Later that evening, inside the prisoner wagon, Douglas spoke. “You know they’ll hang you for what you did,” he said to Orion. The night was clear, and the air was cool. “Why are you so eager to rush toward that?”
62Please respect copyright.PENANAj3WkQBH0zk
Orion stared up at the night sky. “I did what I thought was right. I’m sure I have the Creator’s blessing,” he said, shifting to get comfortable. As he rolled onto his side, he winced in pain.
62Please respect copyright.PENANA9CHvcVxjKE
“I don’t think the Creator takes kindly to one of the Church’s priests allowing a heretic to cast spells on him,” Douglas muttered, his anger flaring at the thought. “You’ll be lucky if I don’t tell them.”
He paused for a moment, then added, “I could testify… in your favor. Maybe then you’d escape the hangman’s noose.”
62Please respect copyright.PENANAetL1t4MI2b
Orion paused. “In return, I speak at your trial—in your favor?” He wanted to see how far Douglas would go.
62Please respect copyright.PENANAxEgTfd4Vic
Douglas nodded. “If you’re willing to denounce Lucas and his scheme to the council, we can shift the blame to Rhaine. Say it was her idea all along.”
62Please respect copyright.PENANAomxFryba8w
Orion’s voice turned cold. “Lucas was the best of us... and you are the worst. I’d rather face the wrath of the Creator than conspire with a serpent in cloth like you.”
62Please respect copyright.PENANA6cvoBbAlHS
Douglas snarled. “Blah! Let’s see how brave you are when the noose tightens around your worthless neck.” He slumped against the side of the wagon, sneering. “It’ll be a sight watching you sway at the gallows.”
62Please respect copyright.PENANANUwdmyVT9G
Orion tried to ignore Douglas’s words. He focused instead on the pain in his leg. The wound throbbed with every heartbeat. In the moonlight, he saw a dark substance on his hand after touching it. “It’s becoming gangrenous,” he whispered. If the infection had truly reached that point, the flesh was already starting to die and rot. He knew then his days were numbered. His eyes drifted toward the night, locking onto the faint flicker of light in Melissa’s window.
62Please respect copyright.PENANA3JwjducnmB
Across the way, Melissa and her new housemate, Elle, had settled in her room.
62Please respect copyright.PENANASt8KfOvQVO
“Can you tell me about your parents, Elle?” Melissa asked, her voice soft but determined. She wanted, no, she needed to know more about the mysterious little girl.
62Please respect copyright.PENANAMmnxuzFuOV
Elle shrugged. “I don’t know… They were normal people. My father’s name was John. Mom was Sylvia.”
62Please respect copyright.PENANAH3FPHqHzZQ
Melissa took out her Tarot cards and began to shuffle them. As she did, she whispered a silent prayer in her mind, "Reveal the truth." She drew a card and placed it gently on the table. It was the Farmer card. She glanced at Elle. “Do you remember what this card is called?”
62Please respect copyright.PENANAoW1MKMZ7ps
Elle studied it for a moment. “The Farmer card. It means patience,” she said with a confident nod.
62Please respect copyright.PENANAOyH1KoqnhI
Melissa smiled. “You’re right. Patience. Do your work… you cannot rush the harvest.”
62Please respect copyright.PENANAVXh8RWE2We
Elle tilted her head thoughtfully. “Isn’t that what the Church is doing?”
62Please respect copyright.PENANAdCF03cRHRa
Melissa blinked, caught off guard. “What do you mean, Elle?”
62Please respect copyright.PENANAkXMtIKxPPh
“They’re rushing out to Silver Falls,” Elle said. “Are they trying to make the harvest of their work come sooner?”
62Please respect copyright.PENANAFPwByJrUF4
Melissa studied her, a mix of admiration and concern on her face. “You’re very insightful for a little girl, you know that?”
62Please respect copyright.PENANAdEWLpyaatr
Elle shrugged. “It won’t matter, though,” she said, sitting down beside Melissa.
62Please respect copyright.PENANAg3h0A2XWyZ
Melissa looked at her, concern in her voice. “What do you mean by that? What won’t matter?”
62Please respect copyright.PENANA0sGjo5lfr5
Instead of answering, Elle tilted her head. “Why don’t you read another card?” she asked, genuinely curious.
62Please respect copyright.PENANAXdn1pFeFdS
Melissa hesitated, keeping her eyes on Elle as she slowly drew another card from the deck. “The reason it won’t matter is…” she began, flipping it over.
62Please respect copyright.PENANAuSKFvh78hf
Elle giggled as the card was revealed.
62Please respect copyright.PENANAhce0icMHqX
Melissa raised an eyebrow and studied it cautiously. “The Jester. The fool of the court. Someone who hides behind a mask—meaning things are not always what they seem.”
Elle’s eyes lit up with recognition. “Tyler! He’s so funny to watch.”
