What went wrong?

The Templar turned away from Winlay and faced Mika, but instead of closing with her or demanding her surrender he asked her:

"What went wrong, Mika?" Winlay's mind whirled in confusion, trying to make sense of her crumbling world. Her friend Mika was actually an assassin and the Templar captain who was sworn to protect the High Priest was working with her. She pulled on her initiate's robes as she listened to her answer.

"The scroll case didn't work, something tipped him off." As Mika spoke Winlay realized in a combination of pride and horror that it had been her startled cry that had saved the High Priest. "I nicked him Adam." Mika added pointing to the closed door "He's bleeding, but he's locked himself in there."

"Damn!" Adam swore and strode past Mika to the heavy door. Mika meanwhile was approaching Winlay.

"Mika?" Winlay asked, she knew she should feel afraid or angry or something, all she could feel was a profound sense of calm contentment. Even when Mika took her head in her hands and examined the Voice's golden hair net, Winlay was confident that everything was all right.

"Winlay, what has he done to you?" Mika murmured as she touched the golden web carefully, what is this.

"It’s mine Mika, his Holiness gave it to me. I'm going to be his Voice." She watched passively as Mika pulled it from her hair and then with a flash of white stars the peaceful state was suddenly gone. A torrent of emotions crashed into her conscience, all the feelings from the past several hours fought for recognition. Her fear and anger combined with the disgust she felt as she remembered Beldan pawing at her body as she squirmed against him like a cat in heat. Turning her head to the side Winlay emptied the contents of her stomach all over the High Priest's robes.

"Oh Landers, what have I done?" She felt Mika's arms hold her tightly as she cried out in anguish.

"It's alright Winlay." Mika crooned softly "It's going to be OK." Winlay wanted to stay in Mika's arms as long as she could but Adam interrupted their embrace.

"Not if we don't get out of here now." He told them pushing both of them towards the door. "Mika make her understand, she needs to snap out of this." Adam then opened the door and dragged the two dead guardsmen into the High Priest's suite. He was strong Winlay realized as she saw him easily drag more than 200 kilos of dead weight from the hallway.

"You two, clean up the blood as best you can, I'm going to try to give us some time." Winlay watched the warrior pick up Beldan's cords of office and stride back to where Beldan had locked himself away. "Crews I wish we had the time to smoke out this weasel." He said as he used the High Priest's own cords to tie the door handle to a heavy bookshelf. Meanwhile Mika was on her knees using a damp towel to clean the hallway floor. Winlay tried to help but she couldn't seem to make herself move, still paralyzed by a turmoil of raging emotions she was still standing in shock when Adam pulled her to the doorway.

"I'm sorry Mika." She whispered. "It was my fault." Mika shook her head interrupting her. She picked up the golden hair net and held it up to Winlay's face.

"No Mika, it's this thing's fault, not yours." She stuffed it into her pouch, "I don't know exactly what this is, but I'm sure that this is to blame, and I'm not leaving it for Beldan to use again." Adam nodded and then moved to the door.

"If anyone asks, we are taking Sister Winlay to the Templar interrogation rooms." Mika nodded slowly.

"That should get us into the prison." Mika's voice showed some of her excitement “We can still do this!"

"No!" Adam stopped her almost immediately. "As soon as we are clear of the Holy Palace, I'm taking you two to the harbor. You've risked enough already." Winlay could see Mika didn't like that idea at all.

"Wait" She said, stopping Adam. "Still do what?"

"There is someone we have to rescue, Winlay." Mika told her eagerly sensing that she might have an ally. "Someone important that the High Priest is holding captive."

"I'd like to try then." Winlay told Adam. "I don't want the High Priest to get what he wants."

Adam stared at Winlay and Mika in surprise, she could see his mind weighing the many different variables, judging the possible gain versus the risks involved.