The old woman gripped the girl firmly by the arms to still her. “Hannah, look at me!” she commanded in a firm but gentle voice.
This seemed to subdue the patient. Hannah obeyed and gazed at Faye blankly.
“This has nothing whatever to do with the judgment of the diviner’s god.”
Hannah stared through Faye, not really seeing her. “The Nephilim believe that when a woman miscarries a baby, it’s because God is displeased with her. It’s a sure sign that she’ll go to hell—she and the baby both. The only way to make God forgive her is if she can produce another baby.”
“What utter nonsense!” Faye said, a trifle angrily. “Miscarriages happen all the time. In fact, they happen much more frequently when the father is over the age of thirty-five!”
For the first time, Hannah looked her straight in the eye. “They do?” she asked weakly.
“Indeed, they do. If you’re looking for a place to lay the blame, perhaps you should consider your elderly husband as the cause.”
Faye gave the girl’s arms a comforting squeeze. “My dear, you’re still light-headed from the medication and the surgery you’ve just undergone. Here, drink some of this.”
Faye poured a glass of orange juice from a pitcher and handed it to Hannah.
The girl obediently sipped the beverage and then handed the empty glass back to Faye.
The old woman drew her chair closer to the bed and sat down. She fixed the girl with an intent look before beginning to speak. “I want you to think back to the time when you first left the compound.”
The girl nodded. “Alright.”
“What did your diviner tell you the outside world would be like?”
“He said it was a terrible place. He said that if a consecrated bride ever went into the Fallen Lands, she would be forced to wear make-up and have sex with men she didn’t know.”
Faye suppressed a smile at the ridiculous notion. “And did that happen to you?”
“N... no,” Hannah replied hesitatingly.
“What else did he tell you about our world?”
“He said that murders happened on every street corner. That people lied and stole from each other. That there was no rule of law.”
“Has anybody treated you badly since you came to the city?”
The girl paused to consider the question. “Well, there was that one man who drove a cab. But nobody else was mean to me at all. Everybody was very... kind.”
Faye sat forward. “Hannah, I want you to pay attention now. What I have to ask you is very important.”
The girl focused her eyes on the old woman.
“Answer me this. Was your diviner right about anything at all in the Fallen Lands?”
The question took the girl completely by surprise. Her face registered bewilderment. Clearly, she had never considered the thought before. “No,” she said with dawning recognition. “He was wrong about everything in this world. He was wrong about everybody.”
Faye sat back again. “So that would tend to prove he isn’t infallible.”
“I suppose not,” Hannah agreed slowly, still getting her mind to encompass an idea that would never have been considered much less uttered within the walls of the compound.
“Now answer me one final question, and this is the most important of all. If he was wrong about so many other things, what makes you think he’s right about you going to hell because you had a miscarriage?”
The girl didn’t reply at once. She gave a slight smile instead. It was like a tiny sunbeam breaking over the horizon. “There’s no reason why he should be right about that. He doesn’t know anything at all about the way the world really works.”
Faye nodded. “Well said.” She rose and kissed the girl on the forehead. “You need to get some more rest, child. I’ll be back to look in on you later.” The old woman helped Hannah lie down and tucked the covers around her shoulders. “Sleep well,” she said and switched off the lights.
Chapter 30 – Witch Way?
The Arkana team agreed to meet shortly after dawn in the lobby of their hotel in Durango. They had spent the previous afternoon decamping from Bilbao, renting a car and setting up their base of operations in the smaller town to the east. There was less traffic in Durango than the big city, and it was also much closer to the Exteberri farm. Since the climb to the top of Anboto and back promised to be an all-day affair, they needed to make an early start. True to form, Cassie trailed down the stairs last.
She yawned expressively as Griffin handed her a cup of coffee. The gesture earned him an appreciative, though sleepy, smile.
“What, no coffee for you?” she asked Erik.
“Already had it with breakfast,” the security coordinator said pointedly.
Cassie pulled an energy bar out of her backpack and ripped it open.
“That’s all you’re gonna eat?” Erik asked incredulously. “You should have ordered room service.”
“This is all I need,” she replied. “This and coffee.”
“Wait a minute.” Erik unzipped his pack and rummaged around until he found an object wrapped in paper. He handed it to Cassie. “Here, take this.”
She balked at the offering. “What is it?”
“An egg sandwich left over from breakfast. I brought it along for a snack later, but you need it more than I do.”
She made no move to take it. “I’ll be alright.”
He placed the sandwich firmly in her palm. “You can’t climb a mountain on nothing but a power bar and a cup of coffee.”
“He’s right, you know,” Griffin piped up. “You should take it.”
Cassie hesitated, baffled by Erik’s consideration. “Thanks, dude.” She put the sandwich in her jacket pocket. “I’ll eat it on the way.”
He gave a curt nod. “OK then, let’s roll. The car’s parked right outside.”
Griffin and Cassie designated Erik as their driver. The security coordinator allowed the pythia to sit up front with him for a change. They had made a point of renting an SUV with plenty
