“You should sleep if you can,” she called back to the others. “We aren’t going to be stopping for a while. And I’ll need someone to be in charge of those water bottles. Everyone can have a drink every . . .”

How long until the border? Mae couldn’t have said for sure with the map, let alone with out. “. . . every hour.”

“I’ll do it,” said one of the older girls who’d helped carry out the unconscious servant. “But what will my name be?”

Some of them were starting to think this was a game, and Mae couldn’t decide if that was a good or bad thing. It made some of them more agreeable, but at the same time, she kind of wanted them to take this seriously. Nonetheless, after a little discussion, her water volunteer was dubbed Monica. The girl took to the task happily, and she was also the one who calmed down the marked servant when she groggily woke.

“It’s okay, Dawn,” Monica told her. “We’re just on our way to the new place. You had an accident. Rest.”

Mae hoped there’d be no screaming when Dawn learned the truth of the situation, and fortunately, darkness and tension eliminated most conversation in the van. They traveled north for about an hour when Mae came to a junction and signs indicating multiple destinations. East would take them toward downtown Divinia, where she most definitely didn’t want to go. West was the route she wanted, both from the lack of cities indicated on the sign and because that was where her mental map told her to go anyway until she could turn north. What gave her pause was another small northerly route, marked as leading to Holy Lake.

Holy Lake. The Grand Disciple’s words came back to her, how he’d bragged to Justin about having a private lodge and property there . . . and Justin’s speculation that was where the staff might be hidden. Mae knew the smart thing now was to turn west and put as much difference between her and Divinia as possible. Time wasn’t a commodity she could spare just then. At the same time, she was also fully aware of the complete stroke of luck that had brought her to this point. If she’d still had her map, she likely would’ve turned west already on one of the many smaller side roads they’d passed. She’d been uncertain until reaching this point but now had clear direction.

Taking it was the logical choice.

And yet, Holy Lake had been Hansen’s best guess for the staff, the staff Mae knew little about, save that it troubled Justin and might hold a threat for the RUNA. It was impossible to imagine anything posing a greater threat than the hacking conspiracy that Justin was already working on . . . but who was she to say for sure just how much damage the supernatural forces swirling around them could cause? She’d certainly witnessed enough to know the potential was there, and there was a very real possibility the knife’s master had sent her down this path with the purpose of finding Holy Lake.

If you have faith, I will guide you home and help you thwart your enemies, the goddess had said. Mae had assumed at the time those enemies were the salon workers. Now, it seemed very possible the knife’s master was offering her the opportunity to thwart her country’s enemies as well.

Mae was hardly in a position to cut herself and find out, but she was, according to the sign, less than ten miles from the lake. A quick check of the area would take no time at all. And so, knowing it might very well make an already dangerous situation worse, Mae merged on to the small road that led to the lake.

CHAPTER 20

Ascendant

Religion might not have been a mainstream practice in the RUNA, but there was plenty of information about its many incarnations on the media stream for those who were interested. In some ways, there was almost too much. Following Dr. Cassidy’s party, Tessa threw herself into research on Osiris and Egyptian mythology, coming up with more questions than answers.

“All of this is on ancient stuff,” she complained to Daphne. “And there’s no real record that details exactly how they worshipped. There’s just a general set of beliefs.”

“That’s all there usually is for these modern revivalist cults,” said Daphne. “Most of these groups based on ancient gods weren’t around just before the Decline. They popped up afterward and pieced together new practices based on the old myths.”

“But there’s hardly any info on what those new practices are.”

Tessa knew she sounded whiny but couldn’t help it. It was frustrating to have access to so much information and not actually get what you needed.

“The servitor’s office probably has it,” Daphne said. “Smart groups keep their practices secret. But that’s not important to us. This is. And really, there’s just nothing that damning.” She tapped her ego, which had a transcription of the conversation recorded in Dr. Cassidy’s office. Daphne had gone over it a hundred times, and while there were insinuations present, the recording contained nothing that concretely linked the man to membership in a cult. She sighed. “Smart groups also don’t leave any public records of their members that we could possibly tie Cassidy or anyone in the CP to.”

Tessa disagreed with Daphne that the practices weren’t important.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that understanding the worship of Osiris would be instrumental in understanding Cassidy and his subsequent agenda. And seeing as his own words and the public record offered no conclusive results, it seemed to Tessa that investigating the religion itself was their only option.

“What about this?” she asked. She had a reading tablet propped up on the March kitchen table and turned it toward Daphne. “Dr. Cassidy mentioned Osiris’s son and how the ancient Egyptians believed the pharaohs embodied him. It says here that his son’s name was Horus and backs that whole idea up—about how sovereignty is linked to divinity. I think Dr. Cassidy believes that—I saw it in his face, that Gemman leadership would benefit from godly influence.”

Daphne gave a scarlet-lipped smile and leaned back in her chair.

“Sweetie, I would love that if that were true. If we had proof that the Citizens Party was out searching for the next son of Osiris to lead this country, it would make both our careers. Unfortunately, ‘seeing it in his face’ isn’t enough. You should appreciate that, since you’re always such an advocate for proof.”

“I don’t think they’re looking,” said Tessa. “I think they’ve already found their Horus. You see the way they talk about Lucian. And the press has noted for a long time how unusual it is that the Citizens Party rallied around such a young candidate for consul. Maybe it’s not that weird if they believe that candidate’s been marked with divine favor.”

“Once again,” said Daphne. “I would love if that were true. We have no proof, especially with the good senator out of the country right now. Our best bet is to try to finagle an interview when he’s back, and in the meantime, keep you on good terms with the YCC. When’s your next meeting?”

“Today,” admitted Tessa. “But I wasn’t planning on going.”

