Holding the trembling Lorelei close to his heart, Noah fought hard to subdue his rage. There was nothing in the world he wanted more than to snap the neck of the old man lying on the bed. However, although spilling his blood would have washed away the fury in his heart, he knew that Lorelei would be against it.

“Let’s get out of here,” he whispered, kissing her forehead.

“Wait!” Bishop Petronius groaned and tried to sit up. “You can’t go, yet.”

“Shut your mouth, you vile old snake, or I’ll rip your tongue and make you eat it!” roared Noah, tightening his embrace around Lorelei’s quacking shoulders. “Not you nor any power can keep us here! Not anymore!”

“Be reasonable and let me explain, Duke Norden.” huffed the old priest, clenching his chest.

“Reasonable?! Explanations?! Screw you! My wife almost died because of you! If my knights hadn’t informed me… If I was a second too late…”

“I.. had no idea that she’d go that far.” The sincere regret in the old man’s voice only made Noah angrier.

“Oh, really? And what did you do to force her to point a knife at herself? Did you try to force her to become a Saint?”

“I only tried to do what’s in the people’s best interest. The Duchess can become a tool for the greater good.”

“She is my wife, you old crook, not a tool! Not yours! Not anyone's!” screamed Noah. He could feel Lorelei’s cramping fingers desperately digging into his shirt. “Listen to yourself, Your Holiness. Your preachings are no different than the Red Hands.”

“You dare?!” Bishop Petronius raised his voice.

“I do,” hissed Noah. “They kill Limerians and mixed children for the greater good. You want to rip the soul out of an innocent woman and turn her into a magic-hunting fiend for the greater good. I don’t see the difference.”

“The difference, you arrogant fool, is that the few lives the Red Hands reap are nothing compared to the devastation of the Church!” The old cleric gritted his teeth. “Should they declare Norden the enemy for withholding a Saint, they’ll burn everything. Nobles, peasants, Binshi, Limerians, it wouldn’t matter. As the lord of these lands, you have an obligation to protect all of the people, not a single one! But when the Church comes-”

“Let them come!” A low rumble rose from Noah’s throat. “I’ll destroy anyone who tries to touch my wife and my people.”

“You are overestimating yourself!”

“No, you are underestimating me!”

A loud clap cut their argument and drew everyone’s attention.

“Enough with the hysterics and the bravado!” With a dragging step, William hobbled into the room. Duncan followed him but stood at the door to block anyone else from entering.

“Don’t meddle in things that don’t concern you,” snapped the old priest. “You have no work here.”

“Oh, but I do, Your Holiness.” Will patted Noah’s shoulder. “As fate would have it, my life is bound to the wellbeing of this stubborn fool. So let’s stop with the theatrics and sit down to discuss what needs to be discussed.”

“Another impudent one! Don’t you fear the Gods?” Bishop Petronius rolled his eyes.

“I do, but as I am currently alive, the wrath of men is my main concern. So, have you tested my overly-emotional lieges enough?”

“A test!?” Noah’s frenzied look traveled between his friend and the priest. In his arms, Lorelei took a sharp, jagged breath.

“What else would you call it?” William shrugged. “His Holiness invites the Duchess for a secret talk in broad daylight, making sure the whole temple sees her, making sure the news about this meeting reaches you in time, and allowing you to barge into his chamber unobstructed. I just can’t figure out why you would go that far to play such pranks, Your Holiness.”

“Pranks?!” Bishop Petronius huffed. “We are dealing with matters involving the stability and leadership of Norden. I wouldn’t call testing their convictions a prank. Alas, only one of them passed.”

The old cleric ignored Noah’s poisonous glare and turned to Lorelei.

“Duchess, please, accept my apologies. I didn’t intend to push you as far as to consider taking your life. But everything I said was the truth the way you will hear it from any member of the Church. Still, unlike others who immaturely decided to sacrifice the lives under their protection for their own desires, your decision was noble and fit for someone of your status.”

A knot clogged Noah’s throat. Petronius’ words rang in his ears as his shoulders slumped down, pressed by guilt and anger. Since he could remember, he had been bound by the shackles of a ruler. Unable to decide whether and how to live, when to die. Putting others’ well-being before his own. He had seen hundreds of noble lords indulge in their urges and perverted desires, but he was denied such freedom. And every time he grasped at a morsel of happiness, he was told that his actions were selfish and unfit for a ruler. That sacrifices were inevitable. That the well-being of the many preceded that of the few. He was so sick of it all!

