Two healers worked on Nathaniel quickly. Indenuel stared, his eyes wide, at the man himself there, right there, sprawled unconscious on the grass.
“He’s going to find out, I guarantee it. And once he does, there is no way you can keep your secret long when the two of us know,” Tolomon whispered with delight as he sheathed a dagger before limping over to a healer.
Indenuel backed away because it was instinctual. He expected a letter from Nathaniel, not the man himself. Now he would much rather have the letter. There was something terrifying about looking Nathaniel straight in the face and lying to him.
The cuts and swelling on Nathaniel’s face healed and he cracked an eye open, making a joke to one of the healers. His smile brightened when he saw Captain Luiz.
“What in God’s name are you doing here?” Captain Luiz asked, extending a hand.
Nathaniel took it and got to his feet. “I requested time off for a family emergency.”
“Oh? Everything alright?” Captain Luiz asked.
It was then Nathaniel’s gaze fell on Indenuel, and he smiled. “I certainly hope so.”
Terror filled Indenuel’s soul. He did not want Nathaniel here. He couldn’t find out. If he found out, it was only a matter of time before Martin would find out too. He was trying to steady his breathing.
“I… I thought… a letter,” Indenuel said as Nathaniel approached.
“The dog was coming home.” He patted Indenuel so hard it caused him to take a few steps closer to him, his back stiffening. “I guess that makes me a dog, right?”
Indenuel tried to smile, but he couldn’t keep the horror from his face. “It’s, um, it’s good to see you.”
Nathaniel swallowed him up in a hug, and Indenuel closed his eyes tight, trying to pretend like this was alright. Trying to fight the urge to run away. “It’s good to see you too,” Nathaniel said like he actually meant it. Not at all like how Indenuel meant it.
He released Indenuel, who took a few steps to keep his balance. “You didn’t have to. I promise, a letter would have worked just fine.”
“Nonsense. I wanted to get here as quickly as possible. It has, after all, been far too long since I spent a Day of the Devil with my family. Your letter was the final thing I needed to convince me to come home.”
Indenuel stared at Nathaniel, taking in his travel clothes and his week-old beard. “You came straight here?”
“Yes, I plan on surprising my family. But come, we have much catching up to do,” Nathaniel said, turning Indenuel around. “Luiz? Can I borrow your hut?”
“All yours!” Captain Luiz said.
“Thank you kindly! Can I also borrow Indenuel?”
“Absolutely. He can be done for the day,” Captain Luiz said.
“I am in your debt, Luiz.”
“No, you’re not, Nathaniel.”
Indenuel tried not to resist as Nathaniel kept an arm on his shoulder, leading him toward Captain Luiz’s hut. It was worse when Tolomon joined. He would absolutely say something to tip Nathaniel off.
Indenuel started to squirm. “It’s, um, not necessary. I’m sure you want to go see your family. I always felt guilty how much I pulled you from them when we were traveling. Go see them. You can always come visit me later.”
Nathaniel opened the door to the hut and ushered him in. “On the contrary, Indenuel. It is you I’ve come to see. I will of course visit my family after, but I wanted to see how you were doing. Your letter concerned me.”
Indenuel walked into the hut, thinking frantically of what he should say. Tolomon though healed, was still covered in blood and stayed by the door and poured himself a cup of water before draining it and filling another. Nathaniel took a seat behind Captain Luiz’s desk.
“I wrote that letter in a moment of anger,” Indenuel said. “One I seriously wish I never sent. I am fine. A little time was all I needed. You are a remarkable gentleman to come all the way to check on me, but I assure you, the stresses from before are lessening.”
“I know you murdered Andres and Lola with corruptive powers,” Nathaniel said.
Indenuel stared for a heartbeat or two before he ordered himself into the innocent role. “I… I’m sorry. You think I did what?”
Something clattered to the floor. Indenuel turned to see a dagger bouncing harmlessly off the wall, then part of his shirt around the shoulder fell open to reveal the mark. Nathaniel gave Tolomon a humorous look, before Indenuel scrambled to cover himself back up again.
“Dammit, Tolomon,” Indenuel said.
Tolomon finished draining his third cup of water. “The dagger slipped.”
Indenuel’s nostrils flared, and he forced himself to close his eyes, forced himself to ease the anger from his body. When he opened them again, Nathaniel was leaning forward a serious look on his face. “Sit down.”
