A Touch of Mother - Chapter 7

Just a reminder this is an unedited chapter from a book that will be released on February 14th.

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Upon returning to the Temple district from the Healers Guild, the bells peeled First Evening. I turned to Dezba. “You’re relieved for the evening, Warden. I need to relay our findings to High Brother Luc.”

She glanced at Little Bear, who inclined his head.

“Very well, m’lady.” She guided her mount toward the alley between Balance and Knowledge. The tiny passage was the closest to our own postern gate.

“You think I won’t perform my duties adequately and inform my superior?” Jeremy bit out when she was far enough away not to overhear. The vehemence in the bright young priest’s tone took me by surprise. The sharp shards of his psyche grated against my own mental walls again. It was almost painful.

Before I could formulate a response, Little Bear kneed his horse between ours. Nassa didn’t respond, but Jeremy’s mount skittered back a few steps. The two Light wardens escorting their priest exchanged looks, but thankfully, they didn’t reach for any weapons.

“You will treat your superior with the respect she deserves.” My chief warden’s rebuke was far milder than the one I would have normally offered. But then, he was trying to save the priest a lashing for insubordination.

Jeremy drew a quick breath and looked to ready to launch another scathing remark, but Little Bear’s calm, steady demeanor reached the younger man far more effectively than harsher words would have. Jeremy exhaled, and the prickly edges of his mind receded. He faced me and bowed.

“My apologies for my ill manners, Chief Justice.”

Both of the Light wardens relaxed at Jeremy’s words.

“Accepted.” I inclined my head in acknowledgement. “Today’s events have disturbed all of us who were involved. And for the record, I would expect Justice Yanaba to report her findings to both me and the high brother of Light in the event of a murder investigation.”

“Yes, m’lady.”

Despite the young priest’s confession of remorse, I definitely needed to have a quiet word with Luc about Jeremy’s behavior. Over the last three months, his attitude had become increasingly distant, as were his ill temper over minor things. Enough so, that Shi Hua confided her worries to both me and Yanaba.

The five of us entered Light’s postern gate. Their stablemaster Henry and two of his hands took our reins.

He bobbed his head. “Would you like one of my boys to return yours and the Chief Warden’s horses to Hogarth, Chief Justice?”

“No, thank you, Henry.” I smiled at the man. “Food and water will be enough. I have a feeling we will need them once I’ve spoken with the high brother.”

“Was this about the boy that was found in the slums this afternoon?” Like Hogarth, Henry had been a warden for his Temple and kept an ear out for any fishwives’ tales that might prove informative and useful.

“Have you learned anything I should know?”

“There’s a rumor floating around the docks the body was dumped by someone in Temple robes.”

A chill ran up my spine. No one but I, the magistrate, and Brother Jeremy knew that. The peacekeepers and wardens had been far enough away, they wouldn’t have seen the ghost images clearly. However, the person who had actually left the boy’s corpse in the alley knew what he or she wore. Was there a witness who feared retribution if they came forward? Or had the rumor been started to cause us more grief?

If Jeremy was right and the person who dumped the corpse wore Balance robes, it would make my investigation a damn sight more difficult. People in Orrin distrusted me thanks to the recent spate of demon incidents in our city alone. “Do you have a source?” I asked.

“My brother heard it at the Seven Coins when he was delivering shellfish there around midday.” Henry shrugged. “Mentioned it when he stopped here for our delivery.”

The Seven Coins was a reputable inn. Luc and I often stayed there when we were on circuit and had to come to Orrin. Back then, I avoided the Temple of Balance itself like the plague unless duty forced me to go there.

“We should send someone through all the inns and taverns. See what other information we can find. Either there was a witness who didn’t come forward, or someone is framing the Temples,” Jeremy said, giving voice to my own worries.

“I agree with the brother,” Little Bear murmured.

“And I need some wine,” I bit out. “Let’s raid Light’s stores and sort through the clues we do have. We’ll proceed from there.”

* * *

When we entered the main sanctuary, the only people other than Brother Garbhan, who was on ministerial duty, and Chief Warden Nicholas were two love wardens. I needed an entire barrel of Pana red even more when I saw Sister Claudia of Love exit the hallway leading to the private chambers of the clergy. She may have been wearing her public veil over her face, but I’d recognize her even if she wore several layers of Diné wool and Plains Nations buffalo robes. Luc was with her, and he wore a huge smile.

