Chapter 5

Sophia nearly cried when the Temple gates came into view. This pattern was starting to annoy her. She usually was not such a leaky fountain. The past couple of days had left her exhausted and emotionally raw, and every little thing suddenly seemed like an excuse to bawl her eyes out. This time, she managed to keep her composure and felt some measure of pride for this small victory of her self-control.

Admittedly, the doors of the Fair Isle Temple were a work of otherworldly magnificence worthy feeling emotional over.

Appearing as if built for giants, the gates seemed excessive for mere mortals to use. The white panels rose forty feet into the air, jutting majestically above the adjacent walls. Their immaculate wood shone in the dimness of the ancient pine forest. Heavenly runes covered their entire surface; they swirled in nebulous organic shapes, dancing mysteriously around the central depiction of an island at sunrise supported by a pair of open hands. The goddess’ symbol by itself took up ten feet of the immense doors.

In Sophia’s imagination, not even the Gates of Elysium could look any grander.

During her entire life, the young woman had never seen the gates wide open. At most, they had parted just enough to let a carriage through. Today was no exception. As their small convoy squeezed between the titanic panels, she kept an eye on Sam, but the demon did not react to entering the sanctuary other than widening her eyes in wonder. Sophia couldn’t help the flicker of a smile. She was proud of her home.

While not as grandiose as the gates, the buildings of the Fair Isle Temple shared a similar weave of sturdy and ethereal architectures. Stark whiteness predominated, counterbalanced by many green gardens, decorative vines, and countless colourful flower beds. Spring already seemed in full bloom here inside the Temple, while it was only timidly sprouting over the rest of the island. Colonnades, high domes and sweeping arches where everywhere to see, rising higher and higher, and culminating in the central temple of the goddess Rachiel, with its sparkling bright spires shooting for the sky.

There was a lot of activity by the doors. Guards were getting ready to go out. Janik had dismounted and was off to the side, talking to a group of older men and women. From their despondent faces, Sophia could easily figure out the subject of the conversation. Although she was loath to interrupt, what she needed to do could not wait.

She gestured for Janik, and he excused himself to walk to the wagon.

“My lady?”

“I need to talk to the goddess right away. Can I leave it to you to inform the families? Tell them I will come to meet them as soon as I can.”

The guard hit his chest. “Of course, my lady. Leave it to me.”

“Also, please ask Sister Gwendoline to prepare the bodies for the last rites before you allow anyone to see them. Let’s at least spare their widows and children from that sight. We will hold the funerals at sundown. And have someone carry Francis to his home. His body is exhausted, but he should be fine with a few days of rest.” She thought for a second. “Tell his wife he can attend the funeral if he promises to keep to his bed afterwards, at least until the end of the week.”

“Yes, my lady…” Janik seemed to hesitate.

“Please, speak.”

“If I may, Miss Sophia, take some rest yourself.” For the first time, visible emotion and concern appeared in the former soldier’s steely brown eyes. “A man’s– or a woman’s first battle is never easy. Risking death and seeing it befall others, it can haunt you. I’ve lost too many friends to sleepless nights and bereavement. It is one reason I retired from the army.”

His honesty touched Sophia deeply, and she let her façade slip just enough to show a fragile and tired little smile. “Thank you, Janik. You’re a good man.”

The older man’s beard fluttered with embarrassment. He straightened his back and saluted. “Leave the families to me, my lady. See to your duty.” Spinning on his heels, he stiffly walked away. Sophia watched him direct his men for a moment, then she slid off the wagon seat and stepped up to Sam. The demon was still gawking at the architecture.

“Come on, you. There is someone I need to meet, and I don’t want you wandering around.” She tensed herself for a rebuttal, but the demon merely smiled and fell into step beside her. As they walked towards the inner temple, Sam’s head kept swivelling around as if trying to maintain a constant three-hundred-and-sixty-degrees field of view.

Eventually, Sophia couldn’t stand the silence anymore.

“I take it you don’t have buildings like this where you’re from?” No one was within earshot, but she still wanted to avoid mentioning Tartarus out loud if she could help it.

Sam shook her head. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“What are cities like there?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t?” Sophia parroted in confusion.

“I’ve never been to a city. It’s always been just my father and me, and often Aunt Gabby, living in the wilderness. Oh, and I guess Slei and sometimes Dee too.”

There was quite a bit to unpack there. Sophia could not resist fishing for more information. “Your father and aunt, what are they like?” She was curious as to whether all demons were as powerful as Sam appeared to be, or if the tall black woman was some sort of freak. Sophia hoped for the latter. The former possibility was too distressing.

One would think that, as a future high priestess, Sophia already had extensive knowledge of demons. Had she lived on the mainland, this might have been true. However, the nature of Fair Isle meant there had never been much use for it. Demons were simply not supposed to be here. She knew the basics, like the names of the Seven Sins, or how to perform simple exorcisms and banishment spells, but those were pretty much common knowledge.

Instead, her studies centred on medicine. She had, of course, learned how to conduct sacraments, staff management and bookkeeping, and how to tend to the herbs gardens. When at the Temple, she also took time to read and meditate on the Virtuous Scriptures daily. But the bulk of her days was spent on understanding the body and all the ailments that could afflict it.

