think it was likely he’d come into the temple proper for the ceremony. In order to get around the possibility of him seeing her, she had brought Orlice with her in the form of a common dove and sent her to scan the crowd for someone of the ShadowWalker’s description. Orlice had been instructed to monitor the ShadowWalker and report back to Eliora after the ceremony was over. Eliora was going to stay in the temple and listen to the service in the worship room.
“This is not a good idea,” Blake said nervously.
“I want to hear what they have to say,” Donnan replied. They were standing near a side-street off the main courtyard.
“I can hear what they have to say and then tell you.”
“I want to hear it for myself. If they’re going to say what I think they’re going to say, I want to see how people react.”
“I can tell you that.”
“Blake, we’re stayin’.”
“Oh, fine,” the acolyte agreed reluctantly, and started to clean his glasses. “What if she shows up?”
“Then we know she knows where I am.”
“And then you get into a lot of trouble.”
“What’s she going to do, arrest me?”
“I think that’s the least of what she could do.”
“She’s not going to call me out right here in the middle of the city. Too many people could get hurt.”
He replaced his glasses. “I hope you’re right.” He yawned. “I hope they get on with it. It’s too early.”
“You know, some of us have to get up in the mornin’ and go to work.”
“Yeah, I know, so what’s your point?”
Donnan and Blake watched the middle-aged cleric, dressed all in white, walk out to the front steps of the gleaming white building.
“Good morning,” Eldoris said, her voice surprisingly loud. “Today is the spring equinox, when day and night are of equal length and the moon is half-full.”
“Yeah, we knew that,” Donnan muttered.
Blake made a noise to indicate that he should be quiet. “You don’t want to draw any attention to yourself,” he whispered.
“We are glad so many of you came to the ceremony, for we have some news to share. Whether this news is for good or ill remains to be seen, so we share it on a day of balance. Many of you have come to doubt the power of the gods.”
Several people looked embarrassed and slightly ashamed.
She smiled sympathetically. “The gods work in ways that are mysterious and often difficult for even us to understand.”
This seemed to get a good reaction from the crowd.
“But the gods have done something that cannot be doubted. For untold millennia the Light One and Dark One have battled for dominance. For the most part, this battle has gone unnoticed, as it the struggle all of us endure every day within our own souls. But now the gods have Chosen two humans as Their Avatars. Endowed with a measure of the gods’ power, these two Avatars will fight for the gods and decide whether the world is ruled by Darkness or Light.”
The color left Donnan’s pale face. “Gods damn it,” he swore through gritted teeth.
Blake didn’t look much better.
An uncertain murmur circulated through the crowd as they considered the implications of the cleric’s words.
“Where these Avatars are, we do not know. They could be anywhere in the world. But in less than a year’s time they will reveal themselves for what they are. It is unlikely you will know these Avatars until they reveal themselves, but as they are fighting for their gods, you may want to consider which side you are fighting for. The Dark Avatar especially will likely remain hidden, so this person will have to work through other people to achieve the ends of their god. We implore you to be cognizant of this battle and aware of the consequences your choices may have. Remember, the gods work through you. You are the ones who truly have the choice between Light and Darkness, which god you serve, and which Avatar you will aid.”
The murmur got louder.
After that, Eldoris launched into a more conventional ceremony for the day.
Donnan and Blake remained through the whole speech, not wanting to leave early and appear suspicious.
“May the blessings of the Light One be upon you all,” she finished, and returned to the temple.
The crowd in the courtyard was starting to disperse.
“We should go now,” Blake muttered.
A gray stray cat yowled in the alley behind them.
“Go away,” he said, kicking at the cat.
“No, wait,” Donnan replied, startled out of his thoughts by the sound. He knelt down and the cat walked up to his hand.
“What do you care about a stray cat? Especially now?”
“This is not an ordinary cat,” he answered. “Follow me. We’re going to my apartment now.”
“Good, please, and then you’ll explain about the cat?”
He nodded and they set off with the cat continuously meowing at them.
