House of Eclipses by Casey L. Bond

24

When we left the beach, I walked to my rooms to change and found a steaming bath waiting for me. I almost melted into the hot water. The salt and sand fell to the bath’s bottom and I washed my hair in soap that smelled of intoxicating flowers. The floral scent filled the room.

Once I washed the brine off my skin and hair, I stepped out of the bath and dried off with a thick towel, squeezing the water from my hair. I combed the snarls from my hair and dressed in one of the remaining gowns I hadn’t worn before, a deep brown, trimmed in gold, of course. My sister and I needed to have a little chat, but not before I checked on Kiran.

My eyes were slowly adjusting to the low light and I found the descent and path to Kiran’s room much easier to make now. Lumos was high and his light filtered through every window – of which there were many, covered in glass so clear it made me wonder if it was actually ice.

Everyone wore more clothing here than we did in Helios. I always felt warm, if not hot, so I had no idea if the air was cold enough to freeze water like Caelum had described. There was no ice in the sea… or on the river now. Sol’s warm breath could’ve thawed it when she pushed us here, though. I knocked on Kiran’s door.

“Come in.”

I eased the door open and stepped inside to see him sitting on the floor beside the hearth. The fire crackled and popped, the embers flexing red to black. “Hi.”

He tried to smile. “Hi.”

“I hope I’m not interrupting…”

“No,” he said, a pained expression contorting his face. “I was just thinking about you, actually.”

“Uh, oh,” I teased.

He grinned then. “About the revelations we’ve learned.”

“I’d like to keep them between us.”

“Us and Caelum, you mean,” he corrected.

“I did tell him, yes.”

“Do Beron or Citali know?” he asked, moving his forearms to his knees.

“No.”

I walked closer, then sat across from him and waited. I thought he might scold me for not allowing him to whisper prayers over Saric’s body before I took him away, or for going on with life in the hours since he’d passed. Sol knew I felt guilty about it, yet I knew it was what Saric would have wanted. Not just want, but expect.

The grains in my hourglass were steadily funneling away, counting down the moments until I fully came of age. I wondered if inheriting the full powers Sol would grant meant they would wash over me like a great wave, or whether she would begin with the seed she’d planted, watching it sprout and blossom and grow steadily as I made my way back to Helios.

“I was sitting in the sea when I saw a vision, Kiran.”

He sat up straighter. “What did you see?”

“It was only a flash, but I was in Helios, walking through the sand toward the temple. My father was waiting for me on top of it.”

“What happened?”

“It ended there. Just a few seconds of a glimpse was all I was given.”

Kiran shook his head, his eyes wide. “We have to go back. You have to set things right, Noor. Even if in your heart you want to stay here with him.”

I nodded. “I was hoping you’d still go with me. I know I handled Saric’s death wrong. I know you have prayers and rituals you’re supposed to do before…” I choked on the last word.

He shook his head, leaning toward me and putting a hand on my upper arm. “You did exactly as you should have. We are not in Helios, and Saric took your hand and asked for your help. He knew, Noor. He knew what would happen when he did that. You took him directly to Sol. There’s no prayer I could whisper or oil I could rub on his skin that could possibly compete with that.”

I nodded, tears welling again.

“You loved him,” he said softly. I nodded. “He loved you, too, Noor.”

I knew that. He’d done so much for me. Saric was so kind and patient. He’d put himself at risk many times trying to protect me through the years. His wisdom and guidance had been priceless along this journey. And if I was being honest and selfish, I was afraid to keep going without it and him.

“You alone have to guide me now, Priest Kiran.”

He gave a tender smile. “Noor, I will gladly walk into Helios at your side as you reclaim what is rightfully yours, but you don’t need guidance. You were born for this. You were born to burn. You only have to focus your flame.”

My father’s face entered my mind, the vision of his sneer as clear as if he sat in front of me. I pictured him burning.

“He’s planning something. He won’t give up his position and power without a fight.”

Kiran nodded. “I’m sure he is, Noor, but with Sol’s fire in you, there’s nothing he can do to stop you.”

I hoped he was right. The scared child who huddled in my heart pushed further into my heart’s wall, wondering what blow he would deal next and if it might be the one that killed her.

“Caelum was hoping to have a quiet dinner tonight to welcome us to Lumina, but he said he could postpone it in light of Saric’s death if we wished.”

