“Doubtful. Although, why aren’t you surprised or showing any reaction to the news about this shadow mage? We think he may be the Crimson –”
“Don’t go bandying about that cursed creature’s name.”
Lochlan threw me a warning glare. “We do want to hear what you may know or be able to find out about him and the shadows that surround him?” asked Lochlan.
“I’ve had no visions of the shadow mage, which is troubling. My inability to see any of these things is something I hope to remedy. I need to commune with the spirits on this. Wait here,” she said and left in a flurry with the lingering smells of lilies and jasmine.
“Don’t you find it odd that a seer, especially the Head Sister, didn’t know these things and wants us to wait to hear about her visions?” I asked.
“It is, but so is the connection between her and the djinn. She was very casual about their alliance. It violates their neutrality. But, we should discuss this somewhere more private,” he said.
I wasn’t the most patient at the best of times, especially after the Dark Side visit and now things. I looked around the room. There were grandiose murals of benevolent goddesses reaching out to the humans in temples or bowed in supplication. It was the kind of over-the-top art I expected to see here. Candles tucked into sconces creating a cozy effect. And plants were arranged in no apparent pattern. I spotted a small neck pillow. Perfect.
I picked it up and lobbed it at Muffin. The devil dog caught it mid-air. Who knew he could do tricks? Lochlan was watching us.
I tried throwing the pillow from further away and then trying to trick him by throwing it behind my back, but the dog caught it every single freaking time.
“Lay down,” I said.
Muffin blinked at me, but didn’t move.
“Sit.”
“Marty, he’s not a dog.”
“Yes, he is. He’s a devilish one. And he even has flames in his eyes.”
“Hmmm … you don’t say?. I’ve never heard about the flames before. Are you sure?”
“Yes. Why is everyone assuming I don’t know what I’m talking about?”
“It’s just unusual. I apologize, I didn’t mean to imply otherwise.”
I didn’t want to hang out in this creepy place any longer than I had to. Even Lochlan was starting to look uncomfortable, which was something I hadn’t seen before. He tended to be grace under fire.
I walked out of the room to see if they had set anything to prevent me from doing it. I already knew there weren’t wards on the door, but there weren’t even spells protecting the rest of the temple.
“Marty, what are you doing?”
Muffin caught up to me and I went further into the temple.
“You can’t snoop on them when we are guests. It’s not legal.”
“Since when have I cared about legality. And why not have a look? They’re hiding something, I just know it. I’ll never trust these women and you shouldn’t either. Besides, if they didn’t want us to explore, they should have set wards to keep us from leaving.”
He groaned. “You’re going to be the death of me.”
We crept along the empty hallway. I heard chanting in the distance and headed to the sound. I followed the sound of the chanting, Lochlan and Muffin trailing me.
“Marty,” Lochlan said, worry weighing down his features.
“Come on. Let’s see what she says about her vision. If she gets one, I guarantee that she’s not completely forthcoming about them. I want to hear what she tells the other Sisters.”
“We should stay here.”
“Why? What’s the worst they can do to us? Eat us? We have a devil dog and we are both supremely powerful magical beings.”
“Let’s just get this over with.”
What a worry wort. Any trouble we got in, could be blamed on the Sisters. They left us unattended. It’s their lax security. I’m actually doing them a favor. They should know how easy it is to snoop in their temple.
We located them in the same ceremonial chamber that I’d seen on my last visit. Cassandra was at the altar in the center of the room. A single beam of sunlight shined on her and the rest of the room was unnaturally dark. She swayed and spoke in a foreign language that sent shivers through me.
Winds funneled down from the domed ceiling, surrounding Cassandra in a spinning vortex. She glowed and a rainbow of colors flashed around her. The colors flashed like lightning in the night sky and the room darkened even further until the only thing I saw was Cassandra and the vortex. She hung suspended in the winds, not moving, with her mouth gaping open. Her back was arched and twisted in an angle that I didn’t think was possible. She was nearly bent in half and by the look on her face, it wasn’t without a good deal of pain. I rubbed my back and felt the first stirrings of sympathy for the woman. Her gift came with a painful cost.
Cassandra shrieked, the eerie sound was like nothing I’d ever heard before. It was a collection of hundreds of voices in an incomprehensive roar that echoed off the chamber. I covered my ears, but the noise was still painfully loud.
Just as suddenly as the vortex appeared, it disappeared, leaving Cassandra slumped on the floor. One of the Sisters rushed forward to hand her a goblet, which Cassandra greedily drank down. A couple of others came to help her to one of the stone benches.
None of them saw us. We were hidden behind some of the large stone columns. I’m not sure what we just witnessed, but the Sisters wouldn’t be happy to know we saw it. We invaded their privacy and for the first time, I felt guilty for exploring and violating their trust.
Another of the Sisters brought Cassandra a hunk of bread, which she nibbled on. Once she was composed, she gently set down the bread and goblet without any
