Soul of Kandrith (The Kandrith Series) (47 page)

Dangerous hope began to unfurl within Lance. Surely the Holy Ones wouldn’t be here if Sara’s plan had failed?

They’re
waiting
for
Sara
or
a
Qiph
Pathfinder
to
speak
to
them
.

Lance cupped Sara’s chin, but she looked right through him. “Sara, you need to ask the Holy Ones for help.”

No response.

Helplessly, he turned to the Holy Ones himself. “On behalf of Sara, I beg your help.”

Lance expected them to ignore him, but the tiny white-haired Holy Woman responded almost instantly, speaking to Sara.

“
Dear
child
.
Though
you
are
not
of
our
people
,
you
have
followed
Our
Way
.
Slavery
is
the
hardest
path
.
Few
choose
to
walk
it
.” The woman reached into...somewhere...and brought forth a glowing green seed. She folded Sara’s fingers around it. “
Here
is
the
magic
earned
by
your
ordeal
,
but
we
have
not
the
power
to
make
a
new
soul
of
it
.
That
is
for
your
gods
and
goddesses
to
choose
to
do
or
not
.”

The Qiph Holy Ones faded away. Sara stared blankly at the seed in her upturned palm, but at least she didn’t drop it.

“Goddess?” Lance asked. Pleaded. His heart choked his throat. The rebirth of hope was painful.

Of
course
,
Faithful
One
. Loma reached out to the glowing seed of magic and breathed Her mercy into it. The glowing ball brightened slightly. “
That
is
all
the
help
I
can
give
.
Alone
,
I
cannot
create
a
new
soul
.
You
need
a
miracle
.”

To his ear, She sounded sorrowful, but determined.
She
expected
to
fail
. Nevertheless, She lifted Her voice before despair could crush him. “
Bas
,
my
brother
,
will
you
aid
me
?”

Lance was startled by the appearance of the God of Miracles, a radiant, chubby-cheeked man, whose voice boomed. “
Of
course
!
I
love
a
challenge
.
You
had
but
to
ask
.” He, too, bent and breathed on the sphere of magic. “
And
now
I
will
perform
a
second
miracle
—
bringing
all
of
Our
Brothers
and
Sisters
here
.”

A pantheon of gods and goddesses blinked into existence. Some appeared surprised, some irritated, but all stayed. The Goddess still stood inside Lance, using him as a portal. Her presence allowed him to see the other gods and goddesses, but it hurt Lance to look directly upon their luminousness. He could not have said if they were Temborian or Elysinian or Gotian, only that they were blindingly beautiful and their voices would be engraved on his memory forever.

A chestnut-haired god stepped forward. Loma silently identified him as Jut, God of Travellers. He made a robust figure, skin tanned and wind-burned above his beard. “
This
one
was
refused
hospitality
in
one
of
My
temples
.
This
gift
I
owe
her
.” His breath made the green seed glow briefly orange, like a hearth.

Then came Jut’s twin sister, Jita, Goddess of Horses. Equine ears peeked out of her chestnut hair, which rippled like a mane, and her deep brown eyes were wide set. “
Sarathena
has
always
treated
My
people
well
.
She
saved
one
from
the
cat
shandy’s
appetite
.” She, too, breathed on the seed of magic.

Next came Tol. Though handsome, the God of Wine was flushed with inebriation. He toasted Sara with the goblet in his hand. “
A
brave
wench
and
one
who
appreciates
the
grape
.” He mock-glowered at Lance, then danced merrily forward and breathed on the seed.

His consort, Diwo, Goddess of Luck, followed. “
This
one
has
had
enough
bad
luck
in
her
life
,
I
owe
her
some
good
.”

The midget-sized, but handsome and dignified, Cepi, God of Small Favours, also granted his help without stinting.

The voluptuous Goddess of Fertility paused to touch the baby’s head in passing, making him gurgle with happiness. “
How
could
I
refuse
one
who
sacrificed
so
much
for
her
child
?” Her face was roundly pretty, and Her voice resonated with comfort and warmth and home.

Hope constricted Lance’s chest. Only a handful of gods yet remained. Perhaps this might work...

