A Woman's World Read online

  Baya reluctantly looked into the hole in the floor. It was too dark to make out much. She thought she caught a glimpse of a shimmering liquid but she was not sure. It looked like a solid black hole.

  The priestesses surrounded her and chanted in prayer. Baya felt like a sacrificial offering. She had been taught that live-sacrifices to Ameris no longer happened. She hoped that this was true.

  When the prayers ended. Shema nodded to Aga.

  Aga stepped forward. For a long moment Aga’s eyes desperately searched Baya’s face. “I’m sorry, Madam Unawi. I can’t do it.”

  Shema nodded to another of the priestesses, Baya thought it was Fay’s mother but she wasn’t sure because as the woman stepped forward she shoved Baya into the abyss. Baya quickly turned her attention to where she was going and not on which one of the cloaked figures had pushed her.

  Freezing, wet darkness devoured Baya.

  Chapter 17

  Baya was completely submerged under water. She could hear the faint muffled sound of the metal door slamming shut above her, stamping out what little light there had been. She raced for the surface but her head hit the roof with a painful thud. Her heart beat faster as she realized the hole was completely filled with water. She would not be able to come up for air. Her eyes were wide open but she could see nothing in the pure darkness. She began to feel her way around, swimming as quickly as possible.

  There had to be a place where she could come up for air. Her outstretched hands found wall after wall rather quickly, no matter which direction she swam. She was in a very small space. Deep underground in a … well that was completely filled with water.

  Think! A panicked voice screamed in her head. First of all, she had to get out of the long tunic. She yanked it off her shoulders, quickly shedding its entangling weight before continuing to move around the well.

  Her lungs demanded air.

  Stop! Think! Mother had said that no matter what you may think, there was always a way out. But she couldn’t see anything! … See! She needed to see.

  Baya closed her eyes — which did not change her view in the least — and focused on making a fire ball. Surely she would not be able to light a fire under water. As stupid as it seemed she decided that she had to try. What other option did she have?

  But she was out of any other ideas. She had to try. To her amazement, when she opened her eyes, she could see! The fire ball, or what would have been a fire if she was not under water, formed a blue orb of light in her hand. She could make out the vague outline of the hatch above her. She swam straight for it. There was no handle.

  Of course not, these tasks were meant to be difficult. She braced her feet against the walls and pushed her shoulder into the hatch. The effort made her lungs scream even louder for air. She closed her eyes again and tried to force the door open with her mind.

  Nothing.

  Baya knew that Shema must’ve sealed the door with her powers. There was no opening it until Shema deemed it so.

  Baya knew she would drown before that happened. This was the test. Think! Her mind screamed at her while her lungs painfully demanded air. There has to be another way! With the light in her hand she swam. It didn’t take long for her to discover the four walls of the small well. She was trapped in a rectangular box with impenetrable walls that she swore were closing in on her. Fear consumed her.

  Don’t be ridiculous, Baya scolded herself. Surely the well wasn’t shrinking.

  Holy Goddess, Fay was right! They were trying to kill her. She was going to die right here. Calm down! Baya argued with herself. Now was not the time to start listening to Fay. She got out of this … somehow. Don’t panic! Think!

  But the tank was void of anything but Baya, her discarded robe in a pile at the bottom of the well, and the water — there was no room to come up for air. There was no other way out.

  Baya’s heart skipped a beat when she saw it at the bottom of one corner. Bubbles came from a tiny hole in the rock. It must be some sort of ventilation used to aerate the well. Obviously, she couldn’t fit through that tiny hole. She turned to swim away when it hit her. Aerate! Bubbles! Air! She kicked hard as she moved toward the pockets of air.

  With her first attempt to suck in some precious air from the hole she took in water. Baya could not cough under water so she had to suppress it and try to ignore the burning pain as water went into her lungs.

