Silent Sound(Angel's Voice Series Book 2)

Chapter 1 - Homecoming

The sound of her footsteps echoed against the walls as she walked through the gates. It felt like an eternity since she had last set foot in this place, but in reality it had barely been a year.

As she looked around, she noticed that nothing had changed. The temple still looked exactly the same as how she had left it. Exactly as it had looked all the years she had lived there.

But still it seemed foreign to her. The hallways she had walked through thousands of times seemed unfamiliar and strange, despite the fact that it were exactly the same hallways as back then.

The temple might not have changed, but she had. She was not the same person who had left a year ago.

She pulled her hood closer as she walked through the nearly empty halls. Twilight had already settled and only a few priests passed by her. None of them paid her any attention.

It didn’t take her long to reach her destination. She stopped in front of the heavy oak door and hesitated for only a second before she knocked.

She faintly heard a voice telling her to enter, and she slowly opened the door. It creaked loudly as it swung open. The sound seemed like a roar in the empty hallway. She entered silently and pulled the door shut behind her.

“So you decided to come after all?” Selissa shot a hard look at the old man behind the wooden desk.

“Didn’t you expect me to?” She asked calmly.

“Actually, I didn’t. I hadn’t expected you to return at all, no less at my call.” His lips pulled into a wry smile as he returned her stare.

Selissa suspected that the High Priest of Issara had been an impressive man in his days, but age had not been kind to him. Years of worries showed clearly on his worn face. It was set in a permanent stern expression that made people automatically think they had done something wrong. Thick hair that might once have been black had long since turned gray and was beginning to thin. The only thing not affected by the years was the sharp gray eyes that watched her calmly.

He motioned to a chair opposite his desk. “Please sit.” He said.

Selissa crossed her arms over her chest. “I’d rather stand.”

The old man sighed. “I guess you’re curious as to why I have called you here.” Selissa raised an eyebrow at his obvious question, but kept quiet.

“I assume that after the whole ordeal with the Demios clan, you now know about the powers you possess as the host of Cadeyrn.” He said, watching her carefully.

She stiffened as realization sunk in. “You knew…” She said slowly.

“Selissa, let me—“ He started, but she interrupted him.

“For years I tried to find out what that mark meant… I asked everyone. And you knew all along.” She said coldly.

“I thought it was safer if you didn’t know…” He said. The remorse in his eyes didn’t touch her.

“Safer? You thought they wouldn’t find me?” She almost laughed at the thought. “Well, that plan certainly worked out fine.”

“You were protected here. I knew you would be going after them if you knew.” He said. Selissa scoffed.

“Well, I went after them anyway. I might as well have known what I was getting into.” She said.

The old priest hung his head in apology. Suddenly, Selissa wanted to laugh at it all. How often hadn’t she been the remorseful child being reprimanded by the High Priest? Now the roles were reversed.