Scheming Against Devotion (Book 2 of The Transition of Pinn)

Giddean:

The candles flicker. There is the swoosh of a carriage passing by on the street. Somewhere in the house a servant closes a door.

But Ivy is silent.

I blamed a lot of things for what happened. I blamed Julia for running away. I blamed my parents for talking me into bringing home the first woman I met. I blamed society for how we treat the chosen. I blamed my job for making it almost mandatory to have a partner. I blamed my youth and inexperience. I blamed the goddess for taking away the Pinn females. I blamed the temple for taking her from me.

I have been angry for so long.

But it was me.

I abandoned Julia to the streets of Haringshude. I was a stubborn asshole. I somehow convinced myself that she would come back whenever she was over her childish fit and be the accommodating partner I wanted. I knew it was unsafe for her to wander the streets, but I had convinced myself that she had gone to friends or something, anything other than that she had really left me. I was so fucking stupid.

I look over to Ivy. She is sitting profile to me on the couch examining the wall opposite like it holds all the answers. No doubt she thinking about how fucking messed up I am. No doubt wondering if I would abandon her too.

I would, wouldn’t I? I’m still the same asshole I ever was. I have a fucking temper that gets the better of me and a stubborn attitude that prevents me from backing down. What would stop the same thing from happening to Ivy?

Finally, she turns to me “And when you found her?”

I take a deep breath, if I thought what I said before was damning- this is fucking damning.

“I was too late”

She looks over at me a question in her eyes. She wants me to continue but I don’t know if I fucking can.

The words catch in my throat.

“I don’t give a fuck! You’ll let me in”

The thin priest shook in front of me. There are advantages to being a Senator. “I-I’ll have to check with the-“

“Yes, do” I crossed my arms. Fuck this nonsense. If Julia is in there I’m getting her out.

The priest scurried off like a rat, trying to find his master.

I had never been this far into the temple of the goddess. And as I stood at the entrance to the priestesses’ quarters, it dawned on me how little I know about the inner workings of the temple despite voting to increase its funding and visiting it on a few occasions.

“Fuck this shit” Sean cursed from beside me banging open the door.

Inside is a plain long narrow brownstone hallway with a series of doors along each side and a set of stairs at the far end. We headed in, unsure of our direction. It was quiet except for our steps until a pretty priestess with a crown of flowers on her head and blues robes exits one of the doors.

“Oh,” She says looking shocked.

“Julia... we’re looking for Julia,” I told her.

The priestess shakes her head. She probably thinks we were there to do goddess knows what.

“She would’ve just arrived” Sean added helpfully

The priestess looks at both of us for a moment, probably deciding whether to tell us or call for help.

“What do you want-?“

“I’m taking her home” I declared.

“The newcomers are kept two floors down” she pointed towards the stairs at the end of the hallway.

“Thanks” Sean and I hurry past her and I fly down the two flights of stairs.

Down there, below the ground where no light permeating the stone, the air is stale and damp. There is a thin layer of dust along the floor. The hallway, similar in so many ways to the one above, is dark. Instead of doors, pieces of fabric hand in the doorways for privacy which did nothing to hide the sound of sobbing coming from within. The place had an eerie feel, I didn’t like it.

Not knowing where to go, I pulled back the cloth covering one of the doorways. Inside was a small room with little more than a bed. On the bed was a woman in a short dress hiked up, lying on a messy bed. She stared at the ceiling, even after I cleared my throat twice. Strange.

“We are looking for Julia,” Sean demanded. He was impatient. I too want to get Julia out of there, but Sean was visibly livid and huffing.

The woman continued to stare blankly and showed to sign that she realized we were standing there.

“Fuck, let’s go” I turned to Sean.

The next two rooms were also useless. One was empty and in another, a woman just shook her head at us. I began to think perhaps the priestess upstairs was wrong. Or maybe Sean’s information was wrong.

But then we checked out the fourth room.

It isn’t the dampness, nor the sound of stifled moaning. No, instead it was the scent of copper that came in heavy waves as I entered the room.

On the bed lies a body under twisted blankets, another sheet covers the top half of the body. Sean rushes over and tears the sheet off. It’s her. Its Julia.

The darkness concealed what I needed so badly needed to see. I grabbed the damp blanket and slowly peel it back. It’s there, soaking the sheets, flowing, congealing, smearing.

Blood. So much blood. Clotted blood, smeared across her pale thighs.

I search the rest of her for signs of life.

Bruises mark her once clear skin. They stain her wrist and neck. Her once beautiful face twisted in horrific pain. Pain I caused. I did this to her.

“No!” I scream, kissing her face trying to bring her back to me. But she is gone. Gone.

I feel a warm touch on my hand and it makes me jerk. Ivy has moved closer to me and moved her hand over my clasped hands.

“Are you okay, Giddean?”

I should’ve stayed with my original plan and kept away from Ivy. It would be safer for her.

“She died” I croak.