hoping that they would be reborn to enjoy longer and more fruitful lives.
Emily gently placed her trembling hand on my shoulder. “Narius. I know this is hard, but we've got to go or we are going to join them.”
"Who did this?" I asked.
“Elves. Victims of a slaughter, or at least those who sympathize with them. I saw them running away as I got here."
I opened my eyes and turned to her. "Slaughter?"
“The High Priest and the temple wiped out an entire village just to put a mine there.” Emily reached into her pouch and pulled out a wet book. “I have the proof right here.”
“Why would he do that?”
Emily took her staff from my hand. “Economy. Listen I will explain later, but right now we have to go. The elves have arrived with a wagon full of explosives. The city was just the beginning. We need to get out."
"But what about the priests? We should warn them and save the ones we—"
She eyed the corpses on the ground and swallowed. "They are probably all in on it. It would be impossible to keep this kind of knowledge a secret. Even if there are innocents, it’s too late. The elves are ready to blow up the temple, so even those still alive will be dead soon."
“Wait. What about the High Priest? Was he all right?”
“Won’t be for long. Forget about him.”
I shook my head. “I need to see him. He has a page of the Grimoire.”
“He was lying.”
“But he reeked of corruption. I should still check it out.”
Emily jabbed her index finger at my chest. “Maybe that’s because he is corrupt in a completely different way. Narius, I already risked my life to save you. Have the common courtesy to come with me before we die.”
My heart tingled at her concern for me. I held her hand and smiled. “Thank you. You really must be the kindest person in the kingdom.”
Emily’s face lit up, her eyes startled by my sudden move. “W-well, if you know that, then good. Now, stop arguing—"
I took my hands off her, and headed towards the staircases leading to the High Priest’s office. “But it’s my duty.”
Emily cursed, and the sound of her footsteps echoed behind mine. “Bloody idiot.”
Chapter Six
Narius
Passing barrels of gunpowder, I sprinted up the stairs to Varian's office as fast as I could, my wings brushing the coarse stone walls.
Emily followed behind me, grumbling like an unhappy ogress who had missed her second lunch. “Third time climbing these damn stairs. I'm going to wring Varian’s neck.”
Why? I asked the Codex. Shouldn’t we be trying to save him?
Do you hear yourself, Narius? Codex whispered. Emily said he locked you in his room and tried to give you a special pie to take advantage of you. You know there’s something naughty going on here.
Me eating the pie?
The Codex sighed, but didn’t answer.
Before I could ask her what was wrong, I spotted the light at the end of the stairwell, seeping beneath the door of Varian’s office. I turned to Emily to tell her the good news. "Hey—"
She shoved me against the wall and covered my mouth, her nose almost touching mine. "Hush."
The Codex shook and rattled the chain. Remember, Narius, no tongue on the first try. Only your lips.
What?
Don’t try to eat her tongue. Just think that you are shaking hands but only with your—
“You too,” Emily slapped the Codex, breaking my connection with her, then pointed at the door. “Narius, can you hear them?”
With the Codex and our footsteps silenced, faint voices echoed from the room, and I bobbed my head.
“Good. Let's listen and find out what's going on.”
“But what about the barrels of gunpowder we saw on our way? Can we afford to wait?”
“Since when did you become the thinking type?” Emily placed her ear to the door and motioned for me to join her. “Relax. They probably want to have a little friendly chat with Varian first. The elves won’t destroy the temple. Not yet.”
I followed suit and pressed my ear against the door. There were
Emily gently placed her trembling hand on my shoulder. “Narius. I know this is hard, but we've got to go or we are going to join them.”
"Who did this?" I asked.
“Elves. Victims of a slaughter, or at least those who sympathize with them. I saw them running away as I got here."
I opened my eyes and turned to her. "Slaughter?"
“The High Priest and the temple wiped out an entire village just to put a mine there.” Emily reached into her pouch and pulled out a wet book. “I have the proof right here.”
“Why would he do that?”
Emily took her staff from my hand. “Economy. Listen I will explain later, but right now we have to go. The elves have arrived with a wagon full of explosives. The city was just the beginning. We need to get out."
"But what about the priests? We should warn them and save the ones we—"
She eyed the corpses on the ground and swallowed. "They are probably all in on it. It would be impossible to keep this kind of knowledge a secret. Even if there are innocents, it’s too late. The elves are ready to blow up the temple, so even those still alive will be dead soon."
“Wait. What about the High Priest? Was he all right?”
“Won’t be for long. Forget about him.”
I shook my head. “I need to see him. He has a page of the Grimoire.”
“He was lying.”
“But he reeked of corruption. I should still check it out.”
Emily jabbed her index finger at my chest. “Maybe that’s because he is corrupt in a completely different way. Narius, I already risked my life to save you. Have the common courtesy to come with me before we die.”
My heart tingled at her concern for me. I held her hand and smiled. “Thank you. You really must be the kindest person in the kingdom.”
Emily’s face lit up, her eyes startled by my sudden move. “W-well, if you know that, then good. Now, stop arguing—"
I took my hands off her, and headed towards the staircases leading to the High Priest’s office. “But it’s my duty.”
Emily cursed, and the sound of her footsteps echoed behind mine. “Bloody idiot.”
Chapter Six
Narius
Passing barrels of gunpowder, I sprinted up the stairs to Varian's office as fast as I could, my wings brushing the coarse stone walls.
Emily followed behind me, grumbling like an unhappy ogress who had missed her second lunch. “Third time climbing these damn stairs. I'm going to wring Varian’s neck.”
Why? I asked the Codex. Shouldn’t we be trying to save him?
Do you hear yourself, Narius? Codex whispered. Emily said he locked you in his room and tried to give you a special pie to take advantage of you. You know there’s something naughty going on here.
Me eating the pie?
The Codex sighed, but didn’t answer.
Before I could ask her what was wrong, I spotted the light at the end of the stairwell, seeping beneath the door of Varian’s office. I turned to Emily to tell her the good news. "Hey—"
She shoved me against the wall and covered my mouth, her nose almost touching mine. "Hush."
The Codex shook and rattled the chain. Remember, Narius, no tongue on the first try. Only your lips.
What?
Don’t try to eat her tongue. Just think that you are shaking hands but only with your—
“You too,” Emily slapped the Codex, breaking my connection with her, then pointed at the door. “Narius, can you hear them?”
With the Codex and our footsteps silenced, faint voices echoed from the room, and I bobbed my head.
“Good. Let's listen and find out what's going on.”
“But what about the barrels of gunpowder we saw on our way? Can we afford to wait?”
“Since when did you become the thinking type?” Emily placed her ear to the door and motioned for me to join her. “Relax. They probably want to have a little friendly chat with Varian first. The elves won’t destroy the temple. Not yet.”
I followed suit and pressed my ear against the door. There were
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