  The stone walls had cracks in them wide enough for her fingers, which allowed her to barely grasp the rocks. At least she could hold herself in place. She put her mouth tightly over the hole this time. Pure, sweet air filled her lungs.

  There was always a way, she thought, as relief flooded through her.

  Baya could think more clearly now. She took another deep breath before swimming around hitting the stones in various places for some sort of way out. She hoped that one would give way and open a door or allow the water to drain from the well … something. Anything.

  No stones budged.

  The next problem began to consume her. Her feet were numb with cold. She shivered as she gulped more air. That’s when she realized, the test was not to get out. There was no way out. The test was to survive in here until Shema opened the hatch.

  Baya took another long breath from the air hole. She focused on using her powers to raise her body temperature. Soon her feet felt warm and she no longer shivered. She held onto the crack in the rock, breathed as needed and waited. And waited. An eternity passed. Still she hung on, focusing only on breathing and keeping her body temperature up. More time passed. Her thoughts strayed to her favorite places ... working and talking and walking with Vicaroy in the gardens, or playing in their private cove.

  She began to feel cold again. She couldn’t let her mind stray to escape the horror. She had to stay focused!

  Breathe, force heat into her body, breathe, heat, breathe, heat. Baya had to fully concentrate if she was going to survive. She couldn’t allow her mind the luxury of drifting off to a better place. The problem was that this made it harder to keep the panic away.

  The light in her hand faded as she tired. It was impossible to keep the glowing orb lit and keep herself warm for much longer. She let the light fade away. But in the complete darkness fear threatened to get the better of her. She was trapped. There was no way out.

  Baya held the stone tight and breathed and kept her body from getting dangerously cold. More time passed until Baya grew weaker.

  What if she couldn’t keep this up long enough? What if she wasn’t as good as Shema thought and the Unawi opened the hatch too late? The answer was obvious. Baya would be dead. Maybe Baya was wrong? Maybe the test wasn’t simply to survive in the well but rather she was supposed to find the way out? Her heart began to race.

  Should she waste her remaining energy swimming around or should she keep trying to withstand the freezing water? She had to conserve her energy and there was no way out. She’d already covered every inch of this small stone prison several times.

  Stay focused and stay alive, Baya told herself. And if she was wrong, then … she was dead.

  Baya forced her heartbeat to slow. The thought of leaving the safety of the air hole was unbearable, so she held on to the stone as best she could. Her life depended on it. So she tried not to think about the throbbing pain in her hand as it strained to hold her in place.

  Breathe, heat, breathe, heat, breathe, heat. She did her best to block out the terrifying thoughts as they popped into her head, completely against her will. She was driving herself mad, second-guessing herself.

  Focus!

  Her feet went cold again and then her hands. She was no longer able to keep herself warm. Soon she would not be able to hold on to the stone. Which meant she could no longer breathe. She shivered. This was it. This was the end. She would not make it to her eighteenth birthday — to freedom.

  Baya let herself escape the underwater prison. Her thoughts were only of Vicaroy, Bek and Rus. She no longer feared for her own life. Her only thoughts were of
how the people she cared about would miss her. They would mourn her premature death. She didn’t want to cause them pain.

  I’m sorry. I couldn’t make it, were her last thoughts.

  Chapter 18

  When the hatch to the well had slammed shut Aga had hit her knees to pray …

  Please give my daughter the courage and intelligence to make it through this. You have graciously blessed me with this lovely and gifted girl, I beg you not to take her from me. Please let Baya survive. Please…

  Aga remained on her knees rocking back and forth for some time.

  It seemed like Baya was in there for much longer than other girls had been. But Aga had no other choice but to trust Shema’s judgment. She would open the door after the allotted time was up — the correct amount of time. Yet Baya had been down there for so long.

  Aga paced only a couple of steps back and forth in the cramped dungeon room. She simply had to keep moving, or she would lose her mind.

  Shema waved her hand and the hatch swung open. She held a ball of fire over the hole to help guide Baya out.

