Page 1 of Lucent Academy 2: Trinity Awakens
Prologue: In the Temple of Mithra
A young man, little more than a teenager, ran up the long aisle. His footfalls pounded on the stone floor, echoing off the walls and the arched ceiling high above. He was small and twitchy, with sandy-blonde hair and a pinched, pale face. In his simple tunic and with his particular features, he looked quite like the proverbial church mouse as he scampered between the wooden seats.
Light spilled in through the glass-stained windows and lit their patterns on the floor. Depictions of the sun goddess Mithra in all her glory shone in ghostly reflections on the slate-gray, smooth-washed stone. They were representations of how the artist imagined the Sun Goddess looked. No living human had ever seen her true face. The reflections created a rainbow pathway that the young man crossed in a hurry, not stopping to admire the breathtaking kaleidoscope.
When he reached the front of the temple, he stopped next to a tall man dressed in red and black robes. The temple wasn't empty after all, but the man had stood frozen in place. It had been easy to mistake him for one of the statues.
Archbishop Pier Avalli Turin pushed back the hood of his robes, which had cast his face in shadow, revealing a countenance that was sharp and pointed. Eyes, ears, nose, chin, and scraggly, black beard... Together, they gave the impression of someone intelligent and predatory, like a hawk or a falcon. He turned his sharp amber eyes to the boy who was bending over, trying to catch his breath.
Feeling the Archbishop's gaze, the boy swallowed and stood abruptly at attention. His heart was still pounding like a wild horse in his chest, though, because of running too fast to bring the priest his message, or because of having the older man look at him so dispassionately, it was difficult to say.
"The guests have arrived, Your Excellency. I have shown them to the Chapter House and offered them refreshments as instructed."
Pier nodded just once and turned in a swirl of red and black to march down the aisle the boy had run up just moments before. Out of the side doors of the temple, and into the sunlight, the Archbishop strode down the garden pathway. Between elder trees, blooming rosebushes, and luscious flowerbeds, he followed a little stream and crossed a tiny, stone bridge.
He reached a pretty, cream-colored building and opened the door. Inside, four figures sitting patiently around a table turned their heads as one to watch him enter. With a scraping of chairs, they stood up as Pier strolled over to an empty chair at the head of the table. Only once he was seated did they take their places again.
The Archbishop gave his guests a nod and greeted each of them by their title. They were all powerful men and women within the Empire. All of them were devout followers of the Order of Mithra. They respected his authority. With regard to the cause they were working toward, they held him in higher regard than they did any other noble man or woman. Unofficially, he held more sway among these four than the Empress herself. Officially, theirs was a relationship of give and take. In the matter he was about to discuss with them, he needed their permission to act.
Now, as he regarded them, he felt the weight of this responsibility, to be the bearer of bad news, sit squarely on his shoulders.
"I am afraid the reports we thought were merely an unfounded rumor and a bit of fearmongering are true after all. The prophecy has been fulfilled. The Trinity has been revealed. As one of the most powerful Blessed, I felt the Realm Veil shudder myself—and another of my peers confirmed it. Three Diamond-Ranked males from each Pacted Realm answered a single summons at once."
Their reactions were as he had expected. Gasps and fearful looks at each other.
He nodded solemnly. He had known this day would come. Unlike most, he had believed in the legend of the Trinity. Like the other four people in the room, he didn't believe that its purpose was to end the Void Wars. They believed that the purpose of the Trinity was to bring about the destruction of their world.
"The daughter of the Empress," one of the men spat angrily. "I warned all of you that we should have eliminated the daughter soon after she was born. I predicted the Princess would be powerful when she was born under the Equinox Supremis. Early reports of her flourishing talents should have prepared us for this. She should never have been allowed to live long enough to summon a mate. Now, she's summoned three Diamond-Ranked mates!"
The Archbishop shook his head. "As devout followers of Mithra, we are not in the business of killing innocent children just because of the circumstances of their birth. Not unless they pose an actual threat. Because of the informational blockade imposedon students and spectators after the summoning, we also cannot confirm her identity—so let's not jump to conclusions. We know only that she is female and that the summoning happened—nothing more. The most obvious option isn't always right. Placing someone trustworthy and capable at Lucent Academy has proven difficult enough. It has taken years for my agent to gain the sort of authority that would truly matter. To have placed someone among the Empress's own people would have been uniquely difficult. You know how careful she's been. Especially after the death of our beloved Emperor."
They bowed their heads in respect for the fallen leader of the Invicto Empire.
"Then what do you suggest we do?" one of the women asked. Like the rest of them, she was afraid of the repercussions of a failed attempt on the life of the Princess. If their involvement ever came to light, the Empress would stop at nothing to avenge her daughter.
"Is there a way to remedy the situation?" She asked carefully. "How do we eliminate her now that she's under the protection of Lord Principal Lucius?"
"Perhaps it's best if we ignore it." The other man present argued. "If we do anything, we'll only substantiate its power in the minds of the people. That in and of itself is a dangerous thing. We should wait a while, see what this Trinity will become first." He had always believed that the legends of the Trinity were overblown at best.
"I believe caution at this stage is advisable," the last woman agreed, "We know the power the Trinity is supposed to hold, the danger it represents. We have about three years to decide how to eliminate her before she joins the war. Three years whereshe's still discovering her power, learning how to use it. I think we have to find a way to kill her while she is still attending that wretched school. Say what you will about it, but at least her power is contained for now. It gives us some time. I think it would be prudent to watch her closely, to see if she truly poses a threat. Perhaps for now we observe, nothing more."
She was quiet for a moment. She drummed her long-nailed fingers on the table. Then she shrugged.
She looked at the Archbishop. "This high-ranking agent you have within the Academy, will they be able to eliminate the Princess for us if we decide to act?"
Though his expression was unreadable, internally the Archbishop felt a wave of irritation with these four nobles. They hadn't come to the conclusion he had hoped they would come to. "My agent is willing to take that risk. They're able to move in the shadows, get close enough to the Trinity, and give detailed reports on her emerging powers. Close enough to strike when the time comes for us to act. Considering the outcome if they're caught, this person will ask for a substantial fee."
"And you are not going to tell us who that person is, what their qualifications are?" The man who had previously voiced his skepticism said.
The Archbishop looked at this man coldly. "I would think it would be better for you not to know this spy's identity, My Lord. How else would you be able to convincingly pretend innocence when next you are in the presence of the Empress?" There were resigned nods around the table. All four of them saw the benefits of remaining as ignorant as possible.
They had reached the end of the meeting, and the four noble men and women departed one by one. Before they did, they eachplaced a pouch of gold and jewels in front of the Archbishop. They did so quietly, without discussing a price or asking for reassurances about how the job would be done.
Once he was alone at the table, a few minutes after the last nobleman had left, a door to an empty utility closet opened, and a cloaked woman stepped out from the dark and into the light of the late afternoon sun spilling in through the windows.
She walked quietly, gracefully, like a lazy cat. The Archbishop didn't react to her sudden appearance. He had known all along that she was there, listening to the meeting. Only once she was seated beside him with her delicate hands casually folded on the table, did the Archbishop's gaze find hers.
A pair of vivid blue eyes stared at him over a black mask. Ringlets of fine, blond hair, delicate as spun sugar, fell down her shoulders. In all the years they had worked together, the Archbishop had never seen her face. Sometimes, she had green eyes and red hair. Sometimes, her eyes were brown and her hair black. Like those at the top of her profession, she had mastered the art of disguise.
