House of Secrets and Vows (Crown of Deceit #1)

23. The Sunfire Rite

23

THE SUNFIRE RITE

I can’t sleep, plagued by the fear of the prince bursting through the door and draining me of my blood,

A late spring storm rolls over the kingdom, and the constant drip, drip, drip of rain patters against my window. I lie awake, reliving the sudden turn of my night took after Nevan and I left The Red Raven.

He’s known who I am the entire time I’ve been here for the Solstice.

I can't decide if I'm impressed at his desire to figure me out or if he's incredibly stupid for risking it. As prince, he could have me dragged to a cell I'm sure exists somewhere on the castle grounds and questioned until I admitted to my double life.

Or an even easier option might have been just killing me himself and being done with it.

Instead, he’d invited me to meet his friends.

It’s bizarre beyond reason, and yet, seeing that side of him has me more confused than ever.

Does he truly want to make Valazica a better place for all? Why would he even care?

He's never wanted for anything in his life. Though that isn’t true anymore, is it? Now he’s cursed and, as he said the day he confessed to me, he’s completely fucked.

He made it clear he knew that I was a priestess, and specifically the one who heard his confession last winter. But he made no mention of the attack on the Silver Lady, which leads me to believe he has no clue that I’d been there that night.

Been there and escaped.

I sensed his shift in the carriage as we rode back to the castle. He didn't share any details, but I could only imagine he'd been craving my blood. From the little he revealed, he must have been hungry. I’d prayed to any god that would listen to keep him from attacking me, and then I did the only thing I could think of to distract him.

Twice now this Solstice I've shared more about myself than I usually do. First to Nalanie at the revel, and now to the prince himself.

I hadn't had much time to think it through as I feared for my life, but opening up to him, even if what I told him only scratched the surface of my past, might be the key to confronting him about Aella.

I had wanted so badly to ask about my friend, but I couldn't trust the carriage driver not to overhear.

I’m not sure what I expected. For him to admit he’d drained Aella of her blood and, what, apologize?

No apology will bring her back.

Once we'd returned to the castle, Nevan hurried away from me so fast I didn't have time for questions. And stopping him from getting to blood would have been reckless on too many levels to count.

I’m left to wonder what he would have said all night and into the next day when, just in time for the second morning bell, I stumble into the cathedral.

I avoid the mirror this morning, but I have no doubt that dark circles hang underneath my eyes, which I can barely keep open. I thank Mina I’m wearing a veil so no one can see my exhaustion.

The cardinal peers up from a book as I approach him. "Welcome, priestess. How are you this blessed morning?"

Exhausted, I don’t say.

“Wonderful.” I feign enthusiasm, something I’ve perfected in the decade at the Temple.

"I'm happy to hear that. Today will be a long day for us both." He closes the book in his hands. "It's the Sunfire Rite."

Damn, I forgot about the Sunfire Rite. It’s a ritual where Valazicans can come and get blessed for generic forgiveness from Mina. Normally, in a Temple full of priestesses, I’m only assigned a shift. But here, as the only priestess, I’ll be expected to bless everyone all by myself.

“Many guests have arrived, so I imagine we will have plenty of visitors to the cathedral."

"Of course." I grimace behind my veil as a headache settles between my temples.

The cardinal explains what to expect since I won't be sitting in a confessional and listening to secrets as I have been. Instead, we’ll both be standing on opposite sides of the stage.

Visitors will begin by receiving a blessing from the cardinal and then continue to the middle of the stage, where they’ll dip their fingers into a fountain of healing waters, blessed by Mina. Then they'll come to me, and we’ll clasp hands while saying a quick prayer to the Goddess.

Gods, I should have slept more.

The blessing begins at the third morning bell, and from then until the fifth bell, things are slow. But once the fifth bell chimes, it’s as if the rest of the world has awoken all at once and come to the cathedral.

A line forms from the base of the altar all the way out the door, and I get lost in the repetition of Happy Sunfire Rite and The Goddess blesses you .