Kiran leaned his head against the glassy wall behind him. “Saric would absolutely refuse to allow us to postpone anything.”

I smiled. “That’s what I told him. I wanted to make sure it was okay with you, though.”

He blinked toward the ceiling. “I miss him, but it was time for him to go. He told me he would die in Lumina before we left Helios. I watched his health decline but didn’t want to accept the truth. He knew, and he was ready.”

“It doesn’t ease the pain of missing him, though,” I told him.

“No. No, it doesn’t.”

We were quiet for a few minutes. The only noise came from the popping fire. “A quiet dinner sounds nice,” he said, tired. He probably wanted to be anywhere but at the dinner, but I truly needed him there. I wouldn’t have asked otherwise. I was running out of time.

“I’ll come find you at moonset.”

He nodded. “You’ll have to. I’ll never find you in all this darkness.”

I laughed. “It is terribly dark when Lumos leaves this place.”

I tried to envision Helios swathed in darkness, but it wasn’t easy.

Beron stood outside Citali’s door. He looked almost giddy when I approached. He unlocked it, then bent to whisper, pinching his fingers together, a tiny space left between. “Scorch her just a little. For me?”

I didn’t make any promises but didn’t refuse before I pushed the door open and barged inside.

Citali sat up from where she lay on her bed, her eyes sharpening. “What are you doing here?”

“We need to talk.”

She fell back onto the mattress. “You’re the last person I want to see.”

“I can make it so you don’t have to see me again,” I offered, making myself comfortable in her windowsill. Lumos peeked in the window. His cool light fell over me, spilling onto the floor and reflecting off the glass tile walls, lighting the darkened space.

Citali’s lips began to tremble. Tears spilled from her eyes onto her cheeks and left glistening trails down her skin. “I can’t… I can’t do this anymore!”

I narrowed my eyes at her, unmoved by her outburst.

She tucked a pillow against her chest like she used to do as a child when she was upset. For many long moments, we stared at each other, something urgent passing between us. What could possibly upset her so thoroughly? My unshakeable sister.

She slipped off the bed. I left the windowsill, unsure what she was doing or if she’d lash out. She crept closer and her eyes flicked to the door. She grabbed a piece of parchment, dipped her unstained quill into the vat of ink, and scrawled: Have you seen it?

My brows kissed.

The crown, she wrote.

We were back to this again? I shook my head.

I need it, Noor. Please.

I glared at her, struck a match, and lit the candle on the desktop. Flame caught the wick and climbed, then steadied. I jerked the parchment from her hand and held it to the lit candle on the desk’s edge. The parchment’s uneven edge burned, then fire spread across in hungry flickers. I walked my hands around the edge to avoid the fire, then dropped the parchment when most had been consumed.

“I can’t go home without it,” she whispered, a plea on her brow.

“Why? Why is it so important to you?”

She clamped her lips together.

“If you don’t tell me, Citali, how am I to ever understand you?”

More tears fell as she looked to the ceiling, as if Sol shone above and she was imploring the goddess of fire for help.

What could Father have threatened her with to turn her into a nervous, stumbling, sad version of the young woman she once was? What could he be holding over her head? What did Citali value? What did she love?

And how was he manipulating and using it to brandish against my sister as a weapon?

Anger flooded my veins. I hated him. His every breath was a dishonor to my mother.

She grabbed my forearm and my fire surged to meet her touch. She shrieked and released me, stumbling backward in shock. Her hip bumped into the bed. Beron heard the commotion and burst in, glancing darkly between us.

Citali held her hand to her chest, panting. “What was that?” she said, her words as ragged as her soul.

“You have your secrets, Citali. And I have mine.” I streaked across the room, shoved Beron out, and slammed the door behind me.

“So,” he drawled, “does this mean she doesn’t get an invitation for dinner tonight?”

“Have hers delivered to her room,” I snapped. “And I want her watched at all times.”

He nodded, still on edge. “Want to tell me what’s really going on?” I flashed him a warning glare. He raised his hands, grinning at my anger. “Or not.” I stormed down the hall. “If you and my brother don’t work out, Noor, I love fiery women.”

My feet didn’t stop or falter. I didn’t want Beron and he knew it. He just liked to poke the lioness when she roared. He wouldn’t feel the same way if I bit.

Back in my room, the book was where I’d hidden it.