Midnight Moon

Chapter 47 - And the Stars Will Hold No Light

Veanna strode down the corridor, shivering against the chill radiating from the stone. Faint firelight guided her way, darkness looming behind her.

She passed adjoining corridors, thinner and shorter, which led to smaller burial chambers, but they were not her destination. Those rooms held ancestors who did not form the direct royal bloodline; spouses and children who did not inherit the throne.

She vaguely recalled shooting along this passage during the spell to track Ren's body, and she dreaded reaching the great cavern at the end. There lay the ancestors who had been monarchs themselves, the bloodline of royalty. The Order would be waiting there, and every step she took into the light brought her closer to them.

Her heart pounded in her chest despite her slow footfall, blood racing through her veins. She bade it not to be so eager to escape her body.

If nothing else, she needed to continue for her friends. She had stayed with them for as long as she could, basking in their protection, but she feared that sooner or later the Order would come looking for her. For their plan to work, the ritual needed to start, and she would keep the Order's attention away from them.

At long last and yet far too soon, the passage opened up into the cavern she had flown through in her mind's eye. Last time it had been empty and gloomy, but now it was full of people and light. Order members in their crimson robes were dispersed around the room like blood spatter, clustered throughout the tiers in the spaces between tombs. Sconces around the walls and attached to coffins were full of burning torches, a sight the crypt likely hadn't seen for over a century. She entered through a tall and grand archway, smaller entrances peppered around the perimeter leading to the network of more modest chambers.

As Veanna stepped into the room, all eyes turned to her. Their murmuring dropped abruptly, as eerie silence passed over the few dozen mages watching her.

A pair near the entrance moved towards her, reaching for her arms, but she shirked their grips. "I don't need guiding," she snapped, sickened by the idea of them manhandling her again. She'd had more than enough of that as their captor the first time.

She expected them to bind her with magic or at least protest, but they moved backwards. Perhaps they felt safe in their numbers, but nobody else made a grab for her as she stepped forward. The crowd parted to allow her to pass, a channel opening to the centre of the room.

In the middle stood the grand coffin she knew housed Ren's skeleton, its ornate lid ajar. Faltis stood before the tomb, beside an older woman with coppery skin. Judging by her position and the unique gold trim on her robes, she was the leader here.

"Welcome, Princess Veanna Risalus," the woman called as she neared. "I am glad you joined us."

Veanna stayed silent, not needing to fake her nerves as her eyes flickered between the woman and Faltis.

"You came alone?" the woman asked, raising her eyebrows.

Veanna clenched her hands to stop them shaking. "I've seen what you can do; I don't want you hurting anyone else I care about."

"How noble," Faltis murmured, and she narrowed her eyes at him. He turned to the woman. "Should we search the area for others, High Priestess?"

The Priestess considered Veanna before gazing out at the assembled crowd. "No, we need all of our power for the ritual, and the time is here. Let us begin."

His expression remained opaque, and Veanna wondered whether he was unhappy with her command, but he gave a small bow and said no more.

Hands seized her shoulders and this time she did not resist, yet endeavoured to walk for herself rather than being dragged towards Ren's tomb. A musty smell rose as she neared. She didn't dare peer into the darkness within for fear of glimpsing the decayed body. It was not something she looked forward to seeing again, though she undoubtedly would before the night was over.