streets.” Clio stooped down, shouldering Ixie.

“What’s going on?” Atzi asked.

“You’ve Seen nothing?”

The Oracle shook her head, but there was a foreign distance in her eyes.

“Take us to the shelter. I’ll explain there.”

Atzi led them to a burned out and abandoned hovel on the outskirts of the city, the great mountains of Morek rising up jagged and sharp in the distance.

Tirza met them at the door, her eyes wild with worry. She ran to Riece, all her anger forgotten, and embraced him as Clio carried Ixie inside. Clio was crossing the threshold when she heard Tirza’s voice.

“Did Nox say when he might join us? I can go meet him and bring him here.”

Clio walked into the dark room, her chest heavy and her stomach tight, not wanting to witness Tirza’s heartbreak.
 

The room was cramped, much of the floor taken up by a small set of stairs that rose out of the dirt and led to a sparse loft. Ealis stood atop it, his eyes fixed on Ixie.

“Bring her up here.” His voice was choked, his face pale.

Clio stepped past Vazuil who was bound at the foot of the stairs.

“I’m hardly the priority,” Ixie muttered, her voice only containing a fraction of her usual fiery ire.

“It’s not up for discussion, Ixie.” Ealis stepped back as Clio and Ixie reached the top and helped her to the small mat he’d laid out.

Ixie settled onto the mat with a pained groan. “I’m surprised…you’ve stuck…around this long.” Her lips stretched in the beginning of a smile before she winced and clutched her side.

“Are you?” Ealis set down his pack, pulling out vials and jars and placing them at Ixie’s side.

“It must be a lot of…excitement…for someone like you.” Her eyes flashed with a spark of playfulness.

Ealis smiled and pushed Ixie’s hand down so he could inspect her side. “For a tedious scholar like me, you mean?”

Ixie grabbed his hand. “Ealis—” She coughed.

“Stop talking and let me heal you so you can insult me with your full strength tomorrow.” There was something soft in his eyes as he watched Ixie lie back.

“Just tell me, Riece. What happened to him?” Tirza’s voice entered the room, and Clio returned to the steps with a final glance back at Ixie.

“Tirza.” Riece placed his hands on his sister’s shoulders. “Nox won’t be leaving the temple.”

Tirza blinked, momentarily stunned. “You’re hiding something.”

Riece’s gaze flickered to Clio before landing on Tirza with resigned determination. “Nox has taken over the Order.”

“He did? Well—that’s great!” Tirza beamed. “Isn’t it?” Her smile waned.

“The Order has seized the throne. They sacrificed Mannix.”

Vazuil straightened. “There is no Emperor?”

“None but the new High Priest. He’s ordered mass sacrifice for tomorrow, claiming it will help Morek prevail against Sheehan’s attacks.”

Tirza backed away. “But Nox isn’t responsible. No.” She shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut. “He’s only doing what must be done for appearances. He’ll stop it.”

“He had the amulet. The red dagger. He used it on Mannix. I’m sorry, Tirz.”

Riece’s face fractured as his sister’s eyes filled with tears.

“I don’t believe you.” She was crying now, her words thick with tears. “Why did he help us? Why did he help Ixie?”

“He was second in command.” Riece spoke gently, his eyes mournful. “He had failed in his attempt against the Emperor, and so he arranged for us to perform his next assassination for him. If he wasn’t the one who caught Ixie in the first place, then he seized upon the opportunity and sent the High Priest directly into our path. No one suspects him for any of it.”

“No.” But there was defeat in Tirza’s voice. “He told me he loved me. He said we would—” She covered her mouth with her hand, and slipped to her knees. Riece watched his sister cry, helpless. Hesitantly, he brushed Tirza’s shoulder, and she startled, stumbling onto her heels.

“Come here.” Riece picked Tirza up in his arms, and she clung to his neck, sobbing into his shoulder as he walked her out of the room to suffer her grief in private.

For a moment no one moved. Then Atzi crossed the room and began to arm herself.

“What are you doing?” Clio asked, still frozen in her place on the stairs, unsure where she should be, whom she should be helping.

“We should set out at once.” Atzi walked over and reached up to hand Clio a dagger.

“Set out? For what? We need a plan first.”

“The plan is we sneak into the palace, kill Nox and steal the amulet. We know where it is now.” Atzi spoke with renewed fervor.

“Did you have a Vision? Did you See a way into the palace?” Clio glanced at Ashira, unsure what could have prompted this sudden course of action.

The Oracle didn’t stop.

“Atzi, we can’t storm the palace without a plan, especially if you haven’t Seen anything. Nox will be surrounded by guards. He will be expecting us.”

“What happened to your promise?” Atzi rounded on Clio. “You said you would fight. Well, now is the time.”