“Of course you’re going,” exclaimed Daphne. “It costs you nothing but time. And who knows? Maybe we’ll get lucky and catch something unexpected. Don’t forget this.” She slid the microphone over to Tessa, who took it reluctantly.

“Dr. Cassidy may not even be there,” she warned Daphne. “I get the impression his visits are rare. Makes sense since his main job’s counseling party members. Acacia will probably run things.”

Daphne nodded along, undaunted. “Yes, and she’ll report back to him, which will reflect well on you.”

Tessa had no arguments to make. She was caught up on her schoolwork and had no other plans that afternoon. So, with more of Daphne’s blessings and advice, Tessa grudgingly took the train back downtown to the YCC’s offices with Rufus. As expected, Acacia ran the meeting alone, which turned out to be a variation of the last one. They finalized project plans and had more discussions about current issues.

The only surprising part came when, a few minutes before things ended, Dr. Cassidy himself actually showed up.

He nodded in approval as the group finished up debating a piece of education legislation that had been in the news that day and then bade each of them farewell when they started to disperse. When Tessa joined the others, he called her back.

“Just a moment,” he told her. “I actually came by to ask you something.” He let the others leave and told Acacia he’d lock up for the night. Tessa grew nervous at the dramatics, but his request turned out to be pretty benign. “I know you’re still getting your feet with us, and I certainly don’t want to pressure you into anything . . . but Adora Zimmer’s been in touch with me, and you’ve made quite an impression on her.”

Tessa thought back to the woman from the party. “Really? We only talked a few minutes.”

He smiled. “Well, apparently that was enough. Immigration reform is something she’s very passionate about, but it’s a tough sell to a lot of people. The CP sees certain benefits to it, especially with such a compelling spokeswoman.”

Such a wealthy spokeswoman, Tessa thought. Aloud, she said,

“What would you like me to do, sir?”

“Adora’s group has its own share of fundraising and awareness events, and she’d simply like to meet with you to discuss possible future involvement. I know it’s asking a lot,” he admitted, looking truly apologetic. “Especially when you’re just getting to know us and have your own work and projects, but . . .”

“It’s a good cause,” said Tessa, actually meaning it. After seeing the way she’d been treated in the RUNA, she was sympathetic to any mission that might help others in her situation. But she knew that wasn’t Dr. Cassidy’s biggest motivator here. “And it’d make the CP look good in her eyes if you lent me out,” Tessa added.

“Don’t think of it like that,” he said, with a small chuckle. “We don’t treat people like commodities around here. But yes—she’s definitely someone we want to keep in good favor with and not just because of her wealth. She’s also very influential in business and has a lot of important contacts, whose endorsement could be critical to our cause. You haven’t been with us that long, but I hope you’ve seen enough to understand that we really do have the best intentions for this country.”

“I have, sir. And I’m happy to help. But sir . . .” He’d lit up at her acceptance, and Tessa realized in that brief moment that she had an opportunity. Since that night at his house, she’d thought a lot about the charm she saw Justin work on others. It was still largely a mystery to her, but she’d realized that often when she witnessed him in action, he had knowledge or power of something important to the other person.

That was how he engaged others, by putting to use what he learned about them. Tessa might not fully grasp the finer points of that art, but she could tell now that Dr. Cassidy was legitimately grateful and fond of her right now.

“Yes?” he asked, eyebrows knitting in worry. “Is everything okay?”

Tessa glanced around, ascertaining they were alone before bursting forth with the inspiration that had just struck her. “I don’t know,” she said, making her voice waver a little. “I . . . I’m confused about something. And I don’t know if anyone can help, but I think you might be the closest person I can ask.”

“Of course,” he said. “Go on.”

“Well . . . for the last two nights—ever since I saw that statue at your house—I’ve been dreaming of it.” She dropped her voice to nearly a whisper for that last part. “But there was more. It wasn’t just the statue I dreamed of. I saw a falcon too. A golden falcon. Only, sometimes, it seemed like the falcon was Senator Darling. Which doesn’t make any sense. I mean, none of it makes any sense, right? It’s just a dream. I wouldn’t think anything of it, except that I had it twice, and it just felt so . . . so real.”

She held her breath as she studied him and waited to see how her story would sink in. It was a lie, of course. In her research, she’d found that Osiris’s son, Horus, was often depicted as a golden falcon, and she’d mixed that imagery with her own speculation that any divine aspirations of the Citizens Party would involve Lucian. For a small moment, she felt a pang of regret that she was doing something bad in making up a story about a god . . . but then that suggested they were dealing with a real god. Tessa had never given much speculation to the validity of religions outside her own and didn’t have the time to now.

Dr. Cassidy paled. “Tessa, I can’t talk to you about any of this. I’m sorry. It’s for your own good.”

“But it means something to you, doesn’t it?” she insisted. “The falcon . . . Senator Darling . . . you know what it means.”

His face confirmed as much, but as Daphne had said, that wasn’t going to stand as hard proof. Tessa’s gamble had paid off in some ways, but Dr. Cassidy was too smart to admit to anything. She supposed he couldn’t have reached the point he was at now, advising one of the country’s most powerful political parties, if he so easily confessed to his clandestine doings.

“Tessa, remember what I said the other night? About how there are things that could endanger your path to citizenship? These same things could endanger me as well. I simply can’t talk to you about them.”

“But I wouldn’t tell,” she insisted.

His face looked truly pained. “I can’t be involved with this. I’m sorry.”

Tessa felt a bit of desperation at possibly losing this opportunity and hoped it came through in her to add legitimacy to her pleas. “But what if I have the dream again? What am I supposed to do? I know it means something. It’s not the kind of dream that fades away either. It stays with me all day. I can’t stop thinking about it. Please help me.”