A loud banging at the door almost caused Sophie to fall out of bed. It felt like she had only been asleep for a few minutes. It couldn’t be dawn already.
Eolisti sprang out of bed as Sophie was still struggling to sit up, and reached for her sword, pulling it from the sheath. She looked odd creeping toward the door in nothing but a long tunic. It would have been comical if they weren’t so tense. The banging repeated. “Who’s there?” Eolisti demanded, holding up her sword, ready to strike.
“It is I,” said the Abbot’s muffled voice through the door. “Please, we must speak immediately.” He sounded strained. Eolisti let out a relieved breath and pulled the door open for the Abbot. He looked disheveled and tired, as if he had been woken up and gotten dressed quickly, and Sophie noticed he was missing his sash. There was another younger initiate with him that was out of breath, and she realized it was the same young man that had brought their meals the day before.
Tamrat surveyed the two women, Sophie sitting up in bed and Eolisti next to the door, sword in hand. He swallowed and nodded to Eolisti, then strode into the room with the young initiate following closely behind. “I apologize for waking you so late, but there has been a change of plans. You need to leave. Now.”
“Hold on,” Eolisti said, still holding her sword. “It can’t be dawn already.”
“No, it’s just after midnight,” the initiate said, visibly withering as Eolisti turned her gaze on him.
The Abbot gave the boy a stern look. “Yes, we had originally planned for you to leave at dawn, but you need to leave now.” He looked directly at Sophie. “Riders arrived in the village not long ago. One of our runners informed us that they are asking around about a young woman with red hair.”
Sophie felt the bottom drop out of her stomach. She untangled herself from the sheets and stood. “Are they coming here?” she asked, her voice shaking.
“It’s only a matter of time before they come up to Ta’Shela. At least an hour to climb the cliffside. We’re hoping you’ll be long gone by then.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Khalil and Joel will be waiting by the stables. They should have everything prepared by the time you arrive. I urge you to make haste. We’d rather not have a confrontation with the Zo’rahni wizards if we can avoid it.” He bowed his head quickly and left, taking the young man with him.
Sophie and Eolisti gathered their things and dressed quickly.
“How did they follow us?” Eolisti asked as she pulled on her trousers and looked at Sophie sharply. “Did they track you by what you did yesterday?”
“It’s possible,” Sophie said, thinking furiously. “But that wasn’t a particularly powerful spell, and Joel had said that there are healers here. My magic shouldn’t have been discernible from theirs from afar. And Tamrat said they just arrived in Bardov. They would have already been traveling the pass days before I used any magic.”
Eolisti was silent for a time as they dressed. “You don’t think someone told them we were here, do you?”
Sophie placed her cloak around her shoulders and picked up her bag. “I don’t think one of the monks would do that.”
“Not a monk,” Eolisti said darkly.
Sophie didn’t say anything. She knew what Eolisti was thinking, but she just couldn’t bring herself to believe that the monks would place their trust in someone who would betray them. “Let’s go. We don’t have time to discuss this right now. We can figure out what happened later.” Eolisti looked like she wanted to say more but just nodded.
People hurried down the halls. As they passed, men and women looked at them with wide eyes and whispered among themselves. Sophie’s nerves only increased as they approached the entrance hall. What if they were already here? Who had the Vizier sent after her? She couldn’t go back, but she also couldn’t let the people here be hurt because of her.
“Hey,” Eolisti said to get her attention, placing a hand on Sophie’s shoulder. “Calm down. You look like you’re about five seconds away from throwing up.” She smiled at her. “We’ll be fine.”
Sophie tried to meet her eyes but couldn’t. “It’s not me I’m worried about.”
The Anai glanced at the monks hurrying past them. “They’ll be fine, too. Just worry about getting out of here.”
The entrance hall looked much as it had the first night they had come to Ta’Shela. The murals were bathed in soft candlelight and the floor had been cleaned since the earlier service. Only two initiates were present, sitting together in the first row of pews whispering to each other. They looked up as the women entered and stood, bowing to them. Eolisti and Sophie hurried past them with only a brief nod and headed out the front doors.
