Burning Bright
Chapter Two: Thieves in the Night
Chapter Eight: Memories and Promises
Chapter Twelve: Priest of Ashes
Chapter Fourteen: Shadow Child
Chapter Sixteen: The Last Sacrifice
Book 3 of The Lost Gods: Stone Rose
The Lost Gods: Book 2
Megan Derr
Nine gods ruled the world until the ultimate betrayal resulted in their destruction. Now, the world is dying, and only by restoring the Lost Gods can it be saved.
In the land of Pozhar, the people fear the return of Zhar Ptitsa, the god of souls and rebirth who nearly destroyed them nine hundred years ago in a terrible rage. To prevent his rebirth, the people hunt down and sacrifice Vessels, those born with a piece of Zhar Ptitsa's soul within them.
The Sacred Texts say that one thousand such Vessels will be born and all must be sacrificed to destroy Zhar Ptitsa once and for all. Now, only two pieces remain in the bodies of two thieves who will not go to the Flames without a fight.
Burning Bright, the Lost Gods 2
By Megan Derr
Published by Less Than Three Press LLC
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission of the publisher, except for the purpose of reviews.
Edited by Samantha M. Derr
Cover designed by London Burden
This book is a work of fiction and as such all characters and situations are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual people, places, or events is coincidental.
Second Edition March 2012
Copyright © 2012 by Megan Derr
Printed in the United States of America
ISBN 9781620041024
Dym waited patiently for the cathedral to empty, standing at the top of the steps that led up to the altar should anyone wish to speak with him. No one did. He was used to it, even if it never stopped hurting.
Once upon a time, the High Priests of Pozhar had been valued, trusted, and looked to for advice in all things. He would never grow accustomed to being an object of fear and loathing. But behind him stood the door to the Sacred Flame where nearly a thousand Vessels had been sacrificed, the most recent less than a year ago. People would forever associate him and the position of High Priest with the sacrifices.
When at last the cathedral was empty, Dym went about tidying it up, meticulously picking up the various objects and pieces of clothing that people left behind. He would leave the items with his priests to track down the owners and return them. Immediate chores completed, he took the time to admire the sanctuary as he always did. He never grew tired of its timeless beauty.
High above, mosaics filled the spires, telling ancient stories in faded colors. Along the walls, stained glass windows depicted scenes from stories long forgotten by most: an enormous white snake lying on a stone sunbathing; a beautiful woman with rainbow butterfly wings stroking the noses of a pegasus and a unicorn; a man with dark hair and bright gold eyes accompanied by a black wolf and a golden mare; three men in brightly colored sarongs, their dark blue hair falling to their waists. Image after image, story after story, memory after memory.
All forgotten and ignored, unable to overcome the fear born just over nine hundred years ago, the fire and blood, the nine hundred and ninety-eight bodies so far burned.
Sighing softly, Dym left the hall and slipped into the back rooms, making his way to his private chambers. Once there, he passed through the front parlor, the study, and the bed chamber to go into the bathing chamber. It was conveniently connected to his bed chamber by way of a dressing room.
Dym paused in the dressing room and stripped off his ornate ceremonial robes and set them aside, before he stepped into the bathing chamber and slipped into the steaming, mineral-rich, hip-deep bath. He settled down on the bench that lined the edge of the bathing pool, leaning his head against the edge, and sighed.
Only two Vessels remained. The words rattled around in his head over and over and kicked his heart up to a fierce pace in his chest. His hands would tremble if he let them. So many years, so many sacrifices, and there were finally only two left.
Soon, very soon, it would at last be over. No more Vessels. No more worrying. No more waiting. He would no longer spender every day tense, no longer be plagued by nightmares or nights where he did not sleep at all. It would all finally end. He just had to endure two more.
When the hot water had relaxed him as much as it could, Dym climbed out again and returned to his dressing room, wiping down with a drying cloth before pulling on undergarments, leggings and a lightweight shirt. Over those he pulled a dark gold under-robe, shaking out the folds before he pulled on the deep red robe embroidered at the edges with prayers stitched in gold thread.
He fastened the robe in place with a belt of gold links set with rubies, mouth setting into a thin, flat line as memories he preferred stay buried rose up anyway, reminding him of the day he had been gifted the belt.
"I have no need of such finery—"
"Take it, anyway. No one needs such things, the point is not need. The point is pleasure."
Dym flushed, not wanting to think of pleasure right then. "I don't—"
"Take it, for me."
The soft request, the softer smile, made Dym sigh and concede defeat.
Leaving the dressing chamber, he walked briskly back through his suite and into the cathedral, heading down the hall and then turning down the corridor at the end to take him to the door that connected the Cathedral of the Sacred Fires to the royal palace. The guards stationed at the set of wide, tall, ornately carved wooden double doors bowed low to him and pulled the doors open to let him pass.
Inside the palace, Dym left the smells of incense and ash behind and was inundated in flowers and expensive cologne and too many people instead. He ignored the people he passed as he traversed the maze-like halls of the palace, though he smiled fleetingly when someone nodded or half-bowed to him. Most were content to politely disregard him, and he could not blame them for being too intimidated to cling even to protocol. He could be hurt by it, but he could not blame them.
