In another temple, four days’ journey from where Jamen stood, Lia came awake with a gasp, her head swimming, thick with images and sounds.

She slept above another well in Mahreth’s central temple in Linden City. As one of three resident Touched, her bed was situated close to the power cell, and she communicated with the magic daily. Lia’s heart pulsed with the beat of Ellaster’s magic, and she spoke and acted on its behalf.

And right now, it was screaming.

Lia stumbled from her bed, footsteps slapping on the cold tile as she ran from her chambers, hands outstretched to the wall for balance. As she moved, she heard two more doors slam. Her fellow Touched had been awakened by it as well.

Parvene, the High Priestess over all of Mahreth’s temples caught up to Lia quickly, her own pace unsteady. "It’s happening again."

Lia nodded as they reached the stairs and made their way slowly down the spiraling steps. "The fifth time."

"We must inform the goddess."

"Shouldn’t she already know?" Lia asked, a smirk on her lips.

Her superior shot her a glance. "She likely does, or will soon enough when she receives the output reports from the cells."

They reached the central room of the temple’s power cell. It looked like the core of every power cell across Ellaster – a cave-like room decorated with the same frescoes, statues, and draperies as the temple upstairs, the place of worship open to the public.

Like a literal pool of sky blue light, the power cell ebbed and flowed within the violet safety barrier.

Lia did not pause to admire its beauty. She strode with purpose, barefoot, to one of the many machines whirring and clicking around the walls of the chamber. One held a needle trembling above a steady stream of paper. It traced a flat line, but the readout trailing down the machine's face showed a much more violent story.

"Output surged moments ago, then dropped permanently by six units." Lia let the paper fall against the machine and stepped quickly to the one beside it.

"Brivelle," her colleague announced from across the room, hands moving over dials. "It wasn't the most productive cell, but…"

"But at the rate they're going dark, we need every cell at full power." Parvene stretched her arms above her head, preparing her body for the ritual to summon Mahreth herself.

But there was no need.

A scattering of light pieces, like sparks, pricked into existence and coalesced into a shape, then a form, then a goddess.

White eyelashes rested on sharp dark cheekbones above full lips that were decidedly not pleased. "Brivelle." Mahreth's voice echoed and distorted at the edges, defied the natural acoustics of the room. "Output has dropped again. I asked you to investigate this."

All three Touched had dropped to their knees on the hard stone, palms upturned and eyes on her face in expected worship.

The goddess hovered in mid-air above the heart, her form-fitting jumpsuit nearly as dark as her skin. The power cell lit her from the underside, casting diffused shadows along the angles of her body, making her arms glow like wings when she stretched them out.

"Stand, all of you. Give me your report."

As Parvene stammered that they had no answers, no way to keep this from happening again, the goddess slid her gaze to Lia.

"You have nothing?"

Both of her fellow Touched glared at her, silently willing her to say nothing, but Lia folded her arms. "You're doing it. At least according to the locals at every temple we've visited."

Mahreth arched one delicate white brow. "Am I?"

"You, or an imposter with power to match yours. Acolytes claiming to serve you arrive, the cell goes dark, then they leave. It's the same in every town." Lia met the goddess’ stare unflinchingly.

A moment of tense silence filled the temple.

Then the goddess laughed.

“Are you accusing me, child? If you must know, it isn’t me. Someone must be doing this in my name…” The immortal woman tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Someone with enough power to imitate my own… Hmm… Call on me if you find anything more. I’m going to search the realms and see what fool is trying to carry out such destruction in my name.”

Mahreth leaned forward, her white hair sliding over her shoulder to dangle in the air over Lia’s face.

“And you, my child. I want you to see to this matter personally.”

“Understood.”

In the space of a breath, Mahreth vanished, a glittering of magic dripping like splashing drops upon Lia’s upturned face.

“Well then.” The high priestess crossed her arms, glaring at Lia with reluctant respect. “It seems you have work to do.”