Sanctuary by Rowena Cory Daniells Read Free Book Online

adult.
    ‘The lads tease him,’ Iraayel admitted. ‘But no, it’s Dragazim. Somehow he found out how his choice-mother died, and...’
    Imoshen’s heart sank. The night before they left the city, the sisterhood’s gift-tutor had gone down to the crypts below the palace and taken her own life and her devotee’s.
    Iraayel opened the door to reveal Saffazi trying to console a boy of thirteen who was in tears.
    ‘It’s not that she didn’t love you,’ the seventeen-year-old said. ‘It’s –’
    ‘She didn’t love me. She was always angry with me. She didn’t care what happened to me, otherwise why would she kill herself and Ch... Choris?’ His voice broke. ‘Choris loved me. Now she’s gone, too. I hate...’ He broke off, seeing Imoshen.
    She did not try to lie. ‘Your choice-mother was a troubled woman, Dragazim.’ Imoshen crossed the chamber and sat beside him on the edge of the marble tub. ‘It wasn’t that she didn’t love you, more that she was afraid of what we would face in exile. Vittoryxe could not bear to leave the Celestial City. She believed the glory of our people was in the past. She didn’t understand that exile is a great opportunity in disguise.’
    As he blinked, a tear ran down his cheek and Imoshen’s gift surged. She was a raedan, able to read people. The glory of the T’Enatuath was all very well, but what this boy needed now was a choice-mother who gave him hope.
    She squeezed his shoulder. ‘It’s time to appoint a new choice-mother for you.’ As she stood, she nodded to Iraayel, drawing both him and Saffazi to the door. ‘You did well to alert me to his distress. Thank you.’
    Then she hesitated. She could hardly take Dragazim into her cabin, it was full of the sisterhood’s inner circle and the small T’En children. He would not want them to see he’d been crying. The bathing chamber was the only place they could be private. ‘Wait here with him.’
    Opening the door, Imoshen discovered Egrayne making her way to their cabin. She stepped into the passage, closing the door after her and lowered her voice. ‘We need to appoint a new choice-mother for Dragazim.’
    ‘Vittoryxe’s boy?’
    Imoshen nodded. ‘He learned how she took her own life. Not only has she left us in the lurch with no trained gift-tutor, but she’s left the boy without a choice-mother.’
    ‘He’s thirteen.’
    Imoshen bristled. ‘He deserves a choice-mother who will stand by him during his last four years with the sisterhood.’
    ‘Who were you thinking?’
    ‘It has to be someone of equal or higher stature than his original choice-mother, which only leaves the three sisterhood leaders.’
    ‘I’m too old to take on another child,’ Egrayne protested. ‘And you’re not only the all-mother but also causare.’
    ‘It should be Kiane. He’s about to begin his training to prepare him for brotherhood life under her guidance. The sisterhood’s hand-of-force is –’
    ‘Perfect. I’ll fetch her.’
    Imoshen returned to the bathing chamber. She glanced around, taking in the marble tiles and gold fittings. It was hardly the dome of empowerment or the sisterhood’s formal ceremony chamber, but it would have to do.
    ‘We have a new choice-mother for you,’ Imoshen said.
    ‘She won’t want me.’
    ‘Nonsense.’ Egrayne bustled in with her devotee, who carried the lineage book, and Hand-of-force Kiane. ‘You’re thirteen,’ she told Dragazim. ‘Rather than wait until the next empowerment day, let’s see if I can find your gift now.’
    Dragazim looked up at the T’Enatuath’s gift-empowerer with a mix of fear and excitement.
    Imoshen gave him a smile of reassurance, then gestured to Kiane. ‘And my hand-of-force is here because you’ll need a new choice-mother to guide you and prepare you for the challenges of brotherhood life. Who better than Kiane?’
    He flushed and dropped to his knees, giving the deep obeisance. ‘I am honoured.’
    ‘Very nicely done, Dragazim,’