The priest turned to Kaaleel. His hand tenderly stroked her cheek, her neck, her breast. Awareness flickered across her eyes; she focused on the priest.
"You used the power of Gaal's eyes to come here to steal His sight and plotted murder to win your way. For such blasphemy, you should be justly punished. And yet, you carried the eyes of Gaal. Gaal's blessing upon you. You cannot conceive how long Gaal has suffered His blindness; how long and far the search has been; what sacrifice His believers make to restore to power Gaal of the Thousand Eyes."
The priest placed his hands on Kaaleel's face. His thumbs gently traced her brow, her cheeks. "You have beautiful eyes. I give you a reward no unbeliever has ever imagined."
The priest's thumbs pressed. There was a popping. "Blessed be Gaal." As the priest moved away, Tikk stared at Kaaleel's empty sockets, felt the enduring echo of her silent scream.
Tikk forced his eyes from the horror when he heard the priest begin to chant. The priest was at the worktable stirring the smelly, bubbling brew. The chanting and stirring went on for some time, then the priest scooped something from the bowl, washed it in another, and then held up to the light of the windows two emeralds of the deepest, clearest green and sparkle of only the finest first water stones. He placed the stones reverently in a cup on the table and came to Tikk.
"Lover or lackey, you wished this blade coated in heart's blood. By the will of Gaal, so shall it be."
The priest wrested the dagger from Tikk's stony grip. Tikk watched as the priest turned and placed the dagger tip against Kaaleel's milk-white breast. The frozen skin resisted; then the sharp blade slid slowly and deeply into Kaaleel's chest. The spell broken, Kaaleel gasped and fell to the floor. The priest stepped aside and spoke to someone out of Tikk's sight.
"There is a body on the floor. Dispose of it."
A burly guard shuffled forward and lifted the body over his shoulder. As he turned to leave, Tikk saw the man's scarred and empty eye sockets. The priest moved in front of Tikk.
"Such is the sacrifice of the believers of Gaal until a thousand eyes have been gathered and restored. Her eyes being among that thousand have blessed that heathen woman for eternity. And so too shall that blessing be yours. Blessed be Gaal."
The last things Tikk saw were the priest's thumbs.