  Aga ran to the opening.

  Nothing.

  “Baya,” she screamed. She shrugged off her long robes and readied herself to jump in when Baya’s head broke the surface — gasping. Aga pulled her from the water, wrapped her in a blanket and held her tight while she coughed and gasped and shivered uncontrollably. Aga raised her own body temperature to warm her daughter.

  “You did it. You’re alive.” Aga whispered over and over.

  Baya stared at the wall of her bedroom but didn’t see it. She couldn’t see or feel anything. A soft rap came at her door. Baya didn’t speak or move or even flinch a muscle. Aga sat down gently beside her on the bed but said nothing.

  Baya had to shake her head and blink several times to get her eyes to focus. The numbness that was protecting her slowly slipped away. Fear and anger took over. “How could you not warn me?”

  “I couldn’t. No one can speak of the trials.”

  “Why, because it’s forbidden?” Baya spat.

  “That is correct.”

  Baya glared at Aga for a moment then rolled over turning her back on her mother.

  A long silence followed.

  “I’m very proud of you,” Aga ventured.

  “How long was I in there?” Baya’s voice was flat.

  “Three hours.”

  “It felt like days.”

  “Yes. It did seem like days. I remember when I was pushed into that same well. Both times it seemed like the hatch was latched for an eternity. It was even harder when it was you trapped in there.”

  “Have mistresses died before?”

  “I’m afraid so.”

  Baya bolted upright and stared at her mother in disbelief.

  “If a girl is not performing well we let her go before the trials.”

  Baya remembered a couple of girls who had been kicked out of school the previous year. They hadn’t been able to master their powers well enough. Thank the Goddess that they hadn’t been thrown into that well. They would have died for sure. Baya shivered at the thought.

  “However,” Aga continued. “There have been times, although rare, that the Unawi has misread a student’s abilities.”

  Baya looked at her mother with wide eyes.

  “Not Shema, but previous Unawis. Thankfully we have not lost anyone for a long time. Nevertheless, mistresses have failed.”

  “Meaning … died.” Baya swallowed hard and the numbness returned. It started in her hands and feet and slowly consumed her. She simply nodded as if this all made perfect sense. Life or death trials. Oops, we thought you were ready, sorry you’re dead.

  “Now do you see why we push students so hard? Why I pushed you even harder?”

  Baya was suddenly grateful for her mother’s relentless hounding. She would be dead right now if it weren’t for her rigorous training. Baya threw her arms around her mother and this caused the tears to fall. This time, Aga didn’t scold her for crying.

  Her crying was cut short when a thought hit her. “Maybe Shema is wrong. I mean, about me being ready. When I try to transform matter it doesn’t always work.”

  “You are ready. You have to be. Don’t allow doubts to creep in.” Yet there was worry in her mother’s eyes.

  Baya thought the tears were going to fall again but her stomach gave an angry growl.

  “Yes. That is the other reason I came here. Baya you have to eat and eat well. You used a lot of energy today. More so than you ever have before. You used your powers to the fullest. You must fuel your body if you are going to make it through the next test.”

  Baya grabbed her hollow stomach as it growled again.

  “Come. I will eat with you.”

  Baya craved Rus’s cooking more than usual, or was it his comforting embrace that she really wanted? Either way, she was not allowed to leave the palace grounds until her trials were over.

  “I can’t tell you much more than to issue this warning … the tests don’t get any easier. In fact, they get worse — much worse.”

  Baya swallowed hard. She opened her mouth but nothing came out. How, in the name of Ameris, could it possibly get any harder than being trapped in a freezing well?

  “The test today only required that you use basic abilities, making light under water and controlling your body temperature. Most women possess these skills. Yet the first test is designed to push the limits of your endurance. The second trial is designed to test more advanced skills and the third requires mistresses to have mastery over the most difficult skills.” Aga studied Baya’s face which had gone from a lovely olive-bronze to a ghostly grey. “Don’t worry, my dear, you will be fine. Besides now you know the secret.”