Eventually he reached the Queen's Morning Room, and the guard there pulled open the wooden door set with stained glass flowers, bowing to him as Dym walked past. Inside the room, Princess Sonya sat at the head of a small, rectangular table. Morning sunlight streamed in from the bank of windows behind her, setting her red hair aflame and warming her dark amber eyes. On her immediate right, beautiful and cold and dressed completely in black, was Lord Nikolai Krasny, Duke of Alkaev and Advisor to the Tsar. Opposite him, on Sonya's immediate left, was Lord Osip Zholty, the Duke of Vaklov and Minister of Magic.
In theory, the High Priest and the Minister of Magic were partners in guarding and regulating magic throughout the country. In practice, Zholty preferred to have as little to do with Dym as possible while still helping himself to the fire feathers at every opportunity.
Dym found him tiresome, but withheld voicing that opinion for the same reason everyone held his tongue: Zholty was also formally engaged to Princess Sonya, the Tsar's younger sister. As the Tsar was deathly ill and not even Sonya held out hope he would continue ... well, discretion was definitely the wiser recourse. "Blessing of the morning, Princess, Minister, Advisor," he greeted, bowing low before he took his seat, settling the folds of his robes around him.
"Blessing of the morning," Princess Sonya greeted with a warm smile, and she gestured with a slight movement of her head for a servant to pour Dym tea. Another gesture and the three servants in the room silently departed, leaving the four of them alone.
"Thank you for coming so early," Sonya said, clasping her hands in front of her on the table. She was resplendent in a gown of deep burnt orange, pearls and amber wrapped around her throat and dripping from her ears, and a diadem of pearls and diamonds nestled in her artfully arranged pile of deep red curls. Her eyes carried just a faint sheen of magic, for she was only a token magic user. "Dym, how long do you think it will take to find the last two Vessels?"
Krasny set his teacup down, the fine porcelain clinking softly against the saucer he placed it on. Frowning deeply, he said, "I cannot believe there are only two left. After so long, it seems unreal that it will finally come to an end. It will go quickly from here, I should think."
"Very quickly," Dym agreed. "With every Vessel sacrificed, the next comes faster. We will find number nine hundred ninety-nine in a matter of days. After that Vessel is given to the Sacred Fire, the next will be located in a matter of hours."
Sonya nodded, lips pursing. "Good. The people will rejoice to know that the deed is at last done after over nine hundred years of these awful hunts. I will begin to arrange a celebration, to take place after a suitable mourning period. It is time to be rid of this shadow hanging over us. We have enough shadows looming over us just by sharing a border with Schatten."
"I heard there was another attack on the mountain," Krasny murmured, lifting his teacup again and taking a sip before adding, "I was going to head out that way today or tomorrow to do what little I could."
Across from him, Zholty sneered, "Little? Try nothing. No one goes up the Jagged Mountains unless he desires to die. Serves them right for being so foolish. You are needed here; there is no point in gallivanting north to search for specters and legends."
"It is a very good thing I rely upon neither your advice nor your opinion," Krasny said coolly. "I am going north to offer what assistance I can. There is very little for me to do here at present. When the Vessel is found, the magic will pull me where I must be. Until then, what shall I do? We are notably lacking in foreign dignitaries to amuse, especially since Kundou all but fell apart last year. His Majesty has no need of me—"
Sonya stirred at that. "He speaks of you all the time, Kolya."
Krasny's mouth tightened. "He may speak all he likes. I have no interest in words spoken too late."
"But Kolya—"
"No," Krasny said coldly, and they shared a long look before Sonya finally broke away with a soft, frustrated noise. Zholty reached out and lightly covered her hand with his own, dark gray eyes hard as he took his turn glaring at Krasny. After a moment, he too looked away.
Dym shifted in his seat, drawing their attention, and said, "Lord Krasny, if you are inclined to come see me before you depart, I will see you are well supplied with fire feathers for the Jagged Mountains."
"Speaking of the feathers," Sonya said with a note in her voice that indicated she was broaching an unhappy topic—but it was one Dym had anticipated. That they had all anticipated, to judge by the expressions on their faces: displeasure on Zholty's, somberness on Krasny's. "The law has always stated that magic is to be used exclusively for the purpose of hunting the Vessels and destroying Holy Zhar Ptitsa once and for all. We have, in the course of things, expanded quite a bit beyond that law over the centuries. But the law remains the law, and I will abide by it. After the last sacrifice is made, we will cease to practice magic."
Zholty shifted impatiently in his seat. "You cannot truly mean to rid us of magic altogether! Sonya, be reasonable. We would be a laughing stock—"
"I do not think Kundou is regarded as a laughing stock right now," Krasny cut in coolly. "Indeed, after their initial struggle they managed to do quite well without magic. Whether or not it is true that the Dragons of the Three Storms have returned, I could not say. I know it is true that the oceans are calming and no one has reported a mermaid attack in a year. Kundou is flourishing, and there is not a single drop of magic anywhere to be found amongst its people."
Dym smiled faintly while Zholty only sneered and continued to press his argument. "Kundou does not need magic because it controls the seas. What do we control? A land that remains snow-bound a little longer each year. The crop season is vanishing, food stores cannot be replenished, and coffers are drained importing what we can no longer grow."
"What does that have to do with magic?" Krasny replied. "Do not pretend to care about problems that you do not, in fact, care about."
Zholty looked at him with open hostility. "I am saying that once we no longer need the fire feathers to hunt the Vessels, the magic could be used to help the land. We should be exploring ways to further use of magic, not getting rid of it. Pozhar needs magic."