Page 21 of Fate of the Sun King

“All right,” I say slowly, tipping my chin. “I’m willing to try anything.” He nods before I add, “But then, I don’t want any arguments about going to Heart if Etienne confirms it’s safe.”

His gaze flicks to me before he sighs.

Yup, I’m definitely one of the biggest sources of his problems.

“Fine. We’ll take Mael too. The more the merrier, I guess.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

After we gather a few more hours of sleep, Nadir takes me outside the city walls to work on my magic. Tristan tags along, too, since he has his own power to explore. While his Heart magic is a thin thread when compared to mine, he has other capabilities he’s had to conceal for years. Something I know he’s always despised.

Nadir performs some kind of spell on the horses, imparting them with speed. I remember when he took me through the Void on our way to the Keep. I knew that horse had been moving too fast to be natural.

With my disguise in place, we exit Aphelion through the western gate and venture into the dense forests surrounding the city.

Nadir rides in front, and after traveling for about an hour, he slows down, gesturing for me and Tristan to do the same. We’re far from the walls of Aphelion now, and I pull off my hat, shaking my hair loose.

“What’s that?” I ask as we pass what looks like a ruined stone building covered by overgrown vines and flowers. Nadir pulls up next to me.

“One of Zerra’s old temples,” he says.

“What happened to it?”

He shrugs. “A schism occurred many, many years ago known as the Burning. Her most ardent followers got out of hand, carrying out unspeakable acts in her name.”

I look at him in horror. “What kinds of acts?”

“The legends say there was a conflict between the goddess and the Lord of the Underworld. That he tried to break free from his dominion where he’s trapped. In her desire to suppress his growing power, she demanded unquestioned loyalty from everyone in Ouranos. But people were afraid, terrified of incurring the Lord’s wrath, and so their support was… inconstant. To control them, her priestesses set about burning innocents in her name, claiming that anyone refusing to denounce him would pay with their lives.

“Eventually, people began to realize there was no actual evidence of the Lord’s presence in their world, and they grew suspicious of the priestesses’ claims. Thus, an uprising fought back, and her temples were ransacked, the priestesses shunned, and, in some more gruesome cases, struck down without mercy until they were all forced into hiding for a long time.

“Things were never quite the same again, and over time, fewer and fewer followers find their way to Zerra with every passing year. She has no real power in Ouranos anymore.”

Studying the crumbling ruin, I consider those words as we pass the temple. On one side is a carving of a woman, her face worn by time, but there’s enough to make out the features of her mouth and an eye, along with a long dress that falls to her feet.

“Where did they come from?” I ask. “Zerra and the Lord?”

“That is a matter of debate amongst the scholars of Ouranos. They agree that Zerra created the High Fae and the Artefacts at the Beginning of Days, granting a select group of humans the magic of their lands and thus transforming them into what we are today.”

“What about the low fae?”

“They were already here, living in peace in Ouranos’s forests, lakes, and rivers. But as our cities spread, many were forced from their natural habitats and assimilated into society. There are still low fae dwelling in the most remote parts of the continent, probably hoping none of us ever notices them.”

“Our parents didn’t talk about her,” I say, gesturing to Tristan, who watches our exchange. “But in Nostraza, her name was invoked regularly, and they prayed to her all the time,” I say.

“Humans have, inexplicably, always had stronger ties to her,” Nadir says. “I think since they possess no magic of their own, it allows them to feel closer to it. While the Fae, too, once openly worshipped her, their rituals and practices slowly died after the Burning. I think it became hard to believe in anyone or anything who could act so barbarically. In fact, many of the nobility and royal High Fae want nothing to do with Zerra’s priestesses.” He flicks his reins. “Temples like that used to be found everywhere in Ouranos—that’s where her High Priestesses—her most devout and trusted servants—once lived.”

“Is that the same type of High Priestess that was working with my grandparents?”

“Possibly,” he says. “They also have magic, though their ability and capacity is a well-kept secret.”

“Are there many High Priestesses left?”

“A few,” he replies. “Scattered temples are left here and there, but they mostly keep to themselves, given their reputation.”

I look over my shoulder at Tristan, noting the pinch of his brows. We both share similar frustrations that we know so little about our world. Everything we learned was filtered through a foggy lens, first by our parents and then by the years we spent behind the walls of Nostraza.

Finally, we arrive at a large clearing deep in the forest. High cliffs border the western edge, complete with a thundering waterfall that empties into a bright blue river winding along the far perimeter.