My daze is broken when a familiar voice says, "You sound more bored than happy, if you ask me."

Blaise takes my outreached hands.

I can’t read his mood with my priestess gift, but the expression on his face is enough to know he doesn’t take this ritual seriously.

"I'm surprised you're bothering to participate," I say.

"I thought the next line was The Goddess blesses you."

I curl my lips into a mocking grin, even if he can't see it. "The. Goddess. Blesses. You."

"Thank the heavens. I'd hate to be the only one not blessed on this fine day."

I pull my hands from his. "I'm sure such a horrid thing would keep you up all night."

"Certainly." He laughs as he saunters away.

As he’s about to exit the room, Maddox enters. I expect a quick apology for nearly running into the prince, but Blaise stops and says something to the youngest prince.

Maddox shakes his head as annoyance furrows his brows.

Blaise only smirks and continues out of the room.

Person after person allows the prince to move ahead of them in line, and soon, he’s taking my hand and receiving the blessing I've already given more people than I care to count.

As our hands part, he says, "I hope today isn't too wearing for you, Priestess."

"I'm honored to pass along the Goddess’s blessing."

"We're grateful for your dedication." He bows to me before turning away.

What had Blaise said to him to earn such an agitated response?

By the time the first afternoon bell chimes, things have slowed. My feet ache, and I want nothing more than to eat a huge meal and sleep an entire night. The line shortens until it's gone.

Just before the first evening bell, Prince Nevan strolls in.

He receives the blessing from the cardinal first, then grins as he approaches me. "Hello, Priestess."

"Prince." For a moment, I can't remember what I'm supposed to say. But when I catch the cardinal staring, I extend my arms. "Happy Sunfire Rite."

The prince takes my hand into his, and mine seems so small. Has he always been this much larger than his younger brother, or did joining the House of Blood changed his physique?

"The Goddess blesses you," I say loud enough for the cardinal to hear. Then I lean in. "Are you well today?"

"Much better. I can't thank you enough. I know how bad this all looks." With our hands still clasped, he’s so close I can smell his oak scent. "Are you going to the Solstice Ball tonight?"

I’d forgotten about the ball on the final evening of the Solstice. “I might be there.”

“Dance with me?” His voice is low so no one else can hear.

My heart thuds, and I'm not sure if it's from the fear of someone seeing our hands clasped so long or from his proximity. “I’ll consider it.”

He pulls away. “Then perhaps I’ll see you tonight, Priestess.”

With a solemn look, he turns and leaves the cathedral in silence.

Everything is a blur as I spend the final hour blessing person after person.

The thought of attending the ball shouldn’t have created a pit in my stomach. It fits perfectly into my plan to get close to the prince, something I’ve done extraordinarily well so far, even if he knows who I am.

His knowledge of my true identity should scare me to my core. He has the power to break apart everything I’ve worked for. One word from him and I’ll be stripped of my Priestess Vow and thrown in a cell.

But I'm not frightened of it.

It’s so much worse than that; thoughts of dancing with the prince send a thrill through me.

It’s a dangerous game I’ve never played and one that’s sure to get me burned. Seeing Nevan with his friends and hearing him talk about making the kingdom better has thrown me off.

What if he isn't as evil as I assumed?

An image of Aella's face before she left me in that tavern flashes in my memory.

The prince tells a lovely story, but even if he desires to make Valazica a better place, how can he do so when last night he almost tore into my throat?

When I make it to my room, so lost in my thoughts I don't remember the walk from the cathedral, another box is waiting on my bed.

I open it to find a red dress nicer than anything I’ve ever worn.

I lift up the beautiful garment to get a better look at it.

Lace covers a thin floor-length slip that is sure to hug my curves. I don't need to read the note sitting next to the box to know Felix wants me to attend the ball tonight.

It isn’t surprising, as it is my last night here at the castle.

What I'm not sure of is what the resistance will want from me next.

When I fold the dress and go to put it back into the box, I notice the bronze-hilted dagger hidden beneath it.