The masked man still pinned Hunter to the ground, even with the city guard standing over them. Fear flickered across their faces as they exchanged glances, sharp and raw beneath their mask.
"Find anything in there?"
The call came from behind the guard– his partner, most likely, but the silence stretched a bit too long. Hunter's gut twisted. Why wasn't he raising the alarm?
Finally, the guard spoke.
"This room's clear."
Hunter's eyes flew wide.
'No it's not!'
She tried to scream, but the city guard closed the door in her face. The echo of it caught her off mid-breath, leaving her stunned in silence, frozen in disbelief. The mocking laughter of the masked men was quick to shatter her daze.
"What did you think?"
A rough hand seized her by her hair, yanking her head back.
"The boss has connections everywhere. Of course this was settled long before you showed up. You really thought you'd found a savior, didn't you?"
As painful as it was, Hunter remembered when the priest made mention of her knowing nothing at all.
'No!'
Tears spilled freely from her eyes, hot and helpless. This wasn't how it was supposed to end. How could they leave her in this state? The fact no one else even bothered to check after the city guard made her realize they knew everything.
Did it mean the council… the nobles… were they all part of some scheme?
What was happening?
What has she… dragged herself into?
*******
"Apparently, the temple is clear," the lead guard announced after returning to the main hall. "Apologies for the disturbance."
One of his men stepped forward and whispered in his ear, and he only replied with a nod before glancing at the priest. Ivan's thin lips curled subtly into a smile, and this silent communication went unnoticed by the crowd.
Amon ran his finger through his hair. He was so frustrated he wished he could punch whoever had sent him that letter. He had suspected the temple only because his sister carried a quiet resentment toward it. Hunter wasn't cruel, far from it. She was warm and loving. Yet whenever she spoke ill of the serpent's temple, he was quick to silence her– not out of disbelief, but because it was the only way to protect her from being branded a heretic in Lemuris.
Heretics were those who refused to kneel to the gods, and rumors said they even pledged themselves to a nameless deity. His parents had been accused of such blasphemy and died horribly. He couldn't bear the thought of his sister suffering the same fate.
If he were honest, he and Hunter had never been on good terms. She hated his silence, and he hated her will to defy the laws of Lemuris.
At some point he even thought he… hated her. But her sudden disappearance made him realize the truth.
She was his little sister.
And he wouldn't rest until he found her.
"Amon."
The young man turned to the priest who approached him.
"Are you satisfied with the search? If you want, you can research the entire temple. I particularly don't mind–"
Amon shook his head. "No."
He released a slow breath and lowered his head slightly. "I… forgive me for doubting the temple's sanctity. If punishment is required, I'll accept–"
"There's no need for that," Ivan placed a hand on his shoulder. "Like I said before, I'm not offended. You did what any other older brother would do. If you truly wish to make amends, then I do hope you find your sister as soon as possible."
From the side, the scribe who watched the scene unfold muttered under his breath: "He disturbs the peace of the temple, and walls away without any consequences."
"You heard Father Ivan."
A young acolyte leaned against a pillar. "A brother protecting his own isn't a crime. What surprises me is how quickly bitterness takes root here. For a temple, there's far too much negativity breeding within it. They say one will rot the second it consumes you."
The scribe glanced at the young man, unsettled by the calm aloofness in his eyes as they lingered on the scene.
When the search was over, the city guards turned to take their leave, and so did Amon. Ivan watched the temple door close behind them, and the aura around him grew far more menacing before he turned and left the main hall.
Outside, the lead guard approached Amon. "You're lucky the priest is patient. Most wouldn't tolerate that kind of disrespect. Unless you've got solid proof your sister's being held, don't drag us out here with rumors. Girls her age… They make reckless choices. We'll keep doing our best to find her, but in the meantime, leave the temple out of it. Do you understand?"
A flicker of anger flashed in Amon's eyes, and he bit back his retort. He admits, he may have acted based on the letter, but he knew his sister far better. She wasn't rebellious at all.
Saving his retorts for another day, he simply nodded and walked away.
Lemuris wasn't actually the safest place to be at night, so he chose not to walk home. He climbed into a waiting carriage and watched as the moon smeared red through the fog. He remembered Hunter showing him a picture of an unfamiliar pale moon. She used to call it a lantern for dreamers.
He hadn't paid her much attention back then, never listened. But tonight, he was starting to understand why she hated the red moon. It seemed anything but kind.
******
When he made it safely home, the warmth inside greeted him. It brushed off the chill that lingered on his coat, and the faint crackle of hearth filled the air.
A lamp glowed in a corner. His fourteen-years-old sister, Laura, sat on the couch without looking up, her hair loose, her blue eyes rimmed with tiredness.
"Did you find Hunter?" She asked before he could speak. The question hung in the room like a small accusation.
"Not yet," he said.
Laura's fingers pressed the hem of her dress. "She wouldn't have left if you'd just listened." She stood and ran upstairs.
Amon didn't go after her. He let the words stay, for he had earned them. He sank into the couch, unsure of what else he could do.
He ended up falling asleep on the couch and woke to the sound of someone knocking. Morning had come thin and gray. He sat up, feeling even more restless than recharged. He stood up when the knock echoed again.
When he opened the door, the tired look in his eyes momentarily vanished when he found the city guard standing before his threshold, but it wasn't his presence that left a cold feeling in his chest, but the way his face had already closed into the shape of bad news.
The guard held a folded piece of cloth in gloved hands.
"Mr Amon." The guard's voice was careful, small. "We– we found her."
Amon's throat tightened.
The guard took off his glove and let the cloth show a smear of dark. "I'm sorry. She's dead."