Page 23 of Six Burning Candles

“Ow,” I hissed as, in my musings, I stabbed a pin into the pad of my middle finger. Huffing and puffing to myself, I suckedon the dew drop of blood.Way to go, Melrose.I pouted at my table full of fabrics. In the time Keida was off doing…whatever it was she was doing, I took it upon myself to mend all the robes that hadn’t been mended yet. Then I went about sewing up new ones to add to the rotation. Specifically, ones for Keida that showed off more of her wings or her figure, instead of swallowing her whole.

“Alright there, Melrose? I never would have figured a seamstress to have the most dangerous job in this kingdom.”

I gasped, ripping around on my work bench. A giant smile grew on my face as I climbed to my hooves. “Cardinal Janus! What are you doing here!”

Scrambling into his arms, I wrapped mine around my godfather. Janus smelled of lavender and travel, which was more or less just dust and hay. He smelled of carriage and horse, but mostly of fresh air. I sucked in a breath, face buried in my godfather’s robes. His long arms wrapped around me and squeezed me tight. It’d been two years since Janus came to visit us, but that had been for my father’s birthday. Prior to that, he rarely got away from his busy temple to the cathedral. Most of the time, it was Papa and I who went to see him.

Janus was the Cardinal over Temple Vesmuth, a sect of clerics and paladins hardened by the ice and mountain. They were more secluded, but they also protected the blessed pools of Avaris. Naturally heated pools deep in the mountain that were said to heal any ailment, even flesh that’d been melted off by dragon’s fire. Once upon a time, I thought it could bring back the dead. I learned, and was dismayed, to find it could not.

Pulling back, I stared up into a weather-worn face. Janus was an elf with long ears that curled at the tips, tufts of hair poking off his tanned skin. His snow white hair draped around his face, a long, silky curtain. His eyes crinkled as he studied my face. “My dear Melrose, you do grow morebeautiful with every day. You’ll soon be prettier than all the garden roses combined.”

I snorted, swatting at his heavy travel robes. “Oh please, you’ll make my head too big and I won’t fit through the doorways in here anymore.”

Janus and I threw back our heads, chortling in unison. He squeezed my shoulders six distinct times. I sobered my giggles first, taking a moment to study him. He was just as tall as Papa, wearing thick blue and green colored robes with Avaris’ symbols embellished all over. His hands folded in front of him as he gained his composure. The words tumbled out of my mouth without forethought, “What are you doing here, Cardinal Janus?”

“What? Can a godfather not come to look over his goddaughter while her father is away on sabbatical? Plus, if we’re being completely honest, I’m here to enjoy the festivities. The Cathedral has the better festival!” he teased with a slight wiggle of his shoulders. Janus stepped around me to saunter to my workstation, which was just two tables I’d overtaken with fabric and thread and fixed robes. “What a busy little bee you’ve been. Repairing all the robes, are you?”

“And making new ones. They’re so drab.” I shrugged, sliding up beside the table as he inspected the stack of robes I’d already finished.

“What’s the sudden inspiration in redoing all the Order’s robes?” he cocked a brow up at me as he twisted back to me. I laughed nervously, restacking more robes better.

Do I tell my godfather I’m in danger?I peeked up. “Looking for purpose, I suppose. Not in an eternal sort of soul-searching purpose way…but in a while my papa is away, sort of way.”

“Ah, idle hands,” he hummed with acknowledgement.

“I do not want to be underfoot, and I’ve alwaysmeantto do this, so while Papa is away and Keida is overseeing everything, I’m making myself useful,” I chirped, proud of my lie.It’s not completely a lie. It’s the truth steeped in a very weak lie tea. Truth sweetened with a lie! That’s it!I was told under no circumstance was I to leave the cathedral. And I had meant to repair all the old robes.Plus, I threatened Keida with new robes.I perched on the edge of the table, changing the subject before he could see through my guise. “How did you know Papa was on sabbatical?”

“Wedo speakon occasion, little miss!” He waggled a finger at me. “Besides, it’s been a while since he’s taken time off, has it not?”

