Thunder rumbled beyond the window sending a misty draft into the room. Mageia shivered uncontrollably. Her arms and legs were cold and numbed, and her abdomen throbbed from possible broken ribs. She shook her head to keep her eyes from shutting. From the dry puddle of blood on the floor, she knew she'd lost too much. But she thanked the gods for the help and the persistence of the Sacreds to get her aid or she knew she'd be dead at this point.

Mageia soaked in the silence of the room and could feel the heaviness of everyone's hearts. Lost in the horrid thought of dying in front of onlookers, they all sat on their beds waiting patiently for their time to run dry. Only Don sat on the floor beside Mageia, legs crossed, eyes closed, and a slight hum rising from his throat.

By the perfect notes he made, she knew he must've been a singer. She couldn't help but stare and wondered why someone as handsome as he would be unloved by the gods. Then his eyes opened and met hers directly. Mageia felt hot suddenly realizing she probably looked a mess in this state and averted her eyes to the floor.

"Are you okay?" he said.

She nodded.

"You're not much of a talker," he said then shrugged. "It's okay though. It's understandable."

"What were you humming?" she said realizing her throat was extremely dry.

"It's called When I Close My Eyes, a song my mother once sung to me when I was a boy," he said then gave a gentle chuckle. "It's actually an ancient prayer of facing death, but she changed some of the words."

"Sing it for us," Dana said edging to the end of her bed and giving Don a sweet smile.

Seeing no one rebuttal against it he nodded and seemed overjoyed for the opportunity to entertain.

"Hmm. Hmm. When I close my eyes, I dream of you. I dream of the world so beautiful. When I close my eyes, everything would be okay. Over the horizon, I'll see a new day. When I close my eyes, I am strong and anew, a perfect soul with a pure heart of silver and gold. When I close my eyes, do not worry about me. For I am only dreaming of cookies and sweets."

"Cookies and sweets?" Dana laughed.

Mageia smiled. "That is a weird ending."

"Yeah... I told you my mom changed the words. But hey, when you're a boy who can't get to sleep because of aches and pain, it was comforting," he said.

"It's a very nice song," Mageia said.

"Your voice is amazing," Dana said gazing at the boy in pure lovestruck.

"Thank you," he said bashfully and embarrassedly patted his red nose to stop a dribble.

"It's moments like these we must cherish," Nabea said like a wise old grandmother. "The good above the bad. It puts our hearts at peace."

"I know I am at peace after hearing that," Ameri said wiping a watery eye.

"Give us another song, please," Dana squealed.

"Oh gods no. I'd like the peace in silence," Rasni grumbled breaking into a nasty cough.

"If you knew what peace in silence really meant, you'd grant it by keeping your mouth shut," Nabea said.

"Oh, shut up you old hag," Rasni said.

"When are they going to feed us? I am starving," Madeena said crossing her arms.

"They should be coming about now," Ameri said.

And sure, enough footsteps arose beyond the door. They all perked up as the door opened and the guard Sadon had knocked out entered with a black eye. He glared at the giant with disgust and stepped aside to allow seven servants with trays of food, bath items, and a chest of clothing, and a knight and three soldiers from Fairlaan to enter.

"Take her down this instant," the knight barked.

Taefo guards rushed to unchain Mageia, but if it wasn't for the stool she sat on, she would've easily fell flat to the floor.

"Good evening, holy ones," the knight said, and no one responded. "I am Ser Conner Esleaf, Knight of the Priesthood Order. I've been sent here with grand offerings from the palace, the Priesthood, and the Crown to assist you in preparations for the Ceremony."

"What're you gonna do, teach us the sword to help fight the Ferry Sinths?" Sadon bellowed in laughter.

The knight scrunched his nose. "Even if I was, you'd probably fall upon your first strike."

Ameri laughed this time and Sadon's smile demised into scorn.

"Now, I come here with food and drink as well as soap and clothing," Ser Conner said. "Indulge as you prefer but consider this possibly your last manner of royal hospitality."

"Last? You make it seem as if the Royals been kissing our arses our entire lives," Sadon said. "Oh, wait they have been... in a way."

Ser Conner's nose flared at the laughter rising around him and seemed to swallow his agitation. "Continue your banter and find yourself banned from these privileges."

Sadon had nothing to say to that but he continued to chuckle. The knight gestured for his companions to do their tasks. The servants with food prepared a table for them to freely pluck from while the others prepared the adjoined washroom and placed jewelry and outfits of different shades of green on Ameri's bed.

"Someone properly aid the Purple Thief," Ser Conner ordered.

Ameri approached the knight as Madeena and Rasni aimed for the table of food.

"What do you want?" he said with a scrunched nose.

"Do you know who will be replaced?" she said.

"No. His Anointed, Lord Hercones will arrive later with the decision," he said.

"The holy one is coming here? To this dingy place?" Ameri said big eyes wide in shock.

Ser Conner peered down his nose at the woman and nodded. "I suppose so. For the pre-ritual."

"Oh..." the woman said and sulked away.

Mageia grunted and grimaced as the maidservant doused her already healing wounds with water and medical rum. The room returned to its dark silence as everyone took their basins of hot water and soap to wash themselves. Only Madeena and Rasni were hungry and stuffed their faces as servants approached them with items of clothing to choose from.

