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pale cheeks reddened.
    “Well, no time for that now,” the High Priestess said and let go of Aludra’s hands. Aludra held them up where the High Priestess left them until the older woman said, “Put your hands down, girl.” She did as commanded, letting them fall with a soft smack to her thighs.
    “I suppose you know what today is.”
    “Yes mother.”
    The High Priestess flicked her claw like hand toward the door, dismissing the robed figure.
    “Good. Your things have been packed and are waiting for you at the gate. Tell me again what you are after so I know you won’t go astray.”
    “I am after the One-Who-Will-Join-The-Worlds.” Aludra’s voice scratched from her throat. Though she didn’t look up, her eyes sparkled with uncensored glee. Her voice resounded through the quiet room, amplified with her anticipation. “The One who will set us free and give us ultimate power.”
    “And what are you?”
    “I am the chosen one, the seeker, the one who will find the spirit needed for the long awaited ritual.”
    “The time of union is near. You will do as foretold and bring the spirit here. Capture it on September ninth and bring it here by midnight. You have six days. On the ninth, Rory will become one. Rory will join the worlds, as the Dark One has decreed.” Her body quivered. If Aludra were watching, she would have seen the High Priestess flick her pointed tongue over her upper lip; she would’ve seen the ecstasy in the old woman’s smooth face.
    “Yes, High Priestess.” Aludra looked up in time to see her master gliding out of the room, the shadows in the folds of her cloak deep enough to hide the moon and stars. Aludra smiled, showing all her teeth. From the top drawer of her desk, she took out a black leather case. It was the size and shape of an envelope with straps extending from either side. She lifted her shirt and tied the case around her waist then unzipped the top and placed her razor, her butterfly Band-Aids, and some gauze inside.
    Afterwards, she wiped away the blood running down her inner thigh, butterflied the wound closed, then taped gauze over the top of it. Once done, she poked her wound and smiled when a spot of red seeped through.
    She’d pilfered her little toys from the medicine cabinet when she was only a teenager, after she’d accidentally cut herself and needed to be tended. The High Priest had dressed her wounds then, Aludra couldn’t help touching the cut after she’d left his presence, making it bleed more, tasting herself. She’d wanted more of it, so she had stolen what she needed to ensure she’d be able to feel that way again, feel in a way she’d never felt before. Purification through pain. That’s what she’d learned. And the pain was so good.
    Later. More time for that later. She smoothed her skirts and checked that the flat case wasn’t showing through her tight, black sweater. The end of her braid bounced off her calves as she nearly skipped across the room to her closet. She grabbed a pair of black pants, exchanging them for the skirt she wore. After strapping a sheathed dagger around her mid-section, she left the room, speeding along her way.
    She spoke to no one as she walked through the dark manor. The vast building had no windows and used candles to light the halls and rooms. Various individuals seemed to float through the background, their brown robes brushing the floor, hiding their feet, hoods hiding faces, sleeves hiding hands. Several had small blades tucked into their rope belts.
    Candles gave the interior a fluttery light. People with books sat next to the larger candelabras. Somewhere, a melodic drumming accompanied by violin drifted through the building, almost too soft to notice. The heavy scent of incense hung in the air. In the great entrance, a large, black cross hung upside down, red liquid running down it and the wall beneath to fall in a basin below; from the basin, the thick liquid trickled over into a larger bowl. Stacked skulls