The air in the courtyard was still and cold. Moonlight reflected on the fallen snow, giving the grounds of Ta’Shela an unearthly glow. Torches were lit by the stables and Sophie could see figures standing by the doors. As they made their way over, Sophie could see it was Khalil, Joel, and the Abbot, with four saddled horses, the two that Sophie and Eolisti had ridden in on, plus a sleek midnight black stallion and a bulkier brown mare.
“I’ve sent Sahl ahead of you with your supply horse to light the way,” he said to Khalil. “Sahl will be going with you for the time being. We feel that under the circumstances, it would be best to have one of our own there to help.” He smiled at Sophie. Khalil’s mouth turned down a little, but he nodded curtly.
“Great,” Eolisti said flatly. “Can we get going now? I thought we were in a hurry.” She took the reins of her horse from Joel and mounted. Joel held his hand out for Sophie and helped her up onto her mare, then climbed onto his horse.
Khalil handed the Abbot a small package and bowed to him, then swung onto the black stallion. “Follow me. Don’t light any torches. We don’t want to be seen.” He wheeled his horse about and trotted toward the side of the cliff opposite from where the path down to Bardov began.
Sophie mouthed, “Thank you,” to the Abbot, who smiled and bowed to her in return, then dug her heels into the sides of her mount. The mare jumped forward to follow Khalil.
He led them behind the buildings, to where the mountainside resumed its steep slope upward into the night. There was a small path that led off the cliff that cradled Ta’Shela, and curved around to a patch of barren trees growing out of the rock. The trail was so well hidden that it looked like just another part of the rocks until their horses were stepping off the side of the cliff. Sophie almost yelled a warning at Khalil, but suddenly the horse’s foot connected with a rock that seemed to materialize from nowhere. The trees in front of them disappeared into the mist, and the entrance to a yawning cave appeared in their place.
“What the hell is happening,” Eolisti blurted apprehensively from behind her. She pulled on the reins and her horse shuffled nervously. “Did you see that? This cave definitely wasn’t here before.”
Sophie reached out to the rock with her senses. She could feel the pulsing of an enchantment placed there. There must have been runes carved somewhere on the rocks, invisible in the darkness. The magic was subtle enough to make anyone looking think it was just rock there, only changing the scenery slightly to conceal the path and cave. It hadn’t been strong enough for her to sense before, so she doubted anyone would be able to find it unless they knew exactly what they were looking for. “There’s magic concealing the cave. It’s old.” Maybe the monks put it here for supplies when the monastery was being built, or an escape path, in case they were ever under siege.
“I never knew this was here,” Joel’s voice drifted up to her, sounding amazed. “I’ve worked here for years, and they’ve never mentioned this.”
Khalil’s horse nickered as he pulled it up to the cave entrance. The entrance wasn’t completely black. Lights flickered somewhere in the darkness, beyond what they could see. “We don’t have time for this,” he growled and pulled his horse to the side. “Joel, you go first. Then, the Anai and Sophie. I’ll guard our backs and extinguish the lights as we pass them.”
Joel followed Khalil’s orders without hesitation, spurring his horse forward into the mouth of the cave, which Sophie realized was large enough to allow both horse and rider to pass through. She and Eolisti glanced at each other. If Khalil was going to betray them, this would be the perfect opportunity. Eolisti gave her a look that told her to be careful and flicked her reins. Her horse trotted into the cave after Joel.
Sophie watched Eolisti’s form melt into the darkness, then glanced at Khalil, waiting on the ledge like a silent sentinel. She took a deep breath and puffed out her cheeks. The idea of having Khalil riding behind her was not something she was happy about, but she was out of time and options. The people looking for her in the village would be on their way up the cliff by now, and they could reach Ta’Shela any minute.
Letting her breath out in a rush, she urged her horse forward and into the darkness of the mountain.