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The priests were allowed to walk wherever they liked. Probably something about being men and having cocks. If my hair was ever in my face, the priestesses would have shaved it off.
Zared hurried to walk beside me, earning him a nasty look from Hycanthe. I suspected she had a thing for the muscular man, but he'd made it clear he didn't reciprocate. Everyone knew it but her.
"Guess what?" He leaned to speak low near my ear.
I responded with a questioning look. Boys became priests by training with the Temple guards. Or if they were more daring, with the armies of the Fae, who held the land to the east of Fraxius. None of them were subjected to a decade of not being able to talk. It didn't seem fair their fate was chosen by them, notforthem. Although, plenty of priestesses weren't Silent Maidens before they joined the temple. Only a select few of us were subjected to that.
"I'm coming with you to Havenmoor," he said. He grinned at my slight eye roll at his no doubt deliberate innuendo.
"Why?" I signed.
No priest or priestess was required to learn the Silent Maidens’ hand language, but most had at least a passing understanding of it. Zared learnt enough that he could interpret even my more vulgar gestures. Many of which he was only happy to sign back. His particular favourite was, 'fuck you too.'
Needless to say, Geralda wouldn't be impressed if she saw it. While she couldn't have one of the priests strapped, she could inflict some other nasty punishment on him. The toilets always seemed to be in need of cleaning. At worst, she could recommend he be shipped off for more training.
Although, knowing Zared, he'd weasel his way out of anything more than a light reprimand. His pretty hazel eyes, broad chest and biceps that looked ready to burst the seams of his pale, cotton shirt, seemed to be all he needed to keep him out of trouble.
"Because I'd hate for anything bad to happen to you. Trouble likes to find you whenever you're out of my sight."
That earned him a bigger eye roll. If anyone knew where to find trouble, it was him. I knew, because he was only too happy to take me along with him. Always with some excuse like the gods needed me for something. Sometimes I didn't think he took the gods seriously. All right, most of the time.
Truthfully, I wasn’t sure I did either. For one thing, I could never work out why Breia needed us to be quiet. It made the temple peaceful, I supposed, but none of the priestesses ever gave us the answer to that question when we inevitably asked. They gave us a cagey as fuck answer about Breia’s will and refused to speak about it any further.
Sometimes, in the depths of night, I tried to talk, to hear my own voice. Tried to shout so loud even the choker couldn't stop me.
I never managed a peep. Whatever the goddess’ reason was, she was as stubborn as the priestesses.
"You're only going because you're bored," I signed. "You're hoping for some adventure. You should have become a soldier or a guard instead of a priest."
He grinned. "Sorry, I didn't get all of that. Something about me being ridiculously good-looking." We both knew he understood every word I signed. Asshole. He also knew I would have punched him in the arm if we were alone. I might do that the first chance I got.
I grimaced at him and focused on the short walk ahead.
2
Khala
The Temple of Breia in Ebonfalls was old, well over a thousand years. The stone walls, once stark white, were worn smooth and stained various shades of yellow and brown. Inside, the ceilings were so high light from the sconces which hung on the walls didn’t reach the top corners, leaving them in shadow.
The Temple itself was enormous. Built for several times the amount of people who occupied it now.
According to one of the older priestesses, the Fae built the structure and some of the surrounding town before they moved out of these lands and left it to us humans. The land to the west was apparently the land of plenty. The Fae milked the east for what it was worth and abandoned it when they were done. Abandoned their cities and temples too.
We stepped from the corridor into the vast inner chamber. Before I could make my way over to stand in the centre of the round room, Zared put a hand on my arm.
"You'll be fine," he whispered. "You're stronger than you know."
I managed a half smile and nod, before he stepped away to join the other dozen or so priests on the stone benches at the back of the room.
The younger maidens sat in front of them, legs tucked neatly under themselves. More than one fingered the choker around her neck, even those who’d worn them for several years.
I wanted to tell them they’d get used to it someday, but I never had. Not completely. I was always aware of its presence against my throat, cutting off words I wanted to speak. It was a prison of sorts, but a comfort at the same time. It joined me to my sisters in a way nothing else ever could.
In front of them, the eight new initiates sat. Every one of them looked terrified and overwhelmed. Tears ran down the cheeks of a couple, but none sobbed out loud. They had more self control than I did at their age.
Geralda and three of the elder priestesses took the centre of the circle. On a signal from Nidua, the oldest amongst them, my sisters and I sank to our knees, as we’d rehearsed a dozen times before. This time, we did it without giggling, or making gestures like we were down there sucking cock. If anything would get us strapped until we bled, it would be doing that on a somber day like this. Breia wouldn’t be amused, apparently. Was it our fault the goddess had no sense of humour?
We knelt on the cold stone for what felt like ages, while a handful of newcomers were shown into the inner chamber. We were supposed to keep our gazes on the floor, but I couldn’t help glancing up. My breath caught in my throat.
