Blood of the Goddess Book I: The Locust King
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Locusts at the Gate Chapter 2: A New Name Chapter 3: The Capital Prepares Chapter 4: The Princess is Dead, Long Live the Princess Chapter 5: Outside the Gates Chapter 6: Inside the Black Tent Chapter 7: Surrender at the Temple Chapter 8: The Cult of the Locust Chapter 9: The Locust's Tenets of Faith Chapter 10: Mourners on the Cliff Chapter 11: The Eye of Betrayal Chapter 12: The Dead King's Bedchamber Chapter 13: The Arms of the Goddess Chapter 14: Zayaan of the Narim Chapter 15: The Eyes of the Priestess Chapter 16: A More Permanent Disguise Chapter 17: Tribute Chapter 18: Sacrifice of the New Moon Chapter 19: The Lost Bird Chapter 20: Manah and the Priestess Chapter 21: Desert Creatures Chapter 22: Become the Swarm Chapter 23 The Price of Betrayal Chapter 24: Life Under the Locust Chapter 25: Wild Rose Chapter 26: The Lady Wren Chapter 27: Thought and Desire Chapter 28: The Lady's Captivity Chapter 29: The Wine Maiden Chapter 30: End of Childhood Chapter 31: The Children of Aisha Chapter 32: The Forest Runner Chapter 33: Three Sisters Chapter 34: The Hunt Chapter 35: Bones in the Forest Chapter 36: Lullaby Chapter 37: The Hunter's Horn Chapter 38: Ways Between Ways Chapter 39: Morning Star Chapter 40: A Prophecy for Baraz Chapter 41: Equinox Fires Chapter 42: The Lord Prince Takri Chapter 43: Evening Star Sets Chapter 44: Chaos in the Courtyard Chapter 45: Dasha Chapter 46: Memories Chapter 47: The Body Slave Chapter 48: Caged Beasts Chapter 49: Message from the Capital Chapter 50: Heresiarch Chapter 51: The Color of Blood Chapter 52: Winter Winds Chapter 53: The Bookmaker's Closet Chapter 54: Wrapped in Dignity and Beauty Chapter 55: Vessel of the Goddess Chapter 56: Cracks in the Walls Chapter 57: Two Brothers Chapter 58: The Court of Women Chapter 59: Favored of the King Chapter 60: The Sweetest Fruit Chapter 61: Daughter of the Temple Chapter 62: A Nation of Bastards Chapter 63: The Lute Player Chapter 64: Aisha's Prayer Chapter 65: Promises Chapter 66: Lives Lost Chapter 67: The Tea Maker Chapter 68: Object of Desire Chapter 69: Empty Shelves Chapter 70: Darkness and Light Chapter 71: The Love of Men Chapter 72: The Cursed Ones Chapter 73: Hiding Places Chapter 74: Old Men's Tales Chapter 75: False Prophecies Chapter 76: The Lord Prince Radu Chapter 77: Love Becomes Life Chapter 78: Mistress and Mother Chapter 79: A Test of Strength Chapter 80: The Strigoi-Viu Cometh Chapter 81: Scraps from the Table Chapter 82: A Fool's Errand Chapter 83: The Little Ghost Chapter 84: Stolen Honeycakes Chapter 85: Breathe Chapter 86: Beneath the Palace Chapter 87: Red Pebbles Chapter 88: Common Men Chapter 89: Love and Duty Chapter 90: Nightmares Chapter 91: Earth and Sun Chapter 92: Love and Creation Chapter 93: Until My Last Breath Chapter 94: Fruit and Flower Chapter 95: Two Days Chapter 96: Small Comforts Chapter 97: Heroes Chapter 98: Fire, Water, and Wax Chapter 99: Beneath the Temple Chapter 100: The Way of Eagles Chapter 101: The Gallu Chapter 102: The Cast Off Chapter 103: The Empty Bed Chapter 104: If It Is Her Will Chapter 105: Hunger Chapter 106: The Strigoi-Viu's Gift Chapter 107: Pennyroyal Chapter 108: Forgiveness Chapter 109: Fragile Chapter 110: Another Lord Prince Chapter 111: Divine Intervention Chapter 112: Chance to Live Chapter 113: Accusations Chapter 114: Negotiations Chapter 115: Dark Memories Chapter 116: Forgotten Chapter 117: Questions and Obedience Chapter 118: Twisted Ways Chapter 119: New Eyes Chapter 120: Justice and Mercy Chapter 121: Changing Waters Chapter 122: Council of Grandmothers Chapter 123: Rising Tides Chapter 124: Dawn of Longest Night Chapter 125: One Blood Chapter 126: Winter Flowers Chapter 127: Trust Chapter 128: Bearer of Sorrows Chapter 129: Blood and Water Chapter 130: FailuresChapter 129: Blood and Water
Takri felt his blood run cold. She lies. She must be lying. Nasreen is not dead. Suddenly the crowd and temple courtyard felt far away, and the petals falling from above seemed nothing more than snow falling from the sky. The sound of the old woman's voice continued, seemingly from a far distance.