My gut clenched. It was the same ridiculous smile Xander had been wearing for the past three months, and the same one Jeremy most likely would be wearing once Shi Hua told him she was with child.

That smile made me want to draw my sword and chop Claudia into tiny pieces. Which wasn’t fair to her. She was doing her duty. We needed more people with Light talent. But something deep and dark inside of me wanted to claim Luc as mine, even though I had no right to do so.

And frankly, I wasn’t sure I could handle bearing a child if I were fertile. Anyone’s babe, much less Luc’s. I feared I would be an even worse parent than my birth mother.

The pair spotted me from across the sanctuary. Luc matched the speed of Claudia’s demure glide across the wood floor. He’d become quite adept with the specialized steel crutches Master Devin had designed for him since the loss of his left foot. He could move nearly as fast on them as he used to be able to run.

They halted before me, and Claudia glanced at Luc. He gave her an encouraging nod.

“May I speak with you privately, Chief Justice?” she said.

I didn’t want to hear this news. I was the one who pointed out Luc couldn’t disobey the edict handed down from our home Temples before the Spring Rituals. It didn’t mean my heart wasn’t broken that he had to lay with other women.

But to deny a minor request from a fellow priestess would be incredibly rude. I swallowed the lump threatening to choke me and nodded.

She led the way to one of the private consultation rooms adjoining the main sanctuary. Once we were inside, she murmured a word. Magic tingled across my skin, and I realized she’d lit the alabaster globe that indicated the room was in use.

She drew her veil back from her face. Her color was a steady orange-yellow. “You have already deduced the news, haven’t you?”

“Yes.” I belatedly added, “Congratulations.”

She sighed. “He loves you. He will always love you, Anthea. You have nothing to fear from me.” Of course, she’d learned about his feelings. It was difficult to withhold thoughts from another talent during such an intimate act.

“I…know.” I folded my arms across my chest. “I hope you can forgive me for my petty feelings. It isn’t fair to you or your child.” I inclined my head toward the globe. “Is that the reason Dragonfly suggested you to…Luc?”

Claudia nodded. The bells hanging from her braids chimed. “My mother was a Light talent, but of course, she could only register as a civilian practitioner. I inherited a small measure of her skills.”

She stepped closer to me. “I hope you realize part of his joy in our conception is that his duty is done, and he can return to warming your bed.”

My face heated at her obvious conclusion. “There’s no point in my case.”

“I am merely suggesting the two of you take advantage of the edict while it is practical.” A wry smile crossed her face. “If you wish to be present for the birth, you are more than welcome, and I would be honored by your presence.”

I laughed at the absurdity of her request. “Let’s see how I handle Justice Yanaba’s birthing before I answer your gracious offer. I’m not sure I would be much help.”

“This child would have been yours if not for Gerd.” Claudia’s voice held so much bitterness, but I knew it had nothing to do with me personally.

“I’m sorry for what she did to you and your sisters.”

Claudia snorted. “I don’t hold her actions against you. I hope you can find it in your heart not to hold your feelings against Luc’s child.”

Her words drove home the truths I wanted to avoid. “I shall do my best.”

“That’s all the Twelve can ask of any of us.” Claudia drew her veil back into place and extinguished the globe.

When we exited, the fear and worry on the men’s faces was comical. The two female wardens appeared to be disgusted by the men.

I leaned toward the Love priestess and said, “I believe they expected us to duel at dawn.”

“Crossbows at twenty paces?” Claudia’s laughter chimed as delicately as her bells.

“You would bring a crossbow to a sword fight.” I chuckled. The humor between us eased the ache in my heart a bit. Maybe, I could grow to accept the situation regarding her unborn child.

“If you two are finished mocking us, perhaps you and Brother Jeremy will enlighten us as to your findings,” Luc said. The scowl he wore didn’t disguise his joy. He was going to have a child.

And someone else lost a child in the last day. A child that should have been protected and cared for and cherished as much as Luc and Claudia would cherish the child she carried.

The swirl of emotions in my heart was too much. My eyes burned and my nose clogged.

