The Priestess and the Thief

“What do you mean you’ve found something that can cure her?”

Four

Elli’s hand froze in midair. Instead of knocking, she pressed her ear to the door eagerly. They must be talking about the Descending Priestess Superior! After all, who else needed curing?

“The analysis said that her wasting sickness could be stopped and even possibly reversed by a tiny piece of the Healing Lattice held in the Tenebrian Court on Pok,” Beedra explained.

Elli’s heart jumped. Pok! She knew Pok—it was the second moon of her own home world, Torl Prime! In fact, half the inhabitants living on Pok were from Torl Prime.

The other half were Tenebrians, a humanoid species that was tall and thin with narrow faces, pale blue skin, and large eyes. Elli had only seen Tenebrians once, when a couple of them had come down to Torl Prime to buy zorels in the annual fair. Her older brother, Pern, had been impressed because he’d heard rumors that they were a good judge of animals.

“The Healing Lattice, hmm?” The Ascending Priestess Superior didn’t sound at all pleased.

“Exactly! Just a tiny sliver of it under her tongue—”

“And will the Tenebrians be willing to give up a ‘tiny sliver’ of their lattice?” the Ascending Priestess Superior demanded.

“Well, that is the problem,” Beedra said, sounding worried. “They’re supposedly extremely protective of it. It grows from a very precious material only found on their home world and it’s known as the ‘Heart of the Court.’ In order to get any of it, you either have to render a great service to their Crown Prince or pay some exorbitant amount of credits.”

“I see…” There was a rhythmic clicking sound and Elli could picture the Ascending Priestess Superior tapping her long green nails on the shiny top of her polished wooden desk as she considered the information.

“So I thought, if we asked Commander Sylvan for the credits—” Beedra began.

“Have you asked him?” The Ascending Priestess’s voice was sharp. “In fact, have you told anyone else about this? Anyone at all?”

“No, Priestess Superior,” Beedra said quickly. “I waited to speak to you first.”

“Good,” the other woman said shortly. “Well, well—so the only cure for the old woman is on Pok. It’s rather convenient, considering that’s where the Priory of Extreme Atonement is located.”

The Priory of Extreme Atonement? Elli didn’t like the sound of that at all.

“Yes it is.” Beedra sounded confused. “But what—?”

“Don’t you see? We’ll send a delegation to Pok to drop off that nasty little novice who shamed herself at the human party,” the Ascending Priestess snapped.

“Oh, and then we can go and ask to buy a piece of the Healing Lattice at the same time, right?” Beedra sounded excited. She must miss working for the old head priestess, Elli thought.

“No.” The Ascending Priestess’s voice was cool. “And then we’ll have sent someone to Pok, which makes it look like we tried to get a piece of the lattice.”

“Oh, but…we’re not even going to try to get a piece?” Beedra objected.

“Certainly not. The Descending one has had her turn leading the Order of the Sacred Grove,” the Ascending Priestess said coldly.

“But…but I did so much research!” Beedra sounded almost desperate. “And to not even try—”

“It is time for her to be with the Goddess,” the Ascending Priestess said sharply. “It would be wrong of us to keep her from such glory. Don’t you think, Priestess Beedra?”

“I…I suppose so.” Beedra sounded miserable now. She must have really tried hard to find a way to save the sweet old woman’s life, Elli thought indignantly. No wonder she was upset to hear that her plan wouldn’t be put into action!

“Good, then that’s settled,” the Ascending Priestess said. “Now, where is that wretched novice? The sooner we send her off to Pok, the better!”

There was the sound of a chair creaking and Elli realized, with alarm, that one of the women had gotten up to come and look for her. Quickly, she rapped on the door.

“Come in,” the Ascending Priestess called and Elli pushed open the door.

Inside, she saw the Ascending Priestess settling back behind the glossy desk in her plush leather chair. Beside her desk was the wooden cabinet where the golden goblet which held the Mortem Amore elixir was stored.

Beedra was sitting on one of the hard wooden chairs opposite the desk. She made a motion, indicating that Elli was to come sit beside her on the other chair.

“Yes, Ascending Priestess Superior?” Elli still felt numb as she sat on the edge of the chair.

The head priestess’s thin lips twisted in displeasure.

“Simply ‘Priestess Superior’ will do, novice.”

Elli wanted to point out that until the real Priestess Superior died, the woman in front of her was still only Ascending Priestess, but she sensed that wouldn’t be a smart thing to say.

“Yes, Priestess Superior,” she said woodenly. “The Head Cook told me to come and see you?” she added, making the statement a question.