“Then what am I supposed to do?” he whispered hoarsely. His gaze caressed Lorelei’s pale face. “Happily hand over my wife like an obedient dog the moment the Church whistles? No. Not this time, Your Holiness. Even if I have to shed blood, I’m not sacrificing Lorelei.”

“And again, the first that comes to your mind is violence.” The disapproval in Petronius’ voice was palpable. “To a good and just ruler, bloodshed should be the last resort.”

“Love can turn a man into a saint or a monster, Your Holiness,” interjected William. “But in both cases, rational thought isn’t their strong side. However, a truly wise ruler knows when to share the burden of power with their subordinates. So here I am, serving as the voice of reason to my esteemed masters.”

“Glib youngster,” murmured Bishop Petronius and waved his hand. “You three can take a seat and we’ll discuss the matter.”

“Maybe a postponement would be appropriate, considering the emotional and physical deficiencies of all the parties.” William measured up Noah and Lorelei, his gaze lingering on his mistress’ swaying figure.

Just as Noah was about to agree, Lorelei interrupted him with a weak but resolute voice.

“Let’s finish with this once and for all.” Her cold fingers wrapped around Noah’s hand and squeezed it with desperation. “No more tests or beating around the bush, Your Holiness. You’ve criticized me and my husband enough, but I wonder whether you can provide an alternative solution.”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

In that moment, nothing besides Lorelei existed in Noah’s world. Called by his intent stare, she looked at him. He feared that he’d see in her eyes condemnation. After all, he failed as a husband. And failed as a ruler. He was nothing more than a weakling unable to protect his home and family. But in their brown depth, all he read was love - unwavering and unclouded. Without exchanging a word, he knew what she wanted to say. She trusted him to find a way; to give his all and keep her from the Church’s clutches. But if everything failed, she was ready to do what was necessary to prevent the fall of Norden. No! He was not going to allow her to sacrifice her life to save him!

Like in a trance, he sank down in a chair, Lorelei taking the seat next to him, their hands still intertwined. William sat to his right. His walking stick tapped on the floor despite his face remaining rigid. Noah couldn't blame his friend for being nervous. After all, they were trying to deal with the Gods’ heralds on earth, and their only ally was a priest devoted to the TwoFathers. The cleric was right, with its connections spanning a whole continent, holy relics that could negate magic and perform miracles, and millions of devotees, the Church of the Two Fathers was a monster beyond comprehension. Still, with the proper tactic, even the strongest monster could be slain.

“Then speak, Petronius,” demanded Noah in a low, cold voice, surprising all in the room, “how do you suggest we blackmail the Holy Church?”

A gaping silence was all he received.

“Come now, I might be a war-crazy good-for-nothing, but I’m not a complete fool. If handing over Lorelei isn’t an option and fighting the Church head-on is impossible, there is not much else we could do but to lie and extort.”

“You are right.” A sour expression twisted the cleric’s face. With some effort, he took a small chest from his bed table and handed it to William, who was closest. “Open this, and you’ll get your answer.”

Flipping the lid, William peered at the box contents, obviously confused. Noah and Lorelei stretched their necks, trying to peek inside. A strange, golden object lay on a black cushion. To Noah, it looked like a miniature sea urchin, the main body no bigger than a pea. However, the hair-thin needles, some broken and lying fragmented on the silken bottom of the box, reached almost a palm size.

“Do not touch the surface,” warned Bishop Petronius. “It should be dormant, but I want to be on the safe side.”

“What is this?” whispered Lorelei and her palms became sweaty. “Somehow… I don’t like it.”

“Hmm, you have keen senses. Or maybe you are subconsciously reacting to the vapir’s residues on this thing. We dug it from its remains.” The old man looked at the golden urchin with disgust. “I did tell you, the Church has its way to assure that a Saint does not go berserk on them. It is an ancient pact, blessed by the Two Fathers and created by Saint Marcus of the Great Five. This device is part of a set. The ones summoning the Saint, as well as the upper echelons of the Church, have the Seal of Protection, usually in the form of a ring or a pendant. The Saint’s host is given this thing to swallow before the ceremony. Naturally, in its normal state, it is nothing more than a little golden pill. And it is meant to remain in that shape until the Saint decides to attack or harm the ones carrying the Seal of Protection. When that happens, the sphere turns into a myriad of golden needles that destroy the host’s body, sending the Saint’s spirit back to the Heavenly Realms.”

“How… do you know this?” Even the usually composed William was shaken enough to lose control over his voice.

“I was there when the last Saint was summoned.”

“Impossible!” Lorelei shook her head. “The last Saint descended a hundred years ago!”

