“You did what?” I rose from my chair and planted my palms on the table.

Drayek picked up a particularly long piece of dried meat and strategically placed the entire thing into his mouth. He took his time chewing the meat and didn’t so much as meet my eyes as he did.

“You heard me. You will go through another Marking Ceremony. Tomorrow afternoon.”

My jaw went slack. “How in the goddess’s name did you manage that?”

Drayek shrugged. “I’m really convincing, you know.”

I raised both of my brows. “Yeah, I know that. But no one in the history of Edrona has ever been granted a second Marking Ceremony.”

“These are dire times.”

“Exactly!” I exclaimed. “We’re all going to die anyway–it doesn’t matter if I have another ceremony or not.”

“There is always hope. And it makes more sense than you think. I made a deal with the Priests.”

I rubbed my hands along my face. I didn’t like the sound of a “deal with the Priests.”

“What is the deal?”

“If you come out Marked, all of the UnMarked get to have a second ceremony.”

“Alright, that does make sense,” I ascertained. “The more people they have that can fight against the Nagari, the better.”

Drayek looked down at his food, which sparked some suspicion within me.

“Is there anything else to this deal you made?”

Drayek met my eyes, jaw tight and face revealing nothing. “You let me worry about that.”

I puffed out my cheeks, then released the air slowly. I decided not to ask any more questions.

“But I don’t think I’m going to come out Marked, Drayek. If there’s anyone Lady Euridice doesn’t want to bestow her grace upon, it’s me.”

Me, the clone of the god she hated and killed.

“I agree. I highly doubt you’ll come out with a Mark. But that is why you’re going to lie.”

He nonchalantly took a large bite of bread while I couldn’t even function as my mind reeled over this information.

“They’re not going to believe me!”

“Oh, they will. I told them they could test you to prove you advanced to Tier 1.”

I gulped. “Oh, that’s great. Thanks, Drayek. I’m sure they won’t try to kill me.”

“Trust me, Rayden.” Drayek finally met my eyes. “This is going to work.

***

Flashbacks are not always fun. Especially traumatic ones. I stood in the temple’s dingy waiting room. Standing alone instead of with dozens of other 16-year-olds awaiting their ceremonies felt worse somehow. The wood walls smelled damp and seemed to close in tighter synonymously with my breaths growing shallower.

My uncomfortable awkwardness might have also had to do with knowing that the entire city stood outside awaiting the result of my Marking Ceremony. And this ceremony–my second chance–would also be the first time someone had ever been granted another try.

I fidgeted with the itchy tan ceremony clothing and planted my gaze on the door that led out of the room, waiting for Priest Kane to finally walk through. I was ready to get this entire ordeal over with.

Once he did enter with his long red robes dragging behind him, I felt relieved. Even as he shot a fiery glare at me, an innocent bystander in all of this. I’d never even asked Drayek to arrange for me a second Marking Ceremony in the first place.

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But I knew Drayek’s intentions. He wanted me to help fight against the Nagari without the rest of the city questioning my newfound abilities. And, if we could get some other UnMarked to break through to Tier 1 and be able to fight, that could make all the difference that Edrona needed. So, this had to happen. Even if all of Edrona had to hate me just a little bit more for being granted another ceremony. But this way, I would still be able to help the city I grew up in and, regardless of some of the people within, the city that I loved.

“Follow me, Rayden. Let’s get this finished as quickly as possible. War is coming, you know.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Yes, I know that, Priest Kane.”

The Priest muttered something incoherent but gestured for me to follow him through the dark and narrow passageway leading to the altar room.

Though just Priest Kane and I marched through the tight space, I felt more claustrophobic now than I had when walking through the same hall with a few dozen other teenagers. The Priest’s silence was stark and uninviting. I could almost feel a certain cold emanating off of him and penetrating my insides.

We emerged into the bright light of the altar room. It looked the same as it had before: large, empty, very white, and every corner lit by the suns shining through the tall windows that lined every inch of the side walls and even the ceiling.

