Read Online The Record of the Saints Caliber by M. David White - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: M. David White
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tabs on you Saints.” Here she turned and looked at them with a smirk.
Nuriel didn’t find anything humorous about the situation. If it saw her, there would be no chance that she could ever go back to Sanctuary.
“Oh lighten up you two,” said Celacia, waving a dismissive hand. “So what if he sees you. Soon it’ll all be out in the open anyway. Might as well come clean now.”
Nuriel looked at Isley, hoping he might protest, but her mentor remained silent with his silver eyes fixed on the approaching army. The Oracles had a way of knowing everything, and it was a small miracle Isley and Nuriel hadn’t been found out yet. Back in Jerusa they could be gone and go off on their own for short times, claiming to be on missions. Here in Dimethica, however, they had nobody to cover for them; no good reason to even be here.
“I…I don’t want to be seen.” said Nuriel more assertively. Being seen by the Oracle would dash any hope of getting out of her current predicament. She’d be labeled a fallen Saint and be hunted down and killed. She hadn’t even wanted to be here. She hadn’t agreed to pledge her allegiance to Celacia. In fact, she was only here because of Isley. If she truly had it her way, she would have remained back in Jerusa to gladly carry out any assignments given to her by the King or Sanctuary. That’s what the Saints Caliber were supposed to do.
Nuriel exhaled deeply and looked at Isley. “I don’t want to be seen. I don’t want Sanctuary to know.” she insisted.
Celacia turned around and grimaced. “What happened to the Nuriel who helped pull my friend Felvurn from the lava, huh? I want that Nuriel back.”
Nuriel swallowed hard and found it impossible to look Celacia in the face. She had to turn her head and wipe her nose with her hand. It was running again.
Celacia released a sigh of annoyance and her usually chirpy voice bubbled with sarcasm as she said, “Ok, fine. You two go hide in the shadows of the tunnel and I’ll just stand here on this ledge, by myself, with my cape flapping in the wind, waiting for them to show up, so I can kill them all by myself.”
Nuriel could feel Celacia’s emerald eyes piercing her but she couldn’t bring herself to look up at her.
“Celacia,” began Isley. “Perhaps—”
Celacia threw her arms up in annoyance. “Fine!” she snapped. She turned her back to them. “I’ll take care of it. Nuriel needs a good demonstration of my powers anyway. Besides, maybe it’s time Admael knows I’m awake. I’d like to see one of these Oracles you Saints are so afraid of.”
With her eyes already turned downward Nuriel couldn’t help but watch the decaying ground spread further from Celacia’s feet. Nuriel had become aware that the woman’s deathly aura seemed to grow the more annoyed or excited she became. She didn’t dare think what might happen should she ever lose her temper completely. Nuriel backed a few steps to avoid the spreading death of the earth. She had never supposed dirt and rock could die, but watching the stone and soil as it withered and decayed made her think that maybe everything had a lifeforce that could be taken from it.
“Come, Nuriel,” said Isley softly, breaking Nuriel from her reverie. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and walked her into the shadows of the tunnel.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
It wasn’t long before the thunder of four-hundred horses echoed deep into the cavern. Nuriel stood across the tunnel from Isley, her back propped up against the wall as she anxiously scraped the tip of her boot back and forth across the floor. They were just deep enough into the cavern that the shadows obscured them from view, and the outcroppings of stone provided further cover to hide behind. It was as good a place to hide as any, at least until the Oracle was dispatched of. Until that thing was gone Nuriel wouldn’t feel the slightest bit comfortable. In fact, until this whole ordeal was over and she was
Nuriel didn’t find anything humorous about the situation. If it saw her, there would be no chance that she could ever go back to Sanctuary.
“Oh lighten up you two,” said Celacia, waving a dismissive hand. “So what if he sees you. Soon it’ll all be out in the open anyway. Might as well come clean now.”
Nuriel looked at Isley, hoping he might protest, but her mentor remained silent with his silver eyes fixed on the approaching army. The Oracles had a way of knowing everything, and it was a small miracle Isley and Nuriel hadn’t been found out yet. Back in Jerusa they could be gone and go off on their own for short times, claiming to be on missions. Here in Dimethica, however, they had nobody to cover for them; no good reason to even be here.
“I…I don’t want to be seen.” said Nuriel more assertively. Being seen by the Oracle would dash any hope of getting out of her current predicament. She’d be labeled a fallen Saint and be hunted down and killed. She hadn’t even wanted to be here. She hadn’t agreed to pledge her allegiance to Celacia. In fact, she was only here because of Isley. If she truly had it her way, she would have remained back in Jerusa to gladly carry out any assignments given to her by the King or Sanctuary. That’s what the Saints Caliber were supposed to do.
Nuriel exhaled deeply and looked at Isley. “I don’t want to be seen. I don’t want Sanctuary to know.” she insisted.
Celacia turned around and grimaced. “What happened to the Nuriel who helped pull my friend Felvurn from the lava, huh? I want that Nuriel back.”
Nuriel swallowed hard and found it impossible to look Celacia in the face. She had to turn her head and wipe her nose with her hand. It was running again.
Celacia released a sigh of annoyance and her usually chirpy voice bubbled with sarcasm as she said, “Ok, fine. You two go hide in the shadows of the tunnel and I’ll just stand here on this ledge, by myself, with my cape flapping in the wind, waiting for them to show up, so I can kill them all by myself.”
Nuriel could feel Celacia’s emerald eyes piercing her but she couldn’t bring herself to look up at her.
“Celacia,” began Isley. “Perhaps—”
Celacia threw her arms up in annoyance. “Fine!” she snapped. She turned her back to them. “I’ll take care of it. Nuriel needs a good demonstration of my powers anyway. Besides, maybe it’s time Admael knows I’m awake. I’d like to see one of these Oracles you Saints are so afraid of.”
With her eyes already turned downward Nuriel couldn’t help but watch the decaying ground spread further from Celacia’s feet. Nuriel had become aware that the woman’s deathly aura seemed to grow the more annoyed or excited she became. She didn’t dare think what might happen should she ever lose her temper completely. Nuriel backed a few steps to avoid the spreading death of the earth. She had never supposed dirt and rock could die, but watching the stone and soil as it withered and decayed made her think that maybe everything had a lifeforce that could be taken from it.
“Come, Nuriel,” said Isley softly, breaking Nuriel from her reverie. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and walked her into the shadows of the tunnel.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
It wasn’t long before the thunder of four-hundred horses echoed deep into the cavern. Nuriel stood across the tunnel from Isley, her back propped up against the wall as she anxiously scraped the tip of her boot back and forth across the floor. They were just deep enough into the cavern that the shadows obscured them from view, and the outcroppings of stone provided further cover to hide behind. It was as good a place to hide as any, at least until the Oracle was dispatched of. Until that thing was gone Nuriel wouldn’t feel the slightest bit comfortable. In fact, until this whole ordeal was over and she was
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