“Since you have business to discuss, I will take my leave of you, Chief Justice, High Brother.” Claudia inclined her head before she swept out of the sanctuary in a whirl of fabric and the tinkle of bells. The two Love wardens quickly trotted after her.

“Well…” Luc drawled expectantly.

“May we have a couple of bottles of wine to get through this?” Jeremy muttered.

Luc looked askance at him before his eyes met mine. What’s going on?

“Our brother misspoke.” I shook my head. “We’re going to need a barrel.”

* * *

Sitting in the high brother’s private dining room with the Light clergy, I calmly sipped from my goblet while Luc let loose a stream of Cantish invectives after our reports, including a couple of obscenities I hadn’t heard before. His head of household Istaqa was right. The crisp white wine paired nicely with the baked fish and fresh asparagus Light’s staff served as the evening meal.

Jeremy had warded the room before we started our discussion. When Luc finally had to stop in order to breath, the younger priest also added the gossip from Henry’s brother.

Luc rose from his chair, grabbed his crutches, and started pacing. “Three months? Three months of peace is all we get?” “We knew it was merely the quiet before the next storm,” I said softly.

“There’s been no word from Reverend Father Chen regarding the other cache of demon eggs either,” Shi Hua added. “We also knew the renegades would try something here in Issura eventually.”

Shi Hua’s news added to the unease that had settled on my shoulders since Dragonfly shared her dispatch from the home Temple of Love this morning. Jing’s Reverend Father Biming of Thief had traced part of a cache of demon eggs to this side of the Peaceful Sea. The hatching of those eggs resulted in the demon army we faced in Tandor.

From what Biming, Shi Hua, and Ambassador Quan said of Chen, Jing’s Reverend Father of Conflict, he had issues with his ego and often let his pride get in his way. However, he was an accomplished warrior and adamant about his duties. He and members of his order chased the other half of the eggs. If neither the Jing Temples nor Emperor Chengwu had received any message from Chen over the last three months, Balance only knew whether he and his people were even still alive.

Or where those damn eggs were. Or even if they’d already hatched.

“With all due respect, High Brother, we need to focus on what we can control,” Little Bear said before he turned to me. “Given your reaction to Henry’s revelation in the stableyard, the rumor is true.”

I nodded. “The news gets worse. The robes the person who dumped the corpse wore were either Balance or Death.”

“There was no insignia though despite the style and color,” Jeremy added.

Luc paused in his pacing. “Just like the renegades who abducted me wearing Light colors.”

I nodded again. “However, the blanket originally wrapped around Yellow Fin’s body to carry it to the alley bore the insignia of Mother.”

Luc dropped into his chair and leaned his crutches against the table. “Jeremy, did—”

“Of course, I had someone confirm it,” the younger priest snapped. “The magistrate saw the same thing I did.” Everyone stared at Jeremy.

Realizing his poor manners, his face turned a brilliant crimson. “I apologize for my outburst, High Brother. This affair disturbs me more than I care to admit.”

Should I ask? Luc whispered in my mind.

Yes, there’s additional information you should be aware of regarding your second, I replied. But now is not the time for that particular discussion.

“It’s disturbing to all of us.” Shi Hua laid her hand over Jeremy’s. He normally would have responded to her gesture with a smile or turning his palm to meet hers. He didn’t respond, and the hurt in Shi Hua’s expression was obvious even to me.

Now, I know what part of our discussion will be about, Luc said sourly.

“Have you spoken with High Mother Bianca about the dead boy?” he said aloud.

“Only as far as informing her about the death of one of her charges.” I cut into the fish on my plate. “Neither she or the two other priestesses with her were surprised. Chief Warden Maebh was disturbed. She tried to take the blame for Yellow Fin’s death by stating she had been restricting the clergy of Mother due to the recent spate of attempted assassinations on Temple seats in Orrin.”

Luc snorted. “Like the High Mother would do anything someone else told her to do.”

“Mother’s chief warden may have been the one who dumped the body,” Garbhan said quietly. “The act could be preying on her conscience.”

Everyone at the table turned to stare at the newest Light priest. He so rarely offered an opinion.

“That’s merely speculation at this point,” Shi Hua murmured. She’d withdrawn her hand from Jeremy’s and now poked at her dinner.

