Page 56 of Hallowed Games
My heart sped up at the sight of the Pater standing before the torchbearers, dressed in white and clutching his codex. His salt-and-pepper hair hung down on either side of his face, casting dark shadows over his creased features. He was clearly evil enough to be a soulless vampire, too. Except unlike Sion and Maelor, he looked aged.
As I crossed inside, he stared directly at me.
A cold chill rippled over my body. He might be mortal, but the man had immense power, and he seemed more than a little annoyed with me.
When all the Penitents stood in the temple, Sion began pacing before us. Did the others notice the way the darkness poured out of him? The cold power emanating from him was palpable.
Sion wore his sword low-slung around his waist, the silver hilt glinting under the light of the oculus. His golden eyes twinkled as he surveyed us. “I do believe I told you all that you’d be killed for using magic in the labyrinth. Didn’t I make that clear?”
My nerves crackled. I wanted to look at Percival, but that might give his secret away. So I forced myself to keep my eyes forward.
Sion prowled closer, and his lips curled in a wicked smile. He was staring directly at someone right behind me. He beckoned with a crook of his finger. When I turned, I saw the tattooed man going pale.
“Edric, let’s start with you. Why don’t you come closer? Have you ever wondered what it might be like to be a torchbearer for the Archon? It’s a great honor, you know.” Without looking, he reached behind him, grabbing one of the torchbearers by the collar of his robe. He pulled him out of his position and shoved the torchbearer forward. The blindfolded man stumbled with a startled yelp.
Was this allowed in the house of the Archon? I’d never seen a torchbearer shift out of position before.
Sion gestured at the open spot by the chasm. From above, the oculus light streamed in, honey-gold, over the other torchbearers. But the shadows around Sion seemed to swallow that light.
Edric’s body shook as he slowly stepped forward. None of us knew exactly what might happen, but I didn’t think it was going to be pleasant.
Sion gripped Edric’s shoulders, then swung him around to where the torchbearer had stood. He started to draw his sword.
Edric looked as if he wanted to back away, but he’d drop right into the abyss. “I assure you, I have no magic at all. This is all a mistake. I don’t see wh—”
His words were cut off by a slash of Sion’s sword. So fast. So precise. Edric screamed, his hands flying up to his eye sockets. Blood streamed from them, and his cries continued.
Sion turned back to us, his eyes gleaming with dark delight. He flashed us a crooked smile. “He really doesn’t see, does he?”
He sheathed his sword once more, then pivoted back to Edric, whose shrieks rent the air. Sion cocked his head, and he reached out to shove Edric into the hollow.
The tattooed man fell backward into the chasm. As his screams grew more distant, my stomach plummeted. Did that chasm ever end, or would he fall forever?
“So noisy, wasn’t he?” Sion’s eyes flashed wide, and he drew his sword once more. “But I did take out his eyes, so we don’t have to worry about him suffering the mind-bending madness of seeing the Archon’s face. You do see how merciful I am, yes?”
Edric’s blood dripped onto the marble floor, and a disturbed silence spilled out over the temple. I clutched my stomach, trying not to retch.
Sion glanced at the Pater, who stepped forward, holding his book. He pointed at two people—a middle-aged woman with graying red hair and a man with a dark, shaggy beard.
“Come on,” said Sion. “Step forward, you two. Let’s not make a big scene.”
The woman’s eyes snapped wide open. “I didn’t use magic. I really don’t have any.”
“I know you didn’t use magic, love,” said Sion in a surprisingly gentle voice. “But the Pater tells me you two rose above the line of the labyrinth walls to avoid the traps.”
Anger heated my veins. “They were just trying to survive.” The words shot out of my mouth before I had the chance to stop myself.
Around Sion, it was as if all the Baron’s lessons didn’t amount to a thing because apparently, my blazing hatred of him burned out all my common sense.
Sion cocked his head as he looked at me, eyes gleaming with gold flecks. “Aw, witchling. You must mistake me for someone with sympathy to spare. If the Pater says they must die, it’s not for us to argue, is it?”
His whirled, and his blade carved through the woman’s throat.
As her headless body collapsed, Sion pivoted again, swinging his sword through the neck of the man. The man’s body slumped to the ground, blood pumping all over the while marble.
My heart thundered so hard, I felt the sound must be echoing off the walls.
Sion sighed loudly. “Honestly, you lot really do need to understand that it’s immensely stupid to break our rules. I hope I’ve made myself clear at this point.” He cast a sharp look at me, letting his gaze linger for longer than was comfortable.