Caelan held in a snarky remark, promising himself he’d tell Drayce later, and nodded to the woman. He wasn’t fond of letting her try for the correct sign first, beating him to it, but he also didn’t feel confident that she could get it right, anyway. At least they had a plan worked out with Yash, though Rayne was being far too sparing on the details.
Safa boldly stepped up to the center of the stairs in front of the cathedral and lifted her hands into the air. Her ankle-length black duster flared and flapped lightly behind her as the wind whipped through the square. She spoke, but Caelan didn’t recognize what she was saying. The words weren’t in Erya’s language or even an older Caspagir dialect. They also didn’t sound like they were Zastrian or New Rosanthe. He glanced over at Rayne, who gave a little shake of his head.
There was a low tingle of energy in the air, similar to what he’d felt when he entered Sirelis for the first time, moving within range of the Wind Stone for the first time in his life. But this power wasn’t anything like what he’d encountered with the Wind Stone or the Life Stone of Stormbreak. This was sharp and carried the same scent of blood he smelled whenever the woman was around.
Caelan’s stomach churned and a cold sweat slipped along the back of his neck to slide along his spine like icy fingers of death were caressing his flesh. He’d already gotten a terrifying glimpse of her powers, but he feared this was going to be a hundred times worse. Pain was growing in his head as both Kaes and Tula stirred. Without words, he could feel them urging him to act. Untapped power gathered in his chest and pressed down on his heart and lungs, making it difficult to drag in a full breath.
When he’d first spoken with Tula, there had been a sense of fear and worry when it came to Zyros, the Goddess of the Hunt. But now that they were in the presence of the one bonded with Zyros, the amount of boiling hatred rising from the goddess was suffocating. There wasn’t an ounce of fear. Just rage. The kind of rage he’d come to expect from Kaes, but the God of Storms was wrapped in only righteous determination. Not for the first time, he felt he was failing to get the full story from the gods, and it was going to be him and his companions who paid for that ignorance.
Nearly a minute ticked by, and nothing happened. Drayce smirked and turned his gaze to wink at him. Caelan wanted to warn him that she hadn’t failed. It was still coming. He didn’t know what it was, but there was no missing her power heavy in the cold air.
The first blood-curdling scream sounded far off as it bounced off the stone walls of the city. People turned slowly away from the stairs to stare toward the far side of the square as the cry was joined by another. And then another. Men and women.
Gunshots.
More screams. Like the city was under attack.
As one, Caelan’s companions closed ranks around him, their weapons drawn in silence. The noise from the crowd was rising like a growing wave, but no one was leaving yet. The main exit from the square was in the direction of the screams.
“New Rosanthe attacking?” Eno asked in a low voice.
From the corner of his eye, he could see Rayne frown before his lips parted to answer, but Caelan beat him to it. “No. This is her and the Goddess of the Hunt.”
No one had a chance to ask him for more details. The first bloody person ran into the square. Even from a distance, he could see her face was ghastly white while her clothes were drenched in blood. She ran to the crowd, screaming something that sounded like a warning.
But she didn’t get more than a couple of dozen steps when a pair of snow leopards chased her. Their snowy white spotted fur was stained pink while their muzzles were a darker red. One leaped into the air, its powerful body dropping on her from behind. Her screams were silenced when she slammed into the hard-paving stones. The creature dipped his head and tore the woman’s throat out.
The crowd before the stairs scattered in every direction. Less than half surged forward, rushing up the stairs to seek sanctuary inside the cathedral. Caelan’s companions pressed even closer, trying to move him into the cathedral as well, but Caelan fought them.
“Running from the sight of real power?” Safa mocked in a harsh laugh. “This is my offering from the Goddess of the Hunt! Zyros knows what the Dead God wants—more souls for his growing collection.”
As she laughed, eight more snow leopards rushed into the square and immediately ran down the people who’d attempted to escape the square from other side streets rather than head inside. Caelan clenched his teeth while trying to push his way free of Rayne and Eno. He pulled on the power from Kaes, balling up the energy so that it was like lightning crackling around his soul.