Sairis's POV
The high priest moved first.
He walked to the side of the altar and lifted a long white cloth from the stone surface, folding it carefully over his arm. Then he turned to face them both and gestured with one hand toward the space directly in front of the altar.
"Come forward," he said. "Both of you."
Sairis looked at Loreen.
Loreen looked back at him. For a moment neither of them moved. Then Loreen held out his hand, open and steady, and waited.
Sairis took it.
They walked forward together and stopped in front of the altar. Up close, the stone was older than it looked from a distance. There were markings carved into the surface, words in the old tongue that Sairis could not fully read.
A thick candle burned on each side, and between them sat a shallow stone bowl, a rolled piece of parchment, and a small knife with a bone handle.
Sairis looked at the knife and then looked away.
