Destiny's Blood by Marie Bilodeau (best authors to read .TXT) 📗

the earth greedily creep into her body, securing with her blood the future of her people.

It still took a long time for her to die.

CHAPTER 35

Drums resonated throughout the caves and the bunker, reaching the crew of the Victory. They stopped working for a moment, wondering what spurred on the distant lament. In the bunker, some wept, others screamed, but most just removed whatever rag was on their head and sat down, sombre, as though their last strength had dwindled from them.

Curious, Avienne followed the echoes to their origin. She passed the weeping women and the fallen men, the frightened children and screaming babies. She ducked below house separations, sometimes crossing through houses. She had already given up on making sense of this place.

The guards did not challenge her as she passed them to head down into a cave, but simply watched her with tears in their eyes. The drums’ echo was loud and beckoning, and with each new beat her heart skipped. The hallway amplified the sound of the drums, so that the sound lingered long after the initial note had been struck.

Reaching the end, she turned and was amazed at the roar that greeted her. She stood above a valley filled with plants, a waterfall and rivers, and below many people were gathered. At the other end, she saw a palace with many small balconies and one huge one, and it was there that three large drums sat. They were accompanied by two gongs, creating a slow rhythm which her heart could not help but follow. The whole cavern was filled with the noise, accented by the waterfall. Six guards led a casket out of the palace, a beautiful piece of oak and gold. They were followed by the stylized gentleman who had escorted Yoma away. Even from where she stood, Avienne could see that he was crying.

She felt momentary panic and looked around, relieved when she spotted Yoma on a balcony of the palace. She saw a shadow in another window and thought it was Zortan looking on, but he was too far and it was too dark for her to be sure.

Guess her time didn’t go too well, either. She turned to head back to the settlement. Her ears could not take much more of the pounding of the drums. Other settlers were now wandering into the tunnel. Avienne accelerated her pace and was soon out, where the sounds of grieving were less intense.

“Can you believe it?” one of the guards asked her, his eyes wide and filled with tears.

“Honey, I still can’t believe this place doesn’t have an ounce of booze.”

The guard frowned and turned to a more understanding ear.

Avienne sighed and started up the stairs that would lead her back to the Victory, heartened by the thought that Gobran Kipso might keep a personal stash of ale.

i

The drums were still pounding when Yoma broke free of the proceedings and let an old maid lead her to her room. There were more stairs to climb, circular ones this time, in some sort of tower. At the top, a hall spread before them. The maid led Yoma to the last door and opened it. The woman bowed, and Yoma feebly thanked her.

She needed to get out of here fast, before these people drove her insane. She smiled as she closed the door behind her, trying to imagine how these loyal servants would react if they knew of Yoma’s past: a petty thief and when necessary, a killer.

It had only been necessary once. Yoma sighed and walked to the other side of the canopy bed, surprised to see that the room had a window. She walked to it and looked out at the dark night sky. Apparently this section of the castle reached above ground. She could see a bit of the Victory from here, and could make out the large fences that protected the settlers.

She looked up, gasping as white mist stretched across the sky. Wraiths? No, this was different.

The mist clung to the sky wherever she looked, except…she could hear water falling. From here? The waterfall is deep below me. The sound of rushing water slammed into her and she held her breath. The mist cleared and she could see the temple again, above ground and deep red, and she was crossing the bridge. She felt an icy shiver of fear and her breath grew cold. She hesitated, but then looked beside her anyway. She laughed to see Layela, well and alive…and then the blood came. Blood covering her hands, dark and thick and warm.

“No!” Yoma screamed, hitting her fists on the window ledge. The pain dispersed the rest of her vision.

The door opened behind her and the old maid entered. “Is something wrong, Lady?” she asked, hurrying to her side. Concern lined her every tired feature.

Yoma gave a weak smile, but the maid looked out the window and gasped. Yoma followed her gaze. In the sky, previously hidden by the mists of her vision, was a large, blood red moon.

“What’s wrong with it?” Yoma asked. She didn’t like the look of it, but moons were different on each planet.

The maid turned to face her, her face white despite the red glow that illuminated her and seemed to infiltrate every crease of the room. “The moon, my Lady, has not shone on this land since the day of your birth.”

Yoma looked back out at the strange moon, so big and so sad, soaking the land in its eerie red light. The hairs on her arms stood at attention. She wondered where on the planet her sister was, and if she felt the same fear when she looked at the monster in the sky.

“Thanks,” Yoma said to the maid, who still stood mesmerized by the sight.

Something terrible would happen, she could sense it. She needed to lock Layela in the deepest, darkest cave she could find before it caught up to both of them.

She ran down the tower stairs and out of the palace, where the