ARC: Sunstone Read Online Free Page B

apparently as keen as she was to pass through the troublesome area.
    They must be nearing the southern edge now, she calculated, shivering at the thought that one day her body might be disposed of here, the ash washed away over the Magna Cataracta to who-knew-where. But even as she wondered if that was their destination, her feet hit cool water, the shock making her inhale and clutch Geve’s hand. They were crossing the river, which meant their destination was away from the waterfall, to the south-western limits of the city. Geve steadied her, guiding her across to the other side, the splash of their feet ringing in her ears. They were heading for the forgotten caves. She had never been this far south. Here the air smelled stale, and sound echoed without people and belongings to soak it up. Most of these caves had been deserted since the White Sickness. The palace insisted the disease had long since died out, but even the poorest in the city refused to cross the banks, in spite of the overcrowding in many areas.
    The avenues changed to streets, the streets to lanes, and then they were in alleyways so narrow she could stretch out her hands and brush her fingers against the stone walls on either side. Were there still bodies here? Rumours abounded that the Select had left the sick here to die and just chained off the area. She sniffed cautiously. The air smelled clean with no sign of the sickly sweet smell of rotting flesh. Perhaps it had been too long, and the flesh had turned to dust, and only bones remained. No wonder the group met here – who would ever think to look for them in the forgotten caves?
    She shivered, although whether from having wet feet, from the thought of the dead lying abandoned, or from the knowledge that nobody knew she was there, she wasn’t sure.
    Finally, the men in front of her slowed, and her fingers brushed against a woven door that had been pulled back to let her through. Her shoes scrunched on matting. Whispers and the occasional scuff of feet told her there were other people in the room. Judging by the acoustics, the room was small, but she couldn’t make out anything more than that.
    Someone led her to a chair and pushed her gently into it, and she sat. She was thankful the journey was over, but her heart continued to pound at the thought of the interrogation she was now going to have to endure.
    “Sarra?” It was a voice she recognised. Geve, her friend from the Primus Caverns, the man she had approached in the first place.
    She cleared her throat. “Yes?”
    “Are you all right? Are you comfortable?”
    “Yes, thank you.”
    “I am sorry that I cannot yet remove the hood, but you understand that secrecy is imperative here.”
    “I do. I am hot and my nose itches, but I am not distressed by it – please do not worry.”
    There was a light ripple of laughter. Her chest rose and fell with her rapid breaths, but she forced herself to keep calm. The next few minutes would possibly be the most important of her life. Comfort was the last thing on her mind.
    “Tell us why you are here,” Geve said. His low voice was gentle and encouraging. He liked her, she reminded herself – he was on her side.
    “I wish to know about the Veris,” she said.
    “Who are the Veris?” he asked.
    “A secret society.”
    “What sort of secret society?”
    “You worship the Arbor. You believe in the Surface – a world above the Embers.”
    There, she had said it. The words were out – there was no going back now. She was either leaving this cave a member of the society or wrapped up in a death blanket.
    The room had grown silent, and she had visions of the men and women exchanging worried glances.
    “How do you know about the Veris?” a woman asked.
    She nibbled her bottom lip. She had thought long and hard about how to answer this question and had decided truth was the best option, although it would not make it easier for them to trust her. “Rauf told me.”
    Hushed whispers travelled around