Eliora waited until most of the congregation had left the temple and called Orlice back. “I must leave now,” she said to the cleric.
“As you will, my Lady.”
She bowed slightly, made sure no one else was watching, and stepped into the Light Realm carrying Orlice.
She reappeared in her cottage. “Tell me everything you saw and heard.”
“So?” Blake said when they got to Donnan’s apartment.
“So what?”
“So everything? What the cleric said. What you’re going to do. What that cat is about.”
He poured some leftover chicken soup into a bowl and set it down for the cat, which greedily lapped it up. “The cat is a gift from the Dark One that apparently has been tryin’ to find me for a while now. It can change shape if I want it to.”
“Well, that could be useful. But about that cleric’s speech? Now the whole city knows about the Avatars. Maybe even the whole world.”
He plopped down in a chair. “I don’t know what you want from me. It was going to happen sooner or later. I’d kind of hoped for later, but that didn’t happen. So what? No one knows it’s me.”
Blake started to clean his glasses. “Donnan, people are going to start wonderin’.”
“No one is payin’ any attention to someone like me.”
“That’s not true. Mistress Adrie’s already gone far enough to give you advice on your social life. She is wicked smart and while I don’t think she’s going to jump to the conclusion that your one of the Avatars, I wouldn’t be surprised if she starts wonderin’ a little bit more about this mage who was recommended by the Order of Darkness.”
“God damn it.”
“Yeah, you see the problem. Ever tried your mind magic on her?”
“Once.”
“Maybe you should do it again."
"I've got the darklings watching her. I'll know if she's going to try to something."
"Well, alright." There was an uncomfortable silence. Blake started to clean his glasses again. "So how are things with Aolani?" he asked primly.
"Do you care or do you just want to get me talkin' about something else?"
"Both."
"It's going pretty good. I see her about once a week. You know that."
"Has she agreed to be your girl yet?"
"No. I keep asking her to be exclusive, but she says she's just not ready for that kind of commitment. It's not like I asked her to marry me."
"Yet," Blake said.
"She'll come around. I'm sure of it. I mean, a few months ago she didn't even know who I was. Now she's seeing me on a regular basis. We've done a lot of kissing. I mean a lot."
Blake rolled his eyes. "Halfway to bed, are you?"
"Well, maybe a quarter of the way. I'm gettin' there, you'll see. It would be better if I could just get her to stop seeing those other guys though. She's seeing another teacher. Makes me feel like I'm not smart enough for her, you know?"
"At the rate
your going, you'll certainly be rich enough for her and trust me that's all too often enough for people."
"Money don't matter to her, which is one of the things I really like about her," Donnan said wistfully.
"Donnan," Blake said thoughtfully and carefully, "when you win this battle and if Aolani never finds out you're the Dark Avatar..."
"She won't," he interrupted. "I'll make sure of it."
"Yes, well, but what if after all that she decides she doesn't want to be with you?"
"Why would she decide that? I've made myself better for her. I talk better. I learned a useful skill. I've got a good job in a powerful guild. I'm dressing better and living better. Once I win this thing, I'll have the power of a god, even if she doesn't know it. No one will ever bully me again. I can give her anything she wants. Why wouldn't she want that?"
"Well, love is a fickle thing. Believe me, we see it all the time in the Order. People who claim to love each other and then hurt each other in awful ways, or who love each other for twenty years and then just stop. And that's assuming she does fall in love with you."
Donnan stared into the corner for a long time without speaking. There was a crash of thunder outside.
"Oh dear," Blake said softly. "Look, I didn't mean to upset you, but this thing has to be decided in just about three months. That's not much time. Not that I think you'll lose, but still, that's not a lot of time. And then what will you do? Just something to think about."
"I've done everything for Aolani," he replied in a low voice. "I'm not about to let her get away from me."
Blake nervously started to clean his glasses again. "Well, Donnan, isn't that her choice?" he asked cautiously.
"Oh, yeah, of course it is. But I'll just have to make sure she makes the right choice," he