“And died promptly just some twenty years after.” Bishop Petronius pointed at the chest. “He died because of one of these things. And yes, I was there for his death too. It is quite a long story that is absolutely irrelevant in our case. Now, to answer your question, Dutchess, I am an acolyte of Saint Emina the Eternal. My lifespan is longer than a normal person’s.”

“Now I see why the Grand Pontifex exiled you to Norden.” Noah gritted his teeth. The old cleric was becoming more and more dangerous every time they met.

“I chose to come to Norden, but this too is of no consequence to our current situation,” snapped the priest.

“Indeed.” William glared at the golden urchin in the chest. “The question is, what is a device meant for a saint doing in the body of a Binshi shaman? And one who turned into a vapir at that. I don’t think you can buy one of these from a street stall.”

“No. They are under the strict regulation of the Grand Pontifex and the four Primates.” Bishop Petronius suddenly hit his duvet with a shaking fist. “Some striving ecclesial moron put this in a fiend that attacked my parish and killed innocents!”

“But isn’t it too risky to use such a rare item that could implicate the Church?” William frowned.

“Heh, usually after activating the golden needles disintegrate completely and turn to dust. However, in this case, it was probably half triggered by the Duke using an artifact. And when the Duchess released her holy powers, it somehow broke or stabilized the device, so it still kept its shape.”

“Which means that the Church is the culprit in a murder case involving magic. And they almost killed the Duke and Duchess of Norden and the incumbent Bishop.” Noah rubbed his face with a groan. “This we could use as leverage. However, it still doesn't seem enough to keep the clergy away from Lorelei's trail. They can still find some pretext to test her compatibility as a host.”

“Uhm, Your Holiness?” Lorelei licked her lips. “How exactly does one test for compatibility?”

“It’s done usually during a child’s baptism.” The old man paused for a bit. “You… haven't been officially baptized, have you?”

“I… can’t be sure, but most likely - no.” Lowering her head, Lorelei gave out a self-mocking laugh. “I can’t see my father bothering to baptize a low-born bastard.”

“This explains why you’ve remained hidden from the Church until now. Usually, potential candidates for hosts are taken in by the clergy and brought up in an optimal environment.”

“You mean brainwashed,” snapped Noah.

“The detection procedure is as follows.” Bishop Petronius ignored his remark. “A priest will channel holy powers into the child. Just a bit so that they don’t get harmed. If the child rejects them, they are unsuitable as a host. If the child retains the channeled power, they pass.”

“So, all I have to do is to learn to repel holy powers?” Lorelei’s face brightened.

“Easier said than done. Your body has a natural affinity to absorb holy powers, almost like an empty cup.”

“But if we fill the cup with something else?” Now was William’s turn to get excited. “As far as I know, the lady has had experiences where she came into contact with Binshi powers and gained a Binshi’s sight to see soul-dust.”

“What!?” Bishop Petronius was stunned. “I never considered such a thing possible!”

“It’s not like the Church is allowing saint-candidates to mingle with the savage Binshi very often,” remarked Noah and kissed Lorelei’s hand. “But this might be a solution. We can ask Kash-baba to help. And if our esteemed Bishop agrees to perform some trial assessments…, we might be able to fool them.”

“However, even if the Lady fails the test, how are we going to explain the subjugation of the vapir?” William mused for a moment. “The only witnesses of Lady Lorelei destroying the barrier around Rasha are our people, so they’ll keep their mouths shut. But what Diakon Valente and the others saw…”

“Well, the Duchess summoned a miracle out of thin air without being an acolyte or a saint.” The old cleric snorted but suddenly froze. “An acolyte! That’s it!”

“You want to declare Lorelei an acolyte?” said Noah. “But I’ve never heard of an acolyte wielding so much holy power.”

“A single acolyte could absolutely not do it. But four of them?”

“Four?” Lorelei blinked confused. “If we assume that one is me, the other one is you, the third is Master Castor, then the fourth one is…?”

“Naturally, the Duke.”

“Your Holiness, passing two people as fake acolytes is stretching it a bit too much.” William rolled his eyes.

“What do you mean fake?” Bishop Petronius blinked confused and glared at the three people sitting before him. “Wait. Don’t tell me that after everything the Duke has been through, all the miraculous survivals of deadly hexes, and the fact that he managed to summon the essence of a powerful artifact into corporeal form, you don’t know that he is an acolyte?”

The priest’s words were like thunder. Noah’s mind blanked completely. All he could do was look into Lorelei’s eyes, and reflected in them he saw his own fear and confusion. But there was also certainty. The Bishop’s words… were true.