“When one of my deacons came running in here with the news that you had arrived with a tiny army, I didn’t believe him,” the Heliacal Priestess said, stepping through the ring of ten people. “But my holy seers”—she swept out a hand, indicating the people who had snared Shyla with their magic—“insisted it was true, so I ordered my army to allow you to reach me but not your pathetic soldiers.”

It was awfully quiet on the other side of the glass doors. What happened to Jaft? No wonder it’d seemed easy for her to get to the throne room. From Shyla’s prone position on the floor, the priestess loomed over her, beautiful, tall, and regal. Except Shyla made eye contact with the holy despot and, if she could move, would have recoiled at the black rot inside the woman. Being able to read her soul was due to The Eyes, but Shyla needed her magic to physically influence the woman.

“I’m astounded by your ability to survive and by your incredible stupidity. Why did you return? Why not cut your losses and take your powerful eyes to another city?” the priestess asked with genuine curiosity.

Even though she was frozen in place, Shyla could still speak. “Why? Because you need to be stopped. You just murdered a bunch of people. You say you speak for the Sun Goddess. Do you really believe she would have wanted you to kill hundreds of innocent people so you can gain power?”

“She directed me to this course of action. She’s upset with how this city is being run. She wants me to have control of The Eyes and the city.” The priestess’s gaze lit with an inner fervor.

The woman believed all the nonsense she’d just spouted. Her faith was rooted deep in her soul. Shyla would get nowhere appealing to the priestess’s morality or sense of decency. Instead, she focused on the seers. The ten of them concentrated on keeping Shyla locked down. She fought to deflect their magical commands, but their combined power overwhelmed hers.

“And you are all mindlessly following this woman?” Shyla asked them. “Did you not see the bodies? Feel the vibrations? She risked the entire city with that attack. Your Blessed One is insane.”

“Do not listen to the sun-cursed. She lies.”

“I’ve woken the power of The Eyes. I see your soul, Bakula.”

The priestess jolted at the mention of her given name. Her hand flew to the torque around her neck. “You can’t—”

“I can. You do not speak for the Sun Goddess. You earned your position by poisoning the previous leader, the Heliacal Priest Uri. A very kind man who trusted you. And you got away with his murder. When you add in all the bodies under the rubble, how many more people have you murdered, Bakula?”

“Stop.” She backed up a few steps. “Timin!”