He had no other choice. Maybe he did, but truthfully, he did not. Still keeping the shirt covering his mark, he sat down, not looking at either one of them. “How did you figure it out?”
“Never, and I repeat never, swear Tolomon to secrecy. The man will do everything in his power to get people to find out the secret,” Nathaniel said.
“Yes, well, I found that out this past week. How did you figure out I…” Indenuel found he couldn’t say it. Even as he dreaded lying to Nathaniel, somehow admitting the truth was worse. “Everyone else in this city has no idea, and yet somehow you, fighting off in the war, put the puzzle together.”
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Nathaniel shrugged. “Tolomon and I have a code for this sort of thing. And no, I won’t tell you, because you might be young and foolish enough to swear him to secrecy again.”
“So do you know why he’s not allowed to speak ill of the High Elders?” Indenuel asked, trying to change the subject. Tolomon drained his fourth cup of water.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said, calmly as ever.
“See! The High Elders are hiding something, and we should figure that out first!” Indenuel said.
Nathaniel shook his head. “I’ve been trying to uncover that secret for years. It is concerning, yes, but the High Elders have it locked up too tight. So, let’s focus on what we can change. Which is you, right now.”
Indenuel stared at the floor of the hut, his mind trying to sputter back to life.
Tolomon wiped his chin as he placed the cup down, then turned his attention toward Nathaniel. “I’m going to the bathhouse. Could you protect Indenuel for me?”
Nathaniel smiled. “With my life.”
Tolomon nodded before he left. Indenuel was not comforted at all. He still couldn’t bring himself to look at Nathaniel for longer than a moment, all the while Nathaniel kept his gaze fixed on him.
The door closed. “Tell me what happened,” Nathaniel said, his voice soft.
Indenuel did. There was no way he could lie to Nathaniel. He was becoming as impossible to lie to as Matteo.
“What are you going to do with me?” Indenuel asked once his story was done.
Nathaniel shook his head. “Nothing. You are in a higher social class than I am, and therefore I cannot force you to confess, even if I wanted to.”
Indenuel let out a breath. He ventured a glance at Nathaniel before he had to look away. “You’re not going to make me confess?”
“Confession is voluntary. That’s the only way it will work,” Nathaniel said.
“Well, I’m not going to confess, because I don’t feel guilty about it.”
“You don’t?” Nathaniel asked.
“No, I don’t.”
“Then tell me again, in detail, what you did to them.” Indenuel winced, and Nathaniel’s smile grew. “There’s the seeds of guilt if ever I saw them.”
“Fine, so I feel guilty about using the corruptive powers but… but I’m honestly glad they’re gone. They hurt Matteo and the twins, and I needed to stop them. So, we will continue the same circular conversation I have with Tolomon.”
Nathaniel leaned back in his chair. “I know how terrifying it can be to confess. Speaking as someone who confesses to his own father, it’s not exactly an easy thing, but I assure you, it works.”
Indenuel snorted. “You? Confess? What did you do? Accidentally insult someone when you were trying to compliment them?”
Nathaniel raised an eyebrow, not amused. “I once saw a slave master use a whip designed for adults to lash a seven-year-old Zimoran girl. I used corruption to stop him before I ran him through with my sword in front of the child. I could have handled that better and promised my father I would in the future. I’d like to think I have.” Indenuel’s face dropped before he again looked down at his hands. Nathaniel leaned forward. “I know it’s hard. It’s terrifying, really, to be so vulnerable with others this way, but that’s the whole point of God’s religion. We need to lean on each other as we make it back to the afterlife to-”
“God’s dead,” Indenuel said, staring at his hands.
Nathaniel said nothing. Indenuel couldn’t keep lying, and this was another one of those things. He glanced up to see Nathaniel studying his face, trying to find any hint of falsehood. It was the first time Indenuel kept his gaze for longer than a heartbeat.
“What?” Nathaniel’s voice sounded more breathy than normal.
Indenuel looked down again. “He’s dead. They’re dead. Whatever They are.” He pointed toward the ceiling, toward heaven. “I’m sorry. I can’t lie anymore about it. I can’t keep that a secret.” He bowed his head, rubbing his forehead to give him an excuse to keep the tears at bay.
Nathaniel still stared before he looked away, slowly leaning back in the chair. “They must have their reasons.”
“For dying?” Indenuel asked.
