Children of the Eternal

XXVIII

It was the worst time to be awed. But Will stared at the closed door, fighting an untimely elation at his proximity to the symbol of opposition to the Eternal. Questions flooded him and only the groans from Anna's room kept him silent. Instead, he sat on the floor beside Kate, reflecting on what he knew about the bold dissident.

Jonathan Knight had been fighting the Eternal since before Will was born. In his forties, he looked younger than his age. He had started several prohibited newspapers when he was around Will's age before finally settling on The Dark Truth. Over the years, he had managed to interview everyone from forced laborers to priests. Despite many raids, he kept the paper going. The Sacred State asserted that he was completely damned.

"Anna knows Jon Knight?" Will asked Kate when he could no longer contain his curiosity.

She nodded, not as dazzled as Will. "Anna did some editing for the paper before she got sick. I'm not sure if they were friends. I think he might have known her because of her friendship with my mother. The last thing I was expecting was for him to show up."

"He shouldn't have come." Shin sat across from them, rolling the orb back and forth on the floor, scattering shadows with its movement. "Charles saw him. Vanessa is right. As soon as that traitor gets out of the Edges, the Light will probably fail. We'll be lost in the Dark."

Will shivered, the little scraps of light failing at fighting the cold of the Edges. "But wouldn't they want to arrest him? How would they be able to prove they stopped him?"

The floor creaked as Shin batted the orb around. "True. They could also send in guards to seize him. What do you think your father will say when you are discovered here?"

A pit in Will's stomach grew as he considered Shin's words. If he was found with one of the most notorious sinners in the illuminated world, his father wouldn't be able to ignore it. Like bold classmates who vanished when they caused problems for their families, Will would probably be sent away.

Not wanting to dwell on that dismal possibility, Will focused on Kate. "Who was the man with him?"

"I can take a guess." She lowered her head and her curls fell down, hiding her eyes. "It's a priest of Anna's faith. There aren't many of them."

That was almost as surprising as the appearance of Jon Knight. Anyone who represented a forbidden faith was considered a minion of the Dark. From what Will learned, they were put to death faster than anyone else.

Shin tapped on the orb, and the light seemed to almost ripple in response. "Out of all heretics, they say servants of heretical religions bring the Dark faster than anyone. We all know that darkness is moving in the Edges. If you're afraid, it's time to go."

Will clenched his hand. "I'm not."

Kate hugged her knees, clutching the folds of her skirts. "That's a superstition."

Shin twirled the orb as if it was a child's toy. "It won't be if Charles does anything."

Kate scowled. "We all know the Dark is moving. He isn't going to have to do anything. All of this?" She gestured around her. "It could be gone very soon."

Will shuddered. Shin fell silent and stopped knocking the orb around. A steady glow settled over the hallway, but it seemed as if the shadows were increasing.

"How long does it take to pray?" Shin asked after a few minutes.

"As long as she needs," Kate said in a sharp tone.

Before the suffocating quiet could return, Will cleared his throat. "How many people do you think follow forbidden faiths?"

Kate brushed a curl out of her eye. "More than anyone would expect and less than the Sacred State says. I know Isaac's family believed in a faith that is even older than Matthew's. He never talks about it."