  “What secret?” Baya demanded.

  “I can’t spell it out for you but it doesn’t matter because you already know. In here.” Aga placed a hand over Baya’s heart. “And in here.” She gently tapped a finger on Baya’s forehead.

  What was that supposed to mean?

  “Now, let’s eat.” They stood and Aga eyed Baya. “Today you proved that you’re brave and smart and powerful, so act like it.”

  Something shifted inside Baya. She did have the right to be proud that she had made it through the first test. She straightened to her full height and squared her shoulders. She stood taller than Aga.

  “That’s my girl.” Aga smiled.

  Chapter 19

  Baya led nine of the world’s leaders into the secret dungeon once again. This time she was not as frightened. Perhaps she was more confident ... or more likely, she had simply gone numb.

  When they entered the small room at the bottom of the stairs, Shema gestured for Baya to pass through the door on the far side. Baya skirted around the hatch in the floor, careful to stay as far away as possible.

  The door Shema had indicated led to a stone passageway. At the edge of Baya’s light was nothing but darkness. After twenty paces the walls disappeared. The women’s movements echoed in the distance and Baya knew they were in a large open space. She exhaled with relief. At least it wasn’t another confined space.

  “Stop,” Shema demanded.

  Baya halted at once. She feared a precipitous cliff or some other unforeseen danger lay directly in front of her. The fire ball in her hand only shed a small sphere of light around her.

  “Light the torches,” Shema said.

  Baya held her fire ball above her head and squinted. “I can’t see them — or anything for that matter.”

  “You don’t have to see them with your eyes. See them with your mind.”

  How? Baya thought. She closed her eyes and imagined that she was causing torches to catch fire. She heard the woosh of new flames flaring to life. When she opened her eyes, torches to either side of her jumped to life. As each torch was lit along the walls, more of the large room came into view. Baya’s mouth fell open as she realized she was in an underground coliseum. It was smaller than the one the city used for festivals and
the like. But the area was still impressive, especially since it was so far underground.

  Baya guessed it was about two hundred paces long and one hundred paces wide. Surrounding her was a perfectly elliptical wall. It stood many times taller than a person. Starting from the top of the wall, rows of seats stair-stepped their way upward.

  This place could seat hundreds of people. Baya was suddenly grateful that the trials were a secret. Thankfully there would not be a full stadium of people in attendance. She trembled at the thought of having to get through her second task with half the city watching. It was bad enough having the leaders of the world scrutinizing her.

  In the center of the coliseum was a large brazier, which — once again — Baya was instructed to light. Two by two the priestesses filed up identical staircases that stood opposite each other. They moved gracefully into the stands around the arena. The priestesses spread out evenly around the grand oval; four on either side of Baya.

  Shema drew a circle in the dirt around Baya’s feet by moving her finger in the air. “As long as this circle is here, do not step outside of it.” Shema moved to take her place high above the main entrance.

  Once everyone was in position, the priestesses held out their arms and chanted. The metal brazier rose into the air. It remained suspended above the arena, providing even better light.

  All the better for them to watch Baya’s performance. The taste of bitterness filled her mouth. At least they hadn’t been able to see her in the well. Now she had an audience — she was their morning entertainment. Baya clenched her fists. These trials were disgusting.

  The critical eyes of the priestesses felt as if they were boring holes into Baya.

  Baya’s mouth fell open again, or perhaps she had never closed it, as the domed ceiling came into view from the brazier’s light. Thick wood beams supported the stone roof. Carvings covered both the wood and the stone. She wanted to study them but there was no time.

  Behind her came the sound of stone grinding against stone, followed by a loud crashing that shook the ground beneath her. She turned to find that she had been trapped in the arena. Shema had caused a large wall to rise, blocking the exit and the staircases on either side. Baya scanned the area. Of course there was no other way out.