“No, the High Elders. They must be keeping this from us for a reason. You shouldn’t be telling me this,” Nathaniel said.
The all too familiar anger bubbling up inside him. “The High Elders have sworn Tolomon to secrecy for something. They are disgusting old men who sleep with young women. You don’t think they lied because they love power and want to control the world?”
“They are flawed men, Indenuel, I will give you that. But this is different. This is…” Nathaniel rubbed the corner of his eyes with his hands before straightening. “We are not to talk about it anymore. You shouldn’t have told me.”
“It’s all a part of the same conversation,” Indenuel said. “I cannot confess, because they are lying to the public.”
“They are keeping sacred what they deem needs to be sacred. It is not me to judge-”
“This is God we’re talking about,” Indenuel couldn’t help but interrupt. “This isn’t some minor doctrine. You pull this away, all their power goes with it.”
“No, no,” Nathaniel said. “I disagree. If they truly wanted all the power, they would make their positions like Gods instead, like the Zimorans did right before the Great Flood. Have the people worship them. We still worship God, and if God truly is…” Nathaniel swallowed before focusing again. “Then our worship would simply transfer to…”
“The Savior?” Indenuel asked.
“Sure. If that’s who they say. As long as they don’t say we should worship them.”
Indenuel shook his head right as the door opened. Tolomon walked in, changed and cleaned with an extra shirt in his hands. He tossed it in Indenuel’s direction.
“Sorry about the accident where the dagger definitely just slipped from my hand,” Tolomon said as Indenuel caught the shirt.
Indenuel shook his head as he stood. “Don’t let anyone in.”
“I won’t.” Indenuel wasn’t satisfied until he gave Tolomon a firm look. He thought of every possibility of what might happen before he checked Nathaniel. He was lost in his thoughts, obviously from what Indenuel told him, but caught his gaze enough to shake his head. He wouldn’t bring anyone in either. It was enough.
Indenuel slipped his torn shirt off before stuffing the new one on. It was a lighter color shirt, but with most of the day’s activities done, all he had to do now was sit at home and meditate. He wouldn’t be sweating too much.
He straightened the shirt before he noticed Nathaniel’s face. There was deep concern there, as well as worry when he met Indenuel’s eyes. Indenuel thought he’d seen enough of the mark, but maybe he hadn’t. Maybe it was different seeing the entire thing. He felt embarrassment all over again and looked away.
“You honestly think you can cleanse that yourself before the Day of the Devil?” Nathaniel asked.
“At least get it as light as I can,” Indenuel said.
“And you’re going to hope the demons leave you alone?” Nathaniel asked.
“I never said the demons would leave me alone,” Indenuel said.
Nathaniel seemed far more troubled by this than anything they had talked about, which was odd, considering they talked about God’s death. He stood. “I have seen speakers of the dead on the Day of the Devil being tormented by demons all day, screaming and crying.”
“Yeah,” Indenuel said quietly. “I know. That’s… what they do to me. Every year.”
Nathaniel’s face was full of compassion. “Don’t do this to yourself.”
“I have grown accustomed to it. It’s one day. A day I’ve experienced for most of my life with much of the same results,” Indenuel said.
“This isn’t right. You don’t have to live like this,” Nathaniel said, a pleading in his eyes. “Confess. The Day of the Devil doesn’t have to be like this for you.”
Indenuel shook his head, folding his arms. “Confession is not going to work. Both of you need to stop trying to convince me otherwise.”
“You realize what this means for me, right?” Tolomon asked. “To simply ask me to wait there while you have your day of suffering?”
“Yes, I’m fully aware. I don’t feel guilty for the murders, and so maybe this is the natural order of things. I would rather go through the Day of the Devil than confess. I will receive my punishment that way, and then move on. Continue to heal the marks myself.”
“This is the worst idea I’ve ever heard,” Nathaniel said. “You don’t play with the devil on his day.”
“I am glad they died!” Indenuel said, aware his voice was getting too loud. He couldn’t have anyone overhear. “I am sorry I had to be the one to do it, but no one else would. I’m sick of explaining myself over and over. There is nothing you can do to convince me to confess, so this conversation is over.”
Indenuel tried to move toward the door, but Tolomon was blocking it. Indenuel glared at him, and his bodyguard hesitated long enough before stepping aside and letting him through. Tolomon gave Nathaniel a bow before following Indenuel out of the hut.