"You see before you the two women who plotted to murder the flower of Adyll," said the Holy Mother. "One was my own trusted Eyes, and the other a dear friend."
"I am no friend of yours, traitorous bitch!" Jul's voice was quickly silenced by Radu's fist. She crumpled into a heap on the stairs, unable to speak from lack of breath.
"Leave her be!" The former Eyes' voice shook, but her gaze was defiant. "It was I and I alone who am to blame for Nasreen's death. It was I who put poison in her food, not to kill her, but to cause her to lose the child..." She choked on the word as blood bubbled forth from her lips.
The buzzing in Takri's head receded as he looked down at his blade, covered with the blood of the young girl who knelt before him in a spreading pool of crimson, hands clasped to her throat in an attempt to stem the flow. Her mouth formed the soundless words, Forgive me, before she fell forward onto the stairs.
Radu stepped forward and nudged her body with his bootheel, sending it rolling into the horrified crowd below. He turned back and leaned close to Takri, and spoke in a low whisper. Do you wish the honor of killing the other bitch? Or shall I?
Takri found himself unable to look away from his bloodstained hands to answer the Lord Prince. Radu nodded and turned, drawing his sword. A moment later, Jul's head joined the Eye's body at the bottom of the stairs.
Mahleck pushed past his Heresiarch to address the crowd. "Know this, citizens of Adyll! Evildoers in the Land of the Locust will find justice in a righteous blade. But those who are loyal to me, the God-Among-Men, shall find sustenance and strength. I shall provide for all who desire safety and protection."
Priests holding baskets of bread and dried meat began circulating among the crowd, distributing food to all present.
"By partaking in this Feast of Longest Night, you strengthen yourselves against the lies of idolatry. Meat for the strong, and bread for the faithful!"
Men clamored over one another for the food supplied by the priests, while Takri lifted his gaze up to the body of his love, her gauze dress fluttering about her. She was worth nothing to them while she lived. They humiliated her when she was alive, but when she no longer possessed a voice they painted her as everything she was not. Someone walked up to his side. Zayaan. What must he think of me? Killing a girl as she knelt before me. What have we become?
Her lips blue and her hands trembling from the cold, Aisha struggled to keep her lamp above the surface of the water as the rising tides took her off her feet, pushing her backwards with the current. She clung to the ripples in the rock wall with one hand, trying to find purchase with either foot in order to continue forward in her search for the passage leading up and out from the subterranean river. In the last few hours, the water grew colder, reminding her of the winter weather above. How long has it been since I have seen the sun?
She thought of Nasreen before the fire in the brothel kitchen, hands raw and red from the cold trek from the palace to the temple. It doesn't matter how long it has been. I may never feel its warmth again if I don't find the passage.
A swell of water pulled her away from the wall and down the river the way she came. She felt the lamp come loose from her hands. Darkness engulfed her along with the water. She struggled against the current, trying to find the surface again, but to no avail. Without the light of the lamp to guide her she floated in a black void, unaware of up or down.
She felt the tug of the scroll case around her shoulders as the current tried to pull it loose from her body. Remembering how the case kept her afloat when she set off to find the passage, she turned and wrapped the straps tightly around her wrists, pulling the wax sealed vessel closer to her chest. Feeling as though her lungs would burst, she felt her face break the surface of the water. Inhaling deeply, she grasped at the ceiling of the cave, finding an outcropping of rock large enough to hold her steady, her teeth chattering against the cold and her eyes straining against the darkness.
From the ceiling, a faint shimmer of silver caught her eye and then disappeared.
What was that?
She focused her attention on what she thought was the place she saw the light. Again, a faint line of silver flared up, then was gone. Mustering all her strength, she pulled herself forward along the ceiling towards the thread, watching it as the glow caught once again, illuminating a small spider the color of the setting sun dangling on a single strand of silk from a hole in the ceiling.
Find your way!
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