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28
SILAS
Anya marched right upto me, a tray of food perched neatly on her hip. I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned back into the plush cushion of the High Priest's throne.
"What do you mean, 'what am I doing?'"
"Are you kidding? These people need help, and you're sitting here without lifting a finger?"
"I was keeping an eye on things. If Imrys or Trydan came through that door, I would be here to protect them."
She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "It looks to me like you were getting a feel for Trydan's power. And he didn't help anyone, either. He ran away like the coward he was."
She gritted the words out through her teeth but didn't stick around to argue. Instead, she turned and hurried down the stairs, handing the tray of food off to the very first person she came across. Then she spotted Ember. They had a hurried conversation, Ember's eyes went wide and her face lit up. Then they were walking straight toward me, hand in hand.
Feeling guilty that I was still sitting as her eyes raked over me, I pushed myself upright and went to meet them at the top of the steps to the dais, partially blocking their path. Anya's eyes narrowed at me, and I could see her chewing on another angry outburst, but she seemed to think better of it.
"Move. Kiango and Mihiri need us, and Ember is coming to help. In the meantime, why don't you try and do something for these people? Light some torches? Go find blankets in Trydan's room? Do something."
I was so bewildered by what she said first, I didn't even register the irritation in her voice when she offered suggestions for how I could be put to work.
"Kiango's alive? You found him?"
"Barely. He needs help, and every second you spend gawking at me is a second he doesn't have to spare. Unless you know how to breathe Re'Utu's healing into him, I need you out of the way."
Shocked and shaken by the revelation, I stumbled back a few steps, giving them room to pass. As they went, I stared after Anya, cursing myself for every misstep I'd made. She was so angry at me now, I wasn't sure we would even be friends when this was over.
With a frustrated sigh, I looked around the room and tried to make sense of what I was seeing. Ember had found a way to help. Now I needed to, too.
I went down the steps and began walking among the people, stopping to speak with them. If nothing else, they would know what happened down here, and that might be valuable information to have.
Kneeling next to one cluster of residents, I tore off a chunk of bread and handed it to an old woman leaning back against the wall.
"We're going to get out of here soon," I started, awkwardly trying to find the right words to reassure them.
"Where is the High Priest? When will he come for us?" one of them asked.
I grimaced, biting back the nasty remark that came bubbling up. I squeezed her hand gently.
"He'll come. If he was not injured in the storm, he will return to his throne and lead us all."
She searched my face, eyes wide and watery, and I had to work hard to keep from pulling away. I was not a natural at this. In all my life, I'd only ever imagined being a Guardian on the stormfront, not a counselor for the people. Apparently satisfied by my response, she nodded and closed her eyes, leaning back again and falling into a pained slumber.
I rose and turned in a slow circle, taking in all of the survivors, seeing their plight anew. Anya may have been right. I could be doing more, and whether she ever looked at me with softness in her eyes again or not, I could still try to be the kind of man she wanted me to be.
I took the steps to the dais two at a time and headed for Trydan's rooms, stepping aside to let servants pass whenever they appeared with another round of food and drinks. When I reached the tiny alcove that was the doorway to Trydan's private quarters, I stopped, examining the latch. I didn't have to try it to know that the door was locked firmly. He never would have left it otherwise. But I was getting in.
Closing my eyes, I whispered a call to Re'Utu, letting my hard armor slide into place over my body. Flexing, I relished the thick layer of scales and the power that coursed through me. Taking a step back, I unleashed a roar that filled the hall and threw my whole weight against it. There was a protest from the solid wood, but the door did not swing open. I set myself up again, drawing more of His power into my veins as I set my eyes on the weakest point of the door. With another guttural roar, I charged again.
This time, the door splintered, although it didn't split. I could see a tiny gap between the fractured beams, just wide enough for me to slip two fingers into. On the other side, the room was dimly lit.
With one brutal kick, I created a hole big enough to reach through. Unlocking it, I shoved it aside with a growl, stalking into the room and quickly scanning for movement.
Trydan was long gone, but that didn't mean he couldn't have set a trap. It even occurred to me that Imrys might have crawled back here and barricaded himself inside.
Fortunately, I detected no other living beings in the room and moved on to finding anything of use. First, I went to the bed and gathered every pillow and blanket I could carry, hauling them back to the sanctuary as fast as I could. It wasn't much, but it was a start, and it would keep the people comfortable until we could arrange to get them out.
When those were distributed, I went back to Trydan's room and began another search, this time for any clue as to where he might have gone and how he could have gotten there. On the table in the middle of the room sat a letter. It had the seal of priesthood stamped on it I began reading, my heart dropped into my stomach like a lead weight, and I thought I might vomit.