Little Bear tapped a galloping rhythm with his fingertips on the oak tabletop. “Nor do we have enough evidence to truthspell her.” His drumming stopped. “What if Gina spoke with her, warden to warden?”

I pushed back my plate and leaned my elbows on the table. “Maebh’s not likely to confide in a junior warden.”

Little Bear shrugged. “Both High Sister Dragonfly and Justice Yanaba wanted to recruit Gina as their chief warden. She could say that Chief Justice Elizabeth has asked Gina to accompany her to her new assignment, and she wanted to speak to another chief warden before making a final decision.”

“That’s an excellent idea, Chief Warden.” Luc leaned back in his chair.

“Why can’t you talk to her peer-to-peer?” I asked.

This time, Little Bear’s face glowed red. “Because, um, there was a confrontation between her and Sivan before Chief Justice Penelope passed.”

“When?” I growled. “And what exactly happened?” The clergy of both Balance and Light had completely turned over in the last two years. If there were additional issues between the Orrin Temple personnel, Luc and I needed to know.

Little Bear took a long swig of water and cleared his throat. “It was the Spring Rituals three years ago. I swear Maebh and I were only discussing our duties—”

“But that wasn’t how Sivan perceived your interactions,” I said.

“No.” He sighed. “Thankfully, Maebh chose not to file charges against though the magistrate urged her to.”

I paused in taking another sip of wine. “DiCook wanted to throw Sivan in the gaol?”

“Given the situation with Chief Justice Penelope at the time, I think it was his way to get all of us to calm down.” Little Bear smiled wryly. “She would have certainly have executed her own head of household in her mental state at the time.”

“So,” Luc drawled. “It’s a matter of keeping the Balance household running smoothly rather than any personal issue between you and Maebh?”

“Yes, High Brother.” The relief from Little Bear was a palpable thing.

I’d never seen my chief warden nonplussed before. But then, I’d been on the receiving end of Sivan’s temper as well, though I’m sure her annoyance with me wasn’t fueled by drink or lust.

Luc turned to me. “So what’s our next step?”

“High Brother Xander and I have instituted general inventories at our respective Temples.” I shrugged. “Unfortunately, our culprit may have acquired their disguise elsewhere like the skinwalker and his minions did. Otherwise, we’ll stick with my chief warden’s plan and see it Gina can shake some information loose from Maebh.”

“There’s another matter we need to address,” Jeremy said.

“Yes, Brother?” Luc inclined his head to encourage the younger priest.

“The south side slums are turning into a giant flashbang with a very short fuse.” Jeremy toyed with the condensation on the side of his goblet. “Is there anything we can do to encourage the queen to increase the pace of resettlement? It’s been three months, and less than ten percent of the Tandorans sheltering in Orrin have been placed.”

Little Bear shot me a wide-eyed look. “Should I have accompanied you this afternoon?” I shook my head. “Tensions were high due to the murder of a child.”

“There was also resentment of us,” Jeremy said. “They expected the Temples to save them.”

“We did—” I started.

“At the cost of their lives and homes!” Jeremy gestured wildly in the direction of the south end of the city. “Now, they live in pest-infested tenements, eating what little scraps are given to them, when they would rather continue their trades.”

“I’m not unsympathetic to their plight, Brother,” I snapped. “But pray tell, where do we place them within our duchy that won’t cause resentment among our own populace?”

“What has the magistrate said about conditions on the south side?” Once again, Garbhan’s quiet voice cut through the emotion in the room. Now, I was beginning to understand why Reverend Father Farrell of Light had chosen such a young priest as one of his personal advisors.

“Peacekeepers patrolling past the Temples of Death and Vintner do so in groups of three or four,” Little Bear said. I cocked my head and regarded him. “How did you learn this?”

“The magistrate mentioned it to all the chief wardens.” Little Bear shrugged. “If tempers boil over, the Temples will be the next closest targets other than the butchers and the lower docks.”

“Twelve take everyone,” I muttered and rubbed my temples as a headache I couldn’t blame on too much wine intruded. Despite my jest at wanting a whole barrel, I’d barely drank half of the white wine Istaqa had poured for me. “Then we need to speak with both the duke and the magistrate. The last thing we need is a human riot in the middle of a demon attack.”