Elaine walked slowly across the stone bridge that connected the isolated island of Nethas to the land beyond the lake. Her leg ached as she put down her left boot time and time again, but it was a good pain. At least it meant she had survived the journey.

  Logan walked behind her, clad again in the dark cloak and armor of the Crows. Richard, Adrian and the Crows had left them. It wasn't that much different from when they started together, except they were one short.

  Nethas was different to her now, even though it had barely been a year since they had left. The bone white walls still stood proudly against the blue lake. Knights in magical armor still stood guard at the entrance, but they no longer barred passage.

  “This is too easy,” Logan whispered from beside her. “They should at least recognize one of us after what we did.”

  “I don't recognize most of their faces now,” Elaine said. “It seems the Order has trained a new group since then.”

  “At least it means we won't be bothered too much until we get to the temple,” Logan said.

  “You don't have to come with me, you know.” Elaine turned and looked to him. “I can handle myself when get there.”

  “You still don't have the good sense to run away when something's ready to kill you.” Logan shook his head. “If I don't go with you, you'll stand there arguing even as they sharpen their swords.”

  “True,” Elaine said. “Is that the only reason?”

  Logan looked away.

  “I can't believe you gave the sword to Richard,” he said after some silence. “What magic Talan left me with won't be able to fight the entire Order.”

  “Astor walks with me,” Elaine said. “They will hear my words, if not they will listen to his.”

  “I'm sure,” Logan whispered, his hand gripping his sword tight.

  They reached the grounds before the sun reached the top of the sky. There were no guards there now, and the tents that were so prominent when they left were long gone. Rough muddy paths forged by steel boots still crossed the gardens. The knights were still on the march.

  “They've broken up the camps,” Elaine whispered. “Maybe the night plague stopped when the savod were sealed.”

  “That's one possibility,” Logan said.

  Elaine ignored the sick feeling that gripped her heart. Logan hadn't said it, but she knew what he meant. They might have killed all of the infected and then no longer needed the camps. She couldn't let go of the thought once it was there.

  A priest walking down the steps of the temple saw them approach, and his eyes widened. Before either could stop him, he was already running back up the stairs, screaming something Elaine couldn't understand.

  “That's not good.” Logan's knuckles were white on his sword's hilt.

  “Calm down,” Elaine said. “At least they will be expecting us now.”

  “I just remembered what happened the last time we were here,” Logan grumbled.

  He went completely silent as they came to the oak doors. Elaine pushed them open as she walked forward. She had no reason to doubt now. She strode in and surveyed the twenty knights standing with their swords ready coldly.

  “Where is Nathaniel?” Her voice boomed through the priests and knights.

  “Your courage is misplaced, traitor.” Elise stepped forward from the throng, her sword drawn.

  Logan was there in an instant, knocking aside Elise's blade with a black claw. There was no need to fight, if that would be enough to scare them. Surely, Elise would remember the savod's power.

  “I see you make pacts with dark things now,” Elise said, raising her hands up in surrender. “Stand down, there's nothing we can do against that thing.”

  Elaine pushed past her with Logan following behind. He covered her back as they entered the back of the temple. She opened the doors to Nathaniel's office and stepped inside. Logan remained at the door.

  “You.” Nathaniel turned and spat, taking his hand from over his heart to point at her. “I should have you hanged in the town square for daring to return here.”

  Elaine snapped her fingers, and Astor’s Grace heeded her call. It shot through the air in a brilliant white light and took hold of Nathaniel. Slowly, it pulled him towards her, until they were face to face.

  “No,” Elaine said. “That’s not what is going to happen.”

  There was fear in his eyes. He hadn’t expected her to be able to manipulate the Grace better than James had been able to. She couldn’t get any joy out of it. She could only do what she planned.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “We’re going to change things in the Order, here and now,” Elaine said with gritted teeth. “We’re going to stop rounding up mages, and we’re going to stop torturing people in the prison.”

  “They’re abominations!” Nathaniel said. “Astor’s Word is absolute.”

  “Then we’re going to change it,” Elaine said.

  “I will die first.” Nathaniel turned his head. “I will call down all of my knights upon you. Even if I perish, you shall as well.”

  She narrowed her eyes. He very well might do it. Nathaniel’s fanaticism was not a surprise. She had hoped that he wanted to live more. She wouldn’t have anything to negotiate with if he was willing to die.

  She thought about it. There weren’t many options. She could try to usurp him here and now, but the knights outside might not follow her. The priests definitely would not. She was a woman after all. Killing them all wouldn’t accomplish what she wanted anyway, even if it was possible.

  “Nathaniel,” she said. “What if I told you what I offer will bring more power to the Order than you can imagine. The Order would be able to influence not just the king, but all of Nelim as well.”

  “That is inevitable.” Nathaniel shook his head. “Even without your aid.”

  “No, it is not,” Elaine said. “Every time you speak out against the mages, King Leopold hates you more and more. They are necessary in our world.”

  Nathaniel fell silent.

  “Tell me what you want to do,” he said.

