They’d also torture you to death. Slowly.
That would not be worth it. Fine, so I’d wait for the Seer to be buried and also for the judgment to be made. He’d said he’d do them both at once. Mayhap it wouldn’t take very long.
The High Saint looked up, his face a mix of grim concern and smugness he couldn’t quite hide.
“You Engineers will have to come, too. Do not fear. You get back what you have to give to the door when you come back up again.”
“Are you certain of that?” Sir Coriand asked lightly.
“The Inquisitor has his hand back,” the High Saint said, pointing at the hand with which the Inquisitor was holding his bowl of stew.
We all stared at it grimly.
“And will you offer up the same sin again, I wonder?” Sir Sorken asked.
“What?”
“You confessed to pride on the way in. Will you choose a different sin next time?”
“I hadn’t … I hadn’t thought.”
The High Saint’s eyes met mine and I looked away. I didn’t want to see into his soul. I didn’t like the look of shame in his eyes. I wanted to go back to the moment where we were all in unity praying over Sir Kodelai.
“I need to get water,” I murmured. My voice was rough from being choked, but I couldn’t help that. I stood, gathering up my dishes.
“What did you lose when you went through?” Sir Sorken pressed as I left the fire.
“My confidence.” The High Saint sounded agitated.
“So it stands to reason that if you want to keep your confidence, then you should offer something else. Greed, perhaps.”
“That’s no sin of mine.”
If they landed on an accurate sin, I was too far away to hear it.
I made my way to the stream, checked on Halberd and cared for him, washed my dishes, and was refilling my water skin when I heard the drift of voices.
It was only then — for some reason — that I remembered my promise.
In the chaos of having to defend myself, in the relief of returning to the land above, in the pain of my bruised throat, I’d forgotten it entirely. It stung as I remembered my words to Sir Adalbrand. Words that meant I couldn’t just abandon him.
Oh, I forgot, too. Sir Branson sounded ashamed of himself.
The demon only laughed.
I had promised Sir Adalbrand that I would work hand in hand with him until the cup was found and returned to the church.
I couldn’t just get up and go. Not now.
Saints bless it. What my curse lacked in originality, it made up for in sincerity.
The mere thought of returning to that place under the ground made my skin crawl and my stomach try to worm its way out of my mouth. I had not wanted to go back for Sir Kodelai’s judgment. I certainly didn’t want to go back for any longer than that.
Perhaps I could convince him that we could keep our vow without going back down there.
I wish you the God’s blessing with that.
Thank you, Sir Branson.
