Becoming Calder (A Sign of Love Novel)(68)

CHAPTER FIFTEEN


Eden



Fear and horror gripped me as Calder stood slowly, his jaw tense and his eyes unreadable. He walked to the board and began to kneel down on it. He paused in his movement, his eyes narrowing at something on the board and a confused look passing over his features. But I couldn't tell what he was seeing from where I was. His eyes moved to Clive Richter's and he stared at him as he kneeled, a very brief flash of pain moving across his face before it again went blank.
What was happening? I didn't understand.
My body leaned forward, wanting to go to him on its own accord, but his eyes shot to mine, warning me to stay still. I clasped my hands in my lap and looked away miserably. His message was clear: if I said anything, I would only make it worse for him and for myself. I was helpless. I wanted to scream.
When I looked back at him again, my eyes widened in shock when I saw blood pooling on the metal beneath Calder's knees and shins. This form of punishment had been used before in the Temple, but bleeding had never occurred. Something was wrong. Something had been done to the mat to make it cause injury. And yet, Calder endured it, his back straight and his body unmoving, but I saw the sweat trickle down the side of his face. It was taking him great effort to kneel there, suffering, without it showing on his face. I didn't know if he held a look of cool indifference on his face, for me, for himself, or for the people around him, but clearly, it was costing him dearly. Oh, Calder.
For the next hour, I sat silently, tortured inside, while Calder kneeled in front of me, blood pooling until it ran off the metal and onto the marble floor of the stage as if in slow motion, the blood falling drip by drip, echoing through the room during moments of silence. Hector preached on, quoting mostly from his own Holy Book about selfishness and Satan and those who commit sin. I heard only a few words here and there as I said my own prayers to the gods to be merciful, to send strength to Calder, to make the time pass more quickly for him.
Once we're out of here . . . once we're safe, I said to Calder in my mind, I'm going to look at the scars that will surely be on your knees and your legs, remembering the bravery you showed while the wounds were forming, and I'm NOT going to feel sadness. I'm going to feel only one thing. Pride.
When I came back to myself, Hector was saying the final prayer, the crowd speaking it along with him. I looked around at the people and saw many of them were looking uncomfortably toward Calder as the blood rolled slowly across the marble floor. I looked at the men—some of them much bigger and stronger than Hector. This is wrong, and not one of you is doing anything, I thought. Not one.
I found Calder's family in the group and saw his father and mother looking solemnly ahead while Maya's face was turned into her father’s chest.
I found Xander in the group and a look of blatant hatred was on his face as he stared at Hector. I caught his eye, his expression gentled very slightly, and he nodded his head once as if to say, "We have a plan. Hold tight."
Hector finally turned to Calder. "You may rise, Water Bearer." He looked down at the blood. "The gods believed you needed an extra harsh punishment for your crimes. And who are we to argue with them?" He looked around at the crowd, apparently no one believing they were anyone to argue with them.
"But blood stops running eventually and wounds heal. If you have learned from your actions, then the physical pain was worthwhile. Was it worthwhile, Water Bearer?"
"Yes, Father," Calder said in a strong, unwavering voice.
Hector paused. "Very well. You may rise and face your family. Please offer them an apology."
Calder remained unmoving for a minute, finally leaning forward and putting his palms on the floor before lifting one knee and then the other, each one sticking briefly before he pulled his broken flesh loose. I saw agony cross his features before he again schooled his expression and stood slowly, unbending each leg. My eyes, locked on his face until then, moved down to his knees and I brought my hands up to my mouth, so not to cry out. The flesh was broken and mangled as if each metal bump on the mat had been filed down until each one was a piece of raw, jagged metal. Small rivulets of blood ran from each wound. Calder stood to his full height and turned to face everyone.
"I offer you my apologies for my selfish behavior and I'm sorry you had to endure what happened here today. I'll be considering my actions as I sit in jail."
"Now turn and offer the council an apology as well," Hector instructed.
Calder turned slowly. I didn't look at his legs again. I looked only at his face. He didn't look at me. His eyes were on Clive Richter as he said, "I offer you my apologies, and regret my need to prove that some people in this world are made stronger than others. My actions were purely selfish."