Hall of Shadows [The Celestial Chronicles #2]

Chapter Twenty-Two: Myopia

"Somewhere ahead of them death's stopwatch ticks."

- Peter Porter, "Somme and Flanders"

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Soundtrack of the chapter: The Cross of Antiquan by Two Steps From Hell

Media: Some old banner of THoS I made a year ago

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Chapter Twenty-Two: Myopia

With a loud ziiiip, Cady tugged the drawstrings of her pouch, so hard she snapped one of them.

"He knows," she whispered, her breath hitched. "He knows I'm a Walker."

Zoroth brushed a kiss against her mind. "Don't panic. Let's see how things turn out. If not, we get plan B."

"What is plan B?"

"I have no clue," he admitted. "But one thing is for certain, we run."

"Another thing, why is Jasper dragging me out on this stupid trip?" She found other strip of cloth to make up for the torn strap and threaded it across the seams.

Zoroth sat, silent for a while before he came up with a reply.

"Blood Flowers grow only in the Hall of Shadows. Perhaps he wanted you to visit your real home?"

"Maybe," she said through her scrunchie she had stuffed into her mouth since both her hands were busy holding her hair up.

A sharp knock on the door startled Cady. She dropped her hair in one go, spitting out the scrunchie.

"Thomas, you scared me!"

Thomas Soleil leaned against the doorframe, his eyes black circles in his pale face. He wasn't wearing his usual eye-patch, Cady noticed. His blind eye was closed, in which Cady was curious to know what it looked like beneath his eyelid. Being tactful, she didn't ask.

He looked much better than the first few days during healing. Thomas had retched a scary amount of black liquid which Jasper had proclaimed as Mandrake poison. It threw the entire Hall in chaos, for anyone who had access their food were insiders. Feorhs were detained in interrogated, but none pleaded guilty, much to the High Priest's frustration.

"You're leaving now?"

His voice was a hoarse whisper, the after effects of his screeches during the day of the attack.

She nodded. "Jasper plans to leave in an hour."

Thomas took a step forward, his hands clasped tightly before him. "Is there any other way for you to stay behind? I mean, I promised Josh your safety, and now you're heading off to a dead place..."

He trailed off, a whisper fading into nothingness. Cady could feel his distress. He was mad at the attackers, mad at whoever who planted the poison inside him, mad at the Walkers and most importantly, mad at himself for being unable to fulfill his promise to her brother.

She punched him on the arm, lightly and playfully.

"Hey, you don't have to worry about me. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

Cady winked and darted to the side, snatched up a Celestial Blade and directed it at Thomas' throat. He parried it at once, his eyes catching up with Cady's stance and speed. His hands closed around a pair of metal candleholders which came up to meet her blade with a loud 'clang!'