  “I want you to call together the king, his nobles, the priests and the knights,” Elaine said quickly. “This evening, I want you to address them in the temple. I want you to tell them that I am the first prophet of Astor. I am here to see that all is according to his will and that the world does not interfere with his word.”

  “They will not believe you.” Nathaniel laughed.

  “Then use it to expose me as a fraud.” Elaine smiled coldly. “If you do not do this, I will go out and create my own Order to bring down yours. I will gather all of the people until you and your few are all that remain. Then I will crush you.”

  “Fine,” he said. “Release me and I will send out the messages. I will give you the audience you desire and your folly.”

  Elaine recalled the light back into her body and stepped back as Nathaniel quickly went to his desk and started writing the letters. The sun was sinking below the windowsill by the time he was done and called for his messengers.

  Elaine walked outside to join Logan after she was done. They left the temple together, walking until they were alone on the grounds. She confided her plan to Logan with quiet whispers.

  “It’s a gamble,” Logan said. “I’ll be ready to get you out of there if it fails.”

  “It can’t fail,” Elaine said. “If I let Nathaniel continue to do as he pleases, there won’t be an Order left to protect Nethas in a few years. We can’t fight change. We can’t just kill and imprison people who are different from us. It will destroy us in the end.”

  “You’re going to tell them a lie,” Logan said. “A lie to save them, but a lie still.”

  “One thing I learned from you was to do what was necessary to survive.” Elaine looked up to him.

  “I guess I do it as well.” Logan laughed.

  They went back to the temple when the sun was setting. There was much to do before the ceremony started, and Elaine had to be sure that Nathaniel would not try to do something different from what she expected.

  Finally, the time came. Elaine and Logan stood in the back of the temple as Nathaniel addressed all who had gathered. In the front row, Leopold and his nobles sat and watched coldly. Surrounding them, crowding all the way to the open doors were ranks of knights and priests. Elaine noticed that the knights wore their armor.

  “I have an announcement,” Nathaniel said, his voice echoing through the temple. “A child of our Order has returned from exile at the end of the night plague. She was once captain of the knights, until she betrayed us.”

  Elaine’s stomach lurched as he spoke. Nathaniel was getting ready to betray her. He would not give her any support in this. She knew it would happen, but it didn’t stop the pang of sadness in her heart. She would have to do it her own way.

  “We have had a hard time taking control of the plague. Many lives were lost before it was contained though there are still a few inflicted with the curse,” Nathaniel said. “It was only because of Astor’s Grace that we found the remedy to the plague. It is only through him that we were able to survive.”

  They had killed the infected, Elaine was sure of it now.

  “She calls herself a prophet,” Nathaniel said, “the first prophet of Astor. I have decided that her words cannot hurt the truth. I will allow her to speak to you all, so that you can see who is truly gifted by Grace.”

  He turned and walked back to Elaine, his hand immediately scratching at his chest through his robe. There was a sly grin on his face. Elaine stepped forward even as he reached Logan. She would have to trust herself.

  She summoned up her Grace as she stood before Astor’s Word. Light flowed out from her arms and hit the ground, pushing her up in a spiral. She floated above the entire temple on Grace, looking down on the people as they watched on in shock.

  “Astor has spoken to me,” she said. “Hidden beyond the Veil, I have found his essence. He has told me his secrets, that I might share them with you. The Order has strayed from his path. Only by following his will can we save the Order.”

  “Blasphemy,” Nathaniel said as he stepped forward again. “You make pacts with dark beings for power and then think you can tell us that we are wrong.”

  “There is only one dark being here,” Elaine said, drawing a ball of light in her hand.

  She flung it at Nathaniel, and he screamed as the light covered his form. Behind him, a shadow erupted and burned itself on the wall. The shape was like a savod, flattened against the stone. Nathaniel fell to his knees as the light faded.

  Elaine lowered herself to the ground and stood over him. She could burn him into nothingness if she desired, the Grace that burned in her blood would be enough to do that. It would only take a little effort.

  She reached down and helped Nathaniel stand.

  “I bring a real cure for the plague that has haunted you.” Elaine stepped away from Nathaniel. “I cannot make up for the lives that have already been lost, but I can promise that never again will the Order do such horrible things.”

  She turned to see Nathaniel gaping at her. To her surprise, he kneeled down, bowing his head and whispering. She strained to hear, but soon realized that he was not the only one. All but Leopold and a few of his nobles were on their knees.

  “By the Grace of Astor,” they said in unison.

  “By the Grace of Astor,” she repeated.

  They rose as one and started up the stairs toward her. In moments, all of the Order surrounded her. There were smiles on their faces, true joy in their eyes. They parted as Nathaniel made his way to her.

  “I give you this.” He held out his gavel as he knelt to her. “For curing me of that sickness with Astor’s own Grace, you have proven that you are truly his prophet. I humbly ask your forgiveness.”

  “You are forgiven,” Elaine said as she took hold of the heavy gavel.

  A cheer rose through the people gathered in the temple. Elaine smiled as she let them surround her and her heart lifted. It was better than what she had hoped. The people raised her up from the ground and onto their shoulders.

  She turned back to look at Logan, but he was gone.