Search: A Novel of Forbidden History by Judith Reeves-Stevens, Garfield Reeves-Stevens Page A

the female’s side, were also more heavily weathered, and the figure’s nose was long missing, its remaining facial features worn to an eerie, almost skeletal appearance. A swaddled baby floated behind the male figure’s right shoulder. Behind his left shoulder stood a shining cross on a distant hill. As with the female on the facing pillar, Jess saw grooves to indicate a glow surrounding the male figure’s head as well.
    The only significant Family symbology missing from the male figure was the sign of the Twelve Restored. However, the figure’s hand was broken off. There was no way to know for certain, but it might once have held an inscribed disk, like the present-day Family’s identifying medallions. The two messengers who’d rescued her in the Barrens had each shown her theirs.
    Jess was ready to state her conclusions. “Both figures in the pillars, male and female, they’re defenders.”
    “What does that tell you?”
    “There’s something inside worth defending.”
    Su-Lin fixed her gaze on Jess.
“An deiseoil air?”
    Jess inhaled deeply. It was the ancient question she’d heard for the first time on her sixteenth birthday, when Florian began preparing her for herturn. The question asked of each defender since the first was chosen by the First Gods.
Are you ready?
    She spoke the ancient answer.
    “ ’seadh.”
    I am.
    “Then the doors are yours to open, paid in blood.”
    Blood,
Jess thought.
The price of succession by bloodline.
She walked forward, put both hands on the heavy iron latch that held the church doors closed, pushed up, and—
    Pain.
    The underside of the latch was studded with twelve sharpened, X-shaped blades.
    Jess jerked her hands free. She stared, shocked, at her blood-smeared palms and fingers. Florian had said nothing of this.
    Sweat pricked her face, and she looked at her cousin.
    Su-Lin was unmoved. “You said you were ready.”
    It took a long moment, but Jess finally understood.
Not Florian’s blood—my own.
She turned back to the door, put her hands on the latch, pushed up with all her will.
    The blades cut again, but this time she was the chosen.
    The doors gave way.

    Inside. Cool and timeless silence. Jess trembled, senses heightened by adrenaline and pain. A soft amber glow drew her eyes upward to see—
    Electric lightbulbs, tripod-mounted, high along the walls to her right and left.
    Jess heard Su-Lin’s voice now. It was as if she were speaking to her from some great distance, and not from right beside her.
    “Those were installed fifty years ago. The soot from torches was damaging the stonework.”
    Su-Lin took her to a battered wooden chest against the stone-block wall.
    Draped over the chest were three separate garments. A simple white linen shift. A long white linen cape, sleeveless, with purple edging and braided purple threads. An ornate vest, also sleeveless, near-rigid with glittering metallic embroidery of oak leaves, red and green and gold.
    Religious clothing.
    The long sleeveless outergarment was like the cope worn by certain priests in Christian ceremonies, and the decorated vest, though embroidered with leaves, not crosses, was an
amphibalus,
similar to the chasuble wornby Catholic priests when celebrating Mass or Holy Communion. Like most priestly garb, their design was an echo of druidic times.
    Jess’s wounded fingers were clumsy to obey her as she struggled out of boots, then jeans, then travel shirt and underwear. She shivered, naked in this ancient, hallowed place.
    Jess turned to see Su-Lin by a stone basin on the far right wall. She held out a natural sponge.
    The basin held cool water. Jess plunged both hands in to rinse them, then dabbed them with the sponge. She winced as each cut stung.
    “Alum,” her cousin said. “To stop the bleeding.”
    When Jess had finished, she held out her hands, and Su-Lin bound them in scarlet strips of cotton.
    Only then did she help Jess don her shift, the
amphibalus,
and finally the cape.
    Su-Lin stepped