The other Priests stood as they had before, in a semicircle in front of the long gray altar box at the end of the room. Priest Kane turned his nose up in the air, waved a hand that indicated I should stay put, then took his place in the center of the semicircle.

“You know the rules, boy. Enter when I say, and stay in there until you are finished. You will relay everything you see in there to us.” Priest Kane’s upper lip curled at me in disgust. “No hiding the fact that you have Soul Strength, for example. Understood?”

My mouth went dry, but I stood firm and maintained eye contact with the Priest. “Understood.”

Priest Kane gave a curt nod, then directed the Priests to split their clump wide enough to allow me a pathway to the altar box.

“You may enter.”

I discreetly wiped my sweaty palms on the back of my shirt, remembering that my palms had been just as sweaty the first time, and walked forward, keeping my head held high. I didn’t look too long at any of the Priests’ scowling faces and forced all of my thoughts forward.

I pressed my palms together and offered the Edronan sign of respect to the Priests, just as I had done before my first ceremony, but this time I didn’t mean it–with every bone and vessel in my entire being, I didn’t mean it one bit. These people followed the Goddess of Lies–a goddess who stole from her people and had deceived them for many millennia. No, I didn’t have to respect them anymore, but I would keep up with a good show. It could only help me.

I stepped toward the stone door and heaved it open. A musty, earthy smell met my nose as the air inside whooshed toward me. With determination, I stepped over the threshold and entered the darkness.

Just as they had before, the torches lining the walls lit themselves with an eerie blue flame as I passed each of them. I hurried my steps and finally reached the screen resting atop the small table at the end of the long path.

I knew exactly what to do this time.

PLEASE PLACE YOUR PALM ON THE SCREEN.

I followed the direction from the glowing screen and placed my right hand on the cool surface.

The screen went completely dark.

I retracted my hand and bent over to study the device. Did I break it?

Suddenly, a high-pitched ding sounded, and the screen lit up once again with its hues of blues and purples. New words floated atop the surface:

HELLO, CLONE OF SOLOMON. I THOUGHT I COULD PLAY WITH YOU–AT

LEAST FOR A WHILE. NOW I’M TRYING TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT I

SHOULD KILL YOU.

I leaped away from the device, breath quickening and senses heightened. I whirled around myself, expecting something to jump out from the shadows and attack. The screen went dark, and the torches snuffed themselves out soon after.

“Master!”

“Codex?”

“You must get out of this place!”

I ran. Ran for my life. Ran from an unseen evil; I could feel the presence of something else, maybe someone else, in that altar box with me.

“Go, Master! You’ll be safe outside!”

“Outside of what?” I internally screamed at Codex.

“Outside of Lady Euridice’s temple.”

I finally made it to the door leading out of the altar box and pushed it open with all of my might. It slammed open and hit the outside wall of the box with a bang. The Priests scurried over to me, eyebrows raised at the sight of my heavy breathing.

I looked to the exit leading out of the temple, still feeling a looming shadow of an unknown being behind me, but then I looked at the Priests’ curious faces and knew my leaving couldn’t happen just yet. I had to satisfy what I came here to do in the first place.

So, I did the next best thing. I grabbed the door of the altar box and closed it shut behind me, hoping that it would keep the evil entity from reaching me–at least for the time being.

“Well?” Priest Kane prodded, inching closer and closer to me. “What is the verdict?”

“I am Marked.”

The lie fell from my lips easily, and I found that I didn’t feel bad about it. Not even a little bit.

A few scoffs, a couple of eye rolls, and a chuckle here and there came from the group of Priests.

“Oh?” Priest Kane’s lips ticked up into a condescending smile. “And what is your Soul Strength?”

“50.” Again, I lied with ease and no guilt.

Drayek had told me all he revealed to the Council was that my Soul Strength was higher than his, and I felt 50 was a good enough number to both shock them and keep my secret.

More chuckles. But I didn’t care what they thought.

“How do we know you’re not lying to us?” said Priestess Nora, who stood at the far right.

“He will prove himself,” Priest Kane said before I could respond.

I nodded. “I will undergo any test of your choosing.”