The smell of hot vegetable soup, chicken, and honeyed bread and wine conquered the room, but it only made Mageia nauseated and heart-stricken. If she had her energy, she'd put up a fight against the knight, the soldiers, and the stupid guard and try another escape. She hated being caged and vulnerable. It sickened her to the core. Already she had to live most of her life in the confinements of a tower. The last thing she ever wanted was to die like an enslaved animal.

Once everyone had finished refreshing for the Ceremony and Mageia was able to regain portions of her strength, they all sat on their beds waiting patiently for the High Priest. Mageia sipped her wine and couldn't bring herself to nibble on a piece of bread. She caught eyes with Ser Conner a few times and realized, like everyone else, was captured by her purple eyes.

When the High Priest finally came, the knight and his escorts resumed their positions and announced his arrival.

"Rise all of you for the Anointed, Lord Hercones," Ser Conner ordered.

Eyes casted to the floor, they obeyed, coming to stand at the foot of their beds.

The fancy dressed old man had brought a Ferry Priest with him, wearing the dark robes and scarves with gold boats sewn into them, and a temple servant carrying the items they needed.

Hercones scanned the room and found who he was searching for quick. Mageia caught eyes with him for a second before averting them to her feet squeezed into flat green shoes.

"Blessed be the Divines," he said.

"Blessed be," Ameri, Dana, and Nabea said, but the rest of them swallowed the retort.

"They have been cleaned and prepared for the pre-ritual, my Lord," Ser Conner said.

Mageia glanced up at the two priests who continued to stare at her with unreadable expressions.

"Very good, Ser Conner," Lord Hercones said stepping further into the room.

He then studied the Sacreds from head to foot and pressed a hand to his heart.

"In my years of service to the Divines I've never seen anything like this happen before," he said. "It is rare, but acceptable. The Priesthood has spent the last few hours in prayer and in the Pre-Ceremonial Rituals to receive an answer to the life that will be spared tonight. In situations like these, the sacred book states the one spared will be abundantly blessed, meaning they shall be Cleared of all manner of defects and debts with an Elders Mark. A clean slate for one once Strange and now Fair until the day the gods calls them home."

The Sacreds exchanged glances, amazed by this information. Even Mageia didn't know that her replacing a Sacred would grant them such a privilege.

Lord Hercones gestured to the Ferry Priest. "Ferry Lord Maurice, please do the honors."

The priest stepped forward, pressed his hands to his heart, and raised his closed eyes to the ceiling. He began to sing in a beautiful voice an ancient song in another tongue. Mageia tried to translate and noticed it was part Elvish and Valeeran, but her mother hadn't taught her enough to correctly interpret.

The temple servant began to stop at every Sacred, even Mageia, to draw the holy symbol of the Divines onto their foreheads with finger dipped in a reddish green liquid. Mageia did not want to know what it was. Lord Hercones gave a prayer to each god concerning their strangeness being accepted in hopes of turning them pure once in the Serene and opening their ears for the millions of prayers of atonement that would be whispered tonight.

When they were finished, Lord Hercones addressed them again and stared wearily at Mageia.

"We have sought the gods. And the gods have spoken. The soul that has been seen pure to be called Fair from this moment and forever will be," the old priest gave a peaceful sigh and smiled, "-Ameri Banto."

Once his words processed, Ameri bellowed, "No."

Lord Hercones appeared shocked. "You will not be sacrificed tonight."

"I don't care," the boney women shouted. One of the guards broke free from his post by the wall and approached her. "Take one of the young people. They do not deserve to die."

"The gods has spoken," he said.

The guard, now impatient, grabbed onto Ameri who struggled against him. Ser Conner gestured for the other guards to assist. Ameri began to scream and cry and beg.

"Please holy one, do not allow this. I have lived long enough, but they deserve to live."

"The decision has already been made. You are pure and Fair, Lady Banto."

"Fuck you," she said and spat at the old man's feet.

The aggression of the guards heightened to the point they literally lifted her from the floor and carried her from the room. Her screams pained Mageia, bringing tears to her eyes. Dana broke into a sob and dropped to her knees. Nabea ran to comfort her with equal sadness. Don hung his head and hid his face in a silent wept. Even Madeena's strong composure finally shattered releasing a tidal wave of screams. Sadon seemed to have swallowed his tongue and plopped back on the bed in a daze. And Rasni began to shout his complaints.

Lord Hercones ignored them all and found himself standing in front of Mageia. She wished she could punch him in his crooked nose or scream her frustrations into his wrinkled face, but all she could do was shiver in defeat. She had told Dean she'd never get caught, and now everything he had warned her about was unraveling before her eyes.

I'm going to die...

"Something haunts me," he said peering into her eyes as if seeking something. "Have we met before?"

Yes, you were there when I was first executed, she wanted to say but her dry lips were glued. Even if she'd mentioned the past which everyone had somehow forgotten, it would do nothing about her inevitable death. The gods had spoken, and it would take a great miracle for the High Priest himself to defy the Divines.

Ser Conner and the Ferry Priest called for Lord Hercones and within minutes the group left, leaving the final Sacred Seven to drown in their tears and their prayers.