62Please respect copyright.PENANAIM7c8HkWUL
Melissa quietly placed the deck on the table, her expression unreadable. After a brief pause, she spoke softly, “I think there’s more than one person wearing a mask right now.”
62Please respect copyright.PENANArnS6JddWS5
Elle blinked. “Who else is wearing a mask, Melissa?”
62Please respect copyright.PENANAnhIVZ2yLS4
Melissa chose her words carefully—she didn’t want to upset her. “I think… there might be a little girl who’s feeling scared right now. She’s putting on a brave face, wearing a strong mask. But deep down, she’s hiding something. Isn’t that right, Elle?”
62Please respect copyright.PENANAvjQOCLuWRO
Elle shook her head slowly. “I can’t think of anyone. Who do you think it is?”
62Please respect copyright.PENANAbIeiN69kz4
Melissa took a steady breath. “I think that little girl… is you, Elle. You’re safe here. You can tell me anything.” Her voice was soft, soothing, coaxing.
62Please respect copyright.PENANAJIs0nE5Qw2
But Elle suddenly stood up.
62Please respect copyright.PENANACzuHHjQkCL
“Elle, don’t go,” Melissa said gently.
62Please respect copyright.PENANAWxClGlBONm
Elle didn’t answer. She lowered her head and walked over to the window. “If I took my mask off…” she began, but her words trailed off as something outside caught her eye. “The wagon and Orion, they’re gone!” she cried, pointing out the window.
62Please respect copyright.PENANAIwf2Wdnc0l
Melissa rushed to the window, her eyes scanning the street. “Where did they go?” she asked urgently. Elle only shrugged. Without wasting another second, Melissa ran to the front door. Two guards stood firmly in place, blocking her path. “Where is Brother Orion?” she demanded.
62Please respect copyright.PENANA5BgTBsli5W
One of the guards responded calmly, “Brother Orion begged the driver to take him to Trandell. His condition has worsened.” He handed her a folded piece of paper. “He told me to give you this.”
62Please respect copyright.PENANAu32AMcsG0Y
Still reeling, Melissa took the note and unfolded it with trembling hands. Her eyes moved quickly over the familiar handwriting.
62Please respect copyright.PENANAZRY3y0ACtj
Forgive me, Nightingale.
I am not long for this world.
I cannot bear for you to watch me die slowly.
I may not survive the trip, but I need to make sure Douglas pays for what he did.
The dreams have gotten worse.
I won’t burden you with the horrors I’ve seen, but know this—River Hallow is not safe, not with Douglas and me still in it.
Prepare yourself, Nightingale.
Darker days are yet to come…
—Brother Orion
62Please respect copyright.PENANAFW8ohXmFmd
Melissa tried to push past the guards, but they restrained her with ease.
62Please respect copyright.PENANABFT652csGa
“There’s nothing you can do,” one of them said gently. “I’m sorry.”
62Please respect copyright.PENANAj3zRxHcvcX
Defeated, Melissa returned to her room with Elle. She knelt to pick up her Tarot cards from the floor, but her hand trembled, and the deck slipped from her fingers. The cards scattered across the floor. Only two remained in her grasp.
62Please respect copyright.PENANAqLOfTKBAUE
Elle reached up and took one. “Why is this knight bleeding?” she asked.
62Please respect copyright.PENANAkdXFohzmGl
Melissa looked at the card. “That’s the card for Betrayal,” she said softly. “The knight trusted someone they shouldn’t have. It means unseen forces are conspiring against you. It’s a warning.”
She paused, unsure whether the warning was meant for Orion… or for her. Then she turned over the second card still in her hand. It was the Farmer. Melissa stared at it for a long moment, then looked at Elle, uncertainty flickering in her eyes. The only thing she could think of was… Patience.
62Please respect copyright.PENANAlJSw28MupL
--------------------------------------------------------
62Please respect copyright.PENANAoKTdzg69RN
Jirjin made his way from the tavern to the church. It had been a while since he last stepped inside, but here he was. The doors were locked. With Father Lucas gone, one of the army priests had taken over, and no one was allowed inside after dark. “Because the Creator only cares about you during the daytime, it seems,” he muttered. He tried the doors a few more times, but it was pointless. With a sigh, he followed the path behind the building until he reached the graveyard. “I hate this place,” he said under his breath as he walked among the gravestones.
62Please respect copyright.PENANAhBzvCcWakK
He stopped at a freshly dug grave. “Good evening, Lucas,” he said, nodding at the mound of broken earth. “I suppose you know everything now.” He looked up at the stars, silent for a long moment.
“I hope Alex comes back,” he murmured, lowering himself to the ground. From his coat, he pulled out a bottle, yanking the cork out with his teeth. “Here’s to you, Lucas. Thanks for giving us a chance,” he said, raising the bottle in a solemn toast.
62Please respect copyright.PENANAyQO4PU2U7v
He took a long, burning gulp. “I hope it wasn’t wasted.”
ns216.73.216.0da2