“I
am
going to fight. I think I’ve more than proved that.” Clio’s voice was low, her eyes narrowed. “But we need a plan.”

“We don’t have time for a plan. We need to go now.” Atzi turned back to her blades, her hands shaking.

“Your Vision was always of us fighting atop the pyramid during the sacrifice, right? I think that’s where we will have our best chance.”

“No. We won’t.”

Clio stilled. “You Saw something. Something new. Didn’t you?” She stepped down the stairs.

“Yes,” Atzi sighed. “I promise, Clio, I didn’t know.”

“What didn’t you know?” Clio’s gaze flickered outside where Riece still knelt with his sister.

“I was Shown more this morning. Something must have changed, or—or Kusa was finally able to See further. I promise, I didn’t know. I wouldn’t have brought you if I did.”

“Just tell me, Atzi.”

The Oracle stopped and faced Clio. “If you set foot on the pyramid tomorrow, you’ll die.”

CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

The room was heavy with silence, no one daring to move. Every pair of eyes was fixed to Clio, waiting. But her mind was blank, numb.

“How?” Ashira finally asked, her voice cutting through Clio’s thoughts.

“I can’t See.” Atzi shook her head. “Whatever it is, I’m too close to Clio to See without Seeing myself.”

“Good.” Clio nodded, recovering her voice. “Good,” she repeated. “It’s better if I don’t know. If it’s going to happen, then it’s going to happen, and there’s nothing I can do to prevent it without letting my father loose on thousands of innocent people.” She held on to the splintered banister, her hands suddenly cold.

“We kill Nox now and steal the amulet—that’s how we prevent it.”

“No.” Saying the word brought the room into sharper focus. “No. What about the rest of your Vision?”

“What do you mean?”

“Sheehan is going to attack Morek tomorrow during the ritual. That’s what your Visions said, right? If we don’t succeed with Nox then there will be nothing preventing this war, and still thousands will die. I need to stop Derik.”

“You’re worried about
Sheehan
?” Atzi’s eyes widened.

“Sheehan and Morek both.”

“None of that will matter if your father takes power. He will spread destruction far beyond the Empire. If Sheehan and Morek want to rip each other to pieces, that’s their choice.”

“Atzi, you told me to take action, to fight. This is what I will stand for. I’ll face Nox and my father tomorrow, but I won’t let my people start a war they cannot hope to win.”

“You would die for these people?”

“I would,” Clio answered without hesitating. “I need to at least try. I need to explain to Derik and Zarae and stop them. Because if we fail tomorrow, if the ritual is completed, then Sheehan may be the last line of defense between the Order and the rest of the world.”

“Not the last line.” Ealis’ voice came from behind Clio. He came to the ledge of the loft, his hands clutching a bloody bandage. “I’ll get word to Cearo. I’ll tell them to prepare for war in case we fail.”

“You don’t need to involve your city,” Clio began, glancing at Ixie, who was watching Ealis with something like surprised wonder in her eyes.

“I do, actually. We’ve stayed out and watched others’ bravery for too long. If Cearo pretends to greatness, then we must prove it.”

“Thank you,” Clio breathed, unsure how to accept such kindness. But there was no time to waste. Not if tomorrow would be her final day… She couldn’t think that way. She had to move forward, stay busy, keep her friends safe. “We’ll attack during the ritual. It’s the best place for it. Nox will be out in the open, and we’ll know exactly where he and the dagger are.”

“Then you’ll die.” Atzi’s voice was firm, final.

“Perhaps,” Clio conceded. “But I’ll die fighting, and I’ll die knowing I’ve done everything I can for my people.”

Atzi’s expression changed. Her hard resolve and cool exterior slipped away, revealing something gentler, something softer inside. “I see now why Kusa told me to find you. You are the warrior in the Vision. I will fight at your side until the end.” She bowed her head.

Clio swallowed the sudden tightness in her throat and nodded at the Oracle.

“What should we do in the meantime?” Atzi asked.

“We’ll need a path to the pyramid tomorrow. Wearing amber cloaks won’t work again, not with Nox in control.”

“I will go and search for a route, study their guards.” Atzi picked up her cloak.

“Be safe. The city is mad tonight.”

Ashira stood. “I’m going, too.”

“Ashira—” Clio started, noticing how Ashira’s eyes remained fixed on the ground. She wouldn’t look at Clio.

“I’m going. If you can choose to die tomorrow then I can choose to do this.” She walked to the door and waited for Atzi all the while without facing Clio.

“I will keep her safe,” Atzi promised, crossing the room.

“Wait. There’s one more thing I must ask of you.” Clio looked outside once more, making sure Riece was too far to hear her. “Don’t tell Riece what you Saw. No one can tell him.” She looked around the room. “It will only… It will only make this harder. I can’t—” Tears spilled down her cheeks. She shook her head and wiped her eyes on the back of her hands.