I sighed, tugging at my skirts. “Since Mama died.”

A palm came to rest on my shoulder and sweetly squeezed. No words were said as he rubbed the pad of his thumb against the cotton fabric of my dress. My papa hadn’t taken time off, truly, since before my mother’s death. After that, he hardly had time to do such frivolous things. He tended to the flock or saw to the queen or took care of me. Then, of course, he trained Keida. A day or two here, an afternoon there, but those didn’t count. They were simply a pocket of time.

I didn’t even have the heart to tell Janus I knew he wasn’t on a sabbatical. If papa told Janus the truth, then likely he was told to keep it a secret from me. If my papa didn’t tell him the truth, then Janus’d likely curse Leonardo for not including the rest of the church in the vision. So, I kept my mouth shut and let him console me as he inspected the other projects.

After a good hour of him picking something up and asking about it, another cleric wandered into the room. To my delight, it was Ramone. “Melrose! Are you still fixing stuff? I’ve got a tear in my favorite trousers—CardinalJanus!”

I cackled as Ramone paled, eyes widening, and sharply bowed to the point of nearly braining himself on a nearby bench. I motioned at Ramone, speaking to Janus, “Cardinal, this is Cleric Ramone. Ramone, yes, I am still fixing stuff.”

The werewolf flushed every shade of red possible. I tugged the fabric free of his hands before he could swallow it in embarrassment. Janus gave Ramone a cordial bow. “Good to meet you Cleric Ramone. Would you happen to know where our Lunar Cleric is at this moment?”

I stalled but thankfully Ramone didn’t notice. “She was stopping in to see about a request from the queen, Your Eminence.”

I grimaced to myself at the formality but let it slip. Janus was my godfather, not Ramone’s. While I knew the man far more informally, it wasn’t beyond the realm of reason for others to be stiff around him.It’s just weird.

“Good, then would you be available to give me a tour of the cathedral. I wish to speak to our clerics here while I await an audience with our Lunar Cleric. Melrose?” He pivoted to look at me, and I gave him a smile as a response. “What do you say to a dinner with you, Keida, and I? It’s been two years since I’ve seen my protégée.”

Well…there go my dinner plans.I shrugged off the weird disappointment and nodded, “Of course! She’ll be very excited to see you!”

Keidawas,infact,NOT excited to see Janus. I stalled in front of the cathedral as I watched Cleric Delainey break the news to her first, followed shortly by her finding me with her icy orbs, and finally, Janus walking down the main aisle towardher. Her eyebrows shot up to her hairline and pressed her mouth into a hard, thin line.She’s not happy. Why is she not happy?I opened my lips to speak, but no words came out as she stormed past Delainey.

“Cardinal Janus!” She marched, folding her arms stiffly behind her. “To what do we owe the pleasure? A vacation down from the mountain, perhaps?”

“Oh, nothing like that! It’s Wintersdark, I am here for the festivities! Plus, I heard that our Hierophant is off on sabbatical, so I am here to offer my assistance.” Janus didn’t even falter, not a misstep or flinch in his face. I flinched, unsure why I felt stiff in my clothes.

“An amazing offer, Cardinal. Had Iknownyou were coming, I would have ensured I was here to collect you. Funny how I never received notice such a high standing cleric was on his way to the cathedral.” Keida’s words were short, curt, and clear. She was upset by Janus’ presence. I wouldn’t say threatened, but I had no other context for her ire. Sure, it wasn’t typical of Cardinals to leave their temples. They were birds set to roost. Our Lady Avaris bestowed extra powers upon them to maintain their flock, shielding the innocent under their wings. It was not typical for them to travel for any reason other than death or new life. Unlike the Lunar Cleric, a position posted at each temple, meant to do the traveling jobs the Cardinals could not. The higher the temple in the order, the more trusted the Lunar Cleric, the more dangerous the travel.

However, the Cathedral was the highest temple, putting Keida and Janus at the same level, technically, under Leonardo. Despite how she started as his protégé.