Hana, God of Justice, stepped forward. Austerely handsome, He wore white robes and silver flecked his temples and beard. Unpursing His lips, He pronounced judgement. “
She
swore
an
oath
to
Me
and
did
not
fulfill
it
.
She
has
not
earned
My
help
.” He started to fade.

“Wait!” Lance called desperately. “That doesn’t sound like Sara. What was this oath?”

Chilly silence greeted him. Hana narrowed His eyes at Lance’s temerity. For a moment Lance wondered if the god would incinerate him on the spot, but Loma rescued him.

“
What
are
the
terms
of
her
oath
?”

Hana’s lips tightened in annoyance. “
To
marry
as
her
father
wished
and
restore
the
family
fortunes
.”

“Her father broke her betrothal and is now dead,” Lance said quickly. “And she has given birth to a child. What better way to rebuild her family?”

Hana stroked his silver beard, considering. “
A
cogent
argument
.
Very
well
.” He, too, breathed on the ball.

Before Lance could relax, a god wearing a golden mask glided forward. He carried with Him the rank stench of carrion. Mek, God of Death.

Black coals smoldered behind the mask’s eyeholes, and His voice sounded like the dry rattle of bones. “
I
do
not
like
you
,
Lance
of
Kandrith
.
You
and
My
sister
have
stolen
too
many
of
those
marked
for
My
kingdom
.
Why
should
I
do
this
favour
for
you
?”

The singing hope in Lance’s heart faltered. “I’m sorry if I’ve offended you,” he said carefully, his mouth dry with fear. He should’ve left Spring Colt to die and not taken pity on Winter Grass. “But the offense is mine, not Sara’s.”

He struggled to come up with better, more convincing words, but the Goddess spoke in his place: “
I
can
only
postpone
death
for
a
time
.
They
will
all
go
to
Your
kingdom
in
the
end
.” She paused. “
Except
Sarathena
Remillus
.
Without
a
soul
,
she
will
escape
Your
clutches
.”

Mek kept silent a long moment, and still. The other gods and goddesses breathed and moved and blinked. Not Mek.

“
It
is
wrong
that
one
should
escape
Me
.” He stretched out a skeletal finger and tapped the seed of magic. The green light flickered. Lance caught his breath on a silent scream—no!—but then the light steadied.

Three more—no, he’d miscounted, only two more to go, a pair.

Jazor, the Goddess of Beauty and Desire, was easy to recognize. Her glorious red-gold hair was piled in artful disarray on Her head, and a gossamer-thin veil of silk covered Her nudity. Only the Goddess’s steady presence inside him kept Lance from embarrassing himself.

She strolled up to Sara and lifted her chin. Sara stared blankly back. Jazor’s pouting red lips formed a moue. “
Such
beauty
marks
you
as
one
of
My
own
.
If
you’d
been
taken
into
My
temple
and
made
priestess
as
you
should
have
been
,
Nir’s
high
priest’s
natural
attraction
to
you
would
not
have
twisted
into
obsession
.
I
regret
that
you’ve
suffered
for
what
should
have
been
a
gift
.” She bestowed a kiss on the glowing green seed, then twined Her arm through that of Nir, God of War, pulling Him forward.

Though He appeared no older than twenty-five, His military bearing and lean body bore an uncomfortable resemblance to His former high priest. Lance clenched his fists.

Jazor nudged Nir. He rolled His eyes in disgruntlement, but said, “
Very
well
.
She
defeated
My
warrior
,
Gaius
Mendicus
,
and
spared
both
his
life
and
his
swordhand
.” He breathed on the seed, which now began to swirl and give off red sparks.

“Is it enough?” Lance asked hopefully.

Sorrow permeated Loma’s being, but before she could reply another god coalesced out of the shadows where He’d been hiding.

“
My
spark
is
still
needed
,” Vez gloated from within the folds of His blue hood and robe. “
And
I
withhold
it
!”

No! Anguish exploded in Lance’s chest. Wild thoughts filled his head of somehow forcing Vez to help. Loma held his body immobile.

Steel sang out as Nir unsheathed His sword. He struck at the God of Malice’s wizened hand, drawing blood. “
That’s
for
corrupting
My
priest
.”

Vez hissed, but Hana’s upraised hand froze him in mid-curse. “
Nir
is
within
his
rights
to
retaliate
.
Strike
Him
and
all
will
turn
on
you
.”