This is the last unedited chapter of
A Barrel of Vintner I will be posting. I started the climatic scene of the novel, and I'll spend the rest of the week and weekend finishing the story.
The goal is to get this edited and formatted before DH and I take a couple of day to visit DK next month. However, I want to make sure book is clean and correct before sending it to the printer. Keeping my fingers crossed that the rest of month goes smoothly.
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I didn’t expect any of my sisters to understand the danger to all of us. Callisto didn’t disappoint either.
“You’re painting the entire Temple of Light as traitors,” she hissed.
“There’s been too many questions about certain Light priests’ behaviors,” I said. “High Brother Dav of Tandor was possessed by a skinwalker as part of the plan to take over that city. Brother Jon of the Light home Temple disappeared, and no one reported him missing until we discovered his skinned corpse in an abandoned estate south of the city of Orrin. There were complaints from female and berda members of the Queen’s Army against Reverend Father Farrell for inappropriate conduct when it marched south to Tandor last year. And to top everything off, the man we believed to be High Brother Luc’s second turned out to be a renegade who had killed the real Brother Mat on his way to Orrin years ago. So, please pardon me for not taking people at their word without a thorough and comprehensive investigation with the results cross-checked by other Temples besides our own or Light. I agree with Oriana. Trust, but verify.”
My sister justices and White Owl wore uneasy looks by the time I finished my little speech. Good. Maybe I had gotten through to them just how bad our current situation was.
Callisto fumbled for her goblet and took a long drink of wine before she said. “I’m assuming your points have something to do with the Skoloti prophecies.”
“Not directly.” I sighed. “But two of those prophecies seem to be about me specifically.”
“I thought it was just the one about the justice who can see and her eyes are the color of her mother’s Temple.” Callisto’s voice shook. At least, Alara had informed her own damn second about the prophecies. Except the prophecies were as old as me, and Alara had two other seconds before Callisto. Had Alara told them about the prophecies? And if not, why tell Callisto? However, now was not the time to delve into the subject, and the person to address it with was not here either.
“There was another one about three women who would ensure that the throne of Jing is protected,” I said. “A Balance priestess from the east, a Thief priestess from the west, and a Light priestess who is close to the imperial family. Regardless of what any of us think about these prophecies, the renegades, including the Assassins Guild, take them very seriously. Conflict retrieved a list of the Guild’s targets when the Jing Temples raided the School of Sorcery after we in Orrin discovered they were demon dealing when they tried to kill Sister Shi Hua. It matched one Thief had found on a dead Guild member near the Jing border with Maurya.”
“Your name was on that list, wasn’t it?” Hera’s tone was deadly serious.
“Yes,” I replied. “Along with Sister Shi Hua of Light, who is now the empress of Jing, and High Sister Zhanna of Thief from the Skoloti Tribes.”
“Wait.” Iphigenia waved her hands wildly. I snatched her goblet out of the way before she sent it flying. As Po would have said, no sense wasting a good Pana red. “There was a report from Skoloti that the high sister had been murdered, and they were still searching for the culprits.”
I wasn’t about to reveal Zhanna was still alive, so I stuck with the fabrication her Temple had devised.
Iphigenia felt around the table, but she couldn’t find her goblet.
“She was.” I said as I took Iphigenia’s hand in mine and wrapped her fingers around the bowl section of her cup.
“Thank you,” she murmured and gulped her wine.
“Don’t leave us in suspense, Anthea,” Oriana said dryly.
“Zhanna had a twin sister who is also a member of Thief,” I said. “Their Reverend Mother of Thief theorized Balance wouldn’t have sent a glimpse of the future without an alternate plan. Their Reverend Mother of Balance agreed. They sent Sister Darys to Jing as their ambassador for the emperor’s coronation.”
“Makes sense if none of you were specifically named in the prophecy,” Hera murmured.
“It also explains why the Reverend Mother refused to execute you for giving yourself sight.” Oriana chuckled.
Callisto’s cheeks glowed bright orange.
I couldn’t resist poking the proverbial bear. “If it’s any consolation, Callisto, you weren’t the only one with misgivings about what I had done. I didn’t realize I set off a world-wide storm of debate about whether I qualified as a Balance novice anymore until I spoke with the Reverend Mothers I met during our voyage.”
She snorted but didn’t answer.
“Regarding relations here in Standora, what’s the real issue between Reverend Mothers Alara and Brigid?” I asked.
“It’s nothing,” Callisto muttered. Her entire face shifted from orange to red. Likewise, Iphigenia and Oriana appeared equally embarrassed and uncomfortable.
Hera, on the other hand, wore an irritated expression. “Brigid came here seeking help after her people discovered the concentrated soma tears had been sent out instead of pain powder. Alara refused her. When I volunteered my current novice classes to use the investigation as an exercise, she ordered me lashed. If it weren’t for Callisto protesting, I wouldn’t be here right now.”
My tension crawled further down my spine. “At this rate, we’re going to do the demons’ job for them.”
“That’s what I said, which only served to drive Alara into a frenzy.” Hera’s acerbic tone was back to my relief.
“You will address her as Reverend Mother,” Callisto snapped.
Hera made a rude gesture in the second’s general direction, which thankfully Callisto could not see. I looked at White Owl who merely shook her head. Good. The chief warden wouldn’t make things worse.
“Given the circumstances, the senior staff needs to be able to speak freely,” I murmured. “The times are too dangerous not to be honest with each other.”
“Like you’re totally honest.” Callisto growled. “You’ve been sneaking around with the queen and the prince consort since the Battle of Tandor.”
I leaned back in my chair, choosing my next words carefully. “What happened between the Reverend Mother and Queen Teodora? Somewhere, somewhen, somehow, the trust between the two of them was broken. If the Reverend Mother refuses to extend a hand to Queen Chiara, we are in grave trouble. I shouldn’t be the only member of Balance they depend on.”
“Their split happened because of you,” Callisto snarled. “Teodora tried to interfere in your case when you stupidly thought you could leave Balance by giving yourself sight.”
“Interfere how?” I demanded.
“All the queen did was plead for leniency on your behalf,” Hera said. “She said you were young and foolish, but you wouldn’t learn from your mistake if you were dead.”
I couldn’t help laughing. I hadn’t known about Teodora’s plea on my behalf. Now, it struck me as particularly funny given the non-Temple assignments she had given me before her passing. It also explained why Chiara trusted me, and not Alara. I swiped at my tears and tried to get my mirth under control.
“So, in Alara’s anger with me, she chose to destroy her relationship with the crown?” I shook my head. “I thought I was the idiot in her scenario, but this, this is totally ridiculous.”
“I’m glad to know I’m not the only who finds the issue perversely funny.” Hera grinned as she pushed back her plate.
“None of this is amusing,” Callisto snapped.
“This is us,” Oriana said. “Quit putting on an act for Anthea. We’re in as much trouble as Light, if not more so.”
“The Reverend Mother isn’t a lech or a rapist!” Callisto slammed her fist on table barely missing the sharp edge of her own knife.
“But she is disregarding her own people in favor of her pride,” Iphigenia murmured.
I had been wondering when she would speak up. Had Alara threatened her as well?
And if both Alara and Farell were losing their minds, it made me fear even more so for Luc and Yar’s welfare while we were in the capital.
