Eternal Dawn

II

Thomas plunged into the heretical crowd. It surprised him to see so many young people there. Servants of the Eternal assumed the youth gravitated toward rebels to indulge in intoxication and lust. A life of austere self-denial held little appeal to Thomas at any age, but he understood the dissatisfaction among the youth. There was little hope for their futures. When most boys reached sixteen, they would be forced to serve as a guard. They would be sent to territories that were constantly losing light to the Dark.

A fate that almost destroyed Thomas.

His uniform attracted a few suspicious glances, but he couldn't blame the people. Guards did the dirty work, the bloody jobs. They wore black for that reason. They did unholy acts for the holy Light.

Miss Sullivan stood next to a man in his thirties. Dressed in the gray of the Purists, something was off about him. A burn circled his left eye, and he twitched a little too much. Thomas was no fool.

It was the renegade priest.

Thomas caught his breath. All he had to do was grab the man and he could prevent a potential tragedy. Not that he relished the idea of seizing a priest that broke away from the Sacred State. He couldn't avoid the fact it would save lives. But Purists stood by the man, prepared to protect him. Renegade priests could also do a lot of damage. Their ability to use the Light could burn people.

Then there was Miss Sullivan. Not only could she cause trouble, but she was too close to him. If Thomas failed, she could be caught up in the crossfire.

Thomas cleared his throat. "Miss?"

It seemed like she didn't hear him, her focus on the raspy, rambling words of the renegade priest. Then, when he ceased his pontificating, she slowly looked over her shoulder at Thomas.

"Yes? Lieutenant?" she said, making the last word sound like a challenge.

"Miss Sullivan, I am going to have to ask you to allow me to escort you from this street," Thomas said, deepening his voice as if that might lend authority to his request.

The reporter couldn't have looked more unimpressed. "A sanctuary is on this street. Everyone is entitled to the holy Light. Are you sending me to the Dark?"

Thomas bristled when one of the humorless Purists actually chortled at her remark. "Eternal Guards are permitted to remove a corruptive presence from a sanctuary if it is putting other souls at risk."

"And how am I putting souls at risks?" She raised an eyebrow. "What have I done?"

Nothing. That wouldn't stop another guard.

The former priest raised his hand. "It's me. I am the one you want. I was once a priest of the Eternal. The corruption of my brethren left me with no choice except to abandon them and seek a more pure path. One that will bring illumination to everyone."

Thomas jolted. The last thing he expected was a confession. "You admit to being an apostate?"

It was considered the greatest sin to be blessed with the Eternal Light and turn away from the priesthood. Thomas had seen a few renegade priests, usually half-mad and burning themselves with the Light. A little fear crept in that the man might burn him. Guards went through training to withstand it, but very few avoided marks. A small mark was one thing. Anything more would require a purification and attract unwanted interest. He had to work out a way to get Miss Sullivan out of there without the man attacking him.

The priest's hazel eyes burned into him, as if he knew everything he was thinking.

"They know you will record the truth," the priest told the reporter. "And they are planning to kill all of us to hide our truth."