Healing magic was more than just waving her shiny palms in a sick person’s general direction, frown very hard, and hope for the best. Yes, it could work like that. But not only was it not energy-efficient, there was always a high risk of something going wrong, of overlooking inconspicuous damage, of a bone healing crooked, or nerves not reattaching properly, or healing the symptoms but missing the root of a disease.

Sam hummed and ahed, thinking of the best answers to Sophia’s question. “Well… Dad’s big and strong. His smell is like fresh blood in an ash storm. He doesn’t talk much, but we do a lot together. He taught me how to hunt. Aunt Gabby… She smells good, and she’s ticklish. She knows everything, and she likes to lecture me on stuff. Dad says a lot of it is useless, though. It gets on Aunt Gabby’s nerves. They fight a lot.”

“Is he bigger and stronger than you?” Sophia felt like her heart was doing backflips in her stomach.

“Oh, much stronger. And he’s about… three times my size? Usually? I’ve seen him get bigger. Smaller too, though.” She ended with a shrug. “He likes change.”

Sophia was not sure what to do with that information. Fainting seemed counter-productive. “You said he fought with your aunt? Does he hit her?”

“Oh, yes. A lot.” Before Sophia’s horror at her casual tone could get out of hand, Sam added, “But she hits back. She always lectures me against violence, but she packs quite a punch.” The demon rubbed her head as if in pain. “Dad and she are not fighting for real, though. I’m not sure there’d be many mountains left around our home if they did. Hahahaha!” As she guffawed heartily, Sophia was reconsidering fainting as an option.

Arriving at the inner temple was a relief, and the priestess all but rushed up the steps to the door. At the last second, she turned back and pointed at the demon. “Stay here. Don’t wander. Don’t enter the temple. I won’t be long.” That last part was half a lie. She had no idea what exactly would happen when she met with her goddess. “And don’t eat anyone!”

With any luck, Rachiel would smite the demon back to Tartarus, and Sophia could go on with her day without worrying about the safety of everyone she knew.

Even as she thought this, however, Sophia felt an unexpected reluctance at harming Sam. Objectively, the demon had been nothing but kind and helpful since they met. Her ingenuousness was even charming at times. But that’s exactly what a deceitful creature of Evil would want you to think, a small angel on Sophia’s shoulder seemed to say. That’s some prejudiced bigotry right there! We should give her a chance, another angel on her other shoulder countered. You’re too naïve! the first angel shouted back. Well, you’re stupid! the second retorted. No, you’re stupid!

SILENCE!!! Sophia tiredly dragged both hands over her face. Oh, goddess, I think I’m losing my mind. I’m hearing voices.

“Calm down, my child. Everything will be alright.”

There it is again!

“…Sophia, that was me.”

“My Goddess?”

“Yes. Now, don’t stand still at the door and come inside.”

Sophia was walking through the threshold before she realised what she was doing. As soon as she stepped inside, a familiar weight fell on her entire body. Her goddess’ holy presence wrapped around her like a warm blanket, pushing all her worries away and making her feel safe and cared for—like a child held securely in their mother’s loving embrace.

After days spent in anxiety, the shock was such that Sophia swayed and stumbled her next several steps towards the marble altar. Adrenaline finally failed her, and all strength seemed to drain out of her body.

Two gentle arms caught Sophia as she was about to collapse, and her head collided with a pair of soft breasts. Looking up, she saw a fair face, a kind smile and loving blue eyes looking down at her. Two immense white dove wings closed around them, cutting them from the outside world, and warm slender fingers ran through Sophia’s chestnut hair.

“There, there, child… Everything will be alright now.”

The melodious voice broke through Sophia’s remaining barriers, and the young woman started wailing in the angel’s embrace. She buried her face into her chest and clung to her robes as sobs wracked her body. All the tensions from these past days streamed out of her along with her tears. All the while, the warm fingers kept brushing Sophia’s hair and that heavenly voice quietly shushed her.

Eventually, the young woman had no more tears to cry, and she calmed down. A handkerchief appeared in her sight. She gratefully used it to wipe her puffy red eyes.

“Are you feeling better?”

Looking up, Sophia finally realised she was shamelessly clinging to her goddess. She let go in a hurry and took two embarrassed steps back. “I’m sorry, Your Gloriousness… I don’t know what came over me.”

The tall winged woman waved her off. “It’s nothing. Crying is a normal, healthy reaction. It’s better to let all the bad humour out than to keep it in and leave it to fester.”

“I d-dirtied your robes,” Sophia hiccupped.

Rachiel chuckled. “Did you?” In a blink, the wet stains vanished from the angel’s clothes, leaving them as pristine and unruffled as before. “I see nothing of the sort. Now come sit with me and recount me what happened to you.” She stepped aside and gestured to a pair of padded chairs and a small table with a fuming teapot and two cups. The cosy setup looked incongruous in the middle of the austere white temple, but Sophia was not about to question it. She sat down and hurried to serve tea to both of them when it appeared the goddess was about to do it herself.

Crying her heart out in Rachiel’s loving hug was one thing, but Sophia could never dare call herself a priestess and servant of the divine ever again if she let her goddess pour her tea. What nonsense would that be? Rachiel chuckled again.

Sipping on the hot herbal infusion, Sophia launched for the second time today into a retelling of the bandits’ attacks, only with much more emotions and details than what she had shared with the guards.

From her goddess, she hid nothing.

* * * * *