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 TempleChapter 52: Winter Winds
"Vasi, where is the knife?" asked Miri. "This night, Zora rent the veil that separates this world and the next. The sun has set on the Day of Between. Now, we enter the sacred twilight betwixt light and darkness. We shall use it to our advantage."
Vasi returned to where the knife sat on the stone floor next to the bathing pool and picked it up. It felt cold to the touch.
"Come, we shall show you our ways," said Oksana, gesturing for Vasi to join her and Miri at the stone altar. "Your knife has tasted the heart blood of the strigoi-viu, and the life blood of a Queen. There is great magic in such things."
Vasi placed the knife on the rough-hewn altar.
"Blood magic is the strongest magic," said Miri, picking up the knife and twirling it in her hands before replacing it. "Blood magic on the Eve of Between is even stronger."
"Blood magic?" asked Vasi. Such things were forbidden in her home country, the stuff of dark legends and nightmares. "Is it true the Zorya practice necromancy?"
Oksana took her hand and gave her a motherly smile. "We oracles live in the Between. We walk between worlds. Those who have passed help us open ways we cannot. When we pass fully into the beyond, our bodies join the bone piles among the aspens. In this way every generation is strengthened by the last."
"Did you see the raptors carry away our Zora's bones when she joined the Lady?" asked Miri. Vasi nodded. "They brought our sister home to all the others that her powers may be joined with ours. Some call this necromancy. For us, it is the way we care for the sisters still to come."
"I understand," said Vasi.
"We shall teach you, Morning Star. You are a sister to us now. And a daughter of the All-Mother. Our legacy is yours, and yours is ours. Let us show you," said Oksana. She pulled two items from inside her clothing, a bear's claw and a small piece of antler. She set them both on the altar, the claw facing the mouth of the cave, and the antler directly in front of her. "Bear for Evening Star set. Deer for Evening Star risen."
Miri produced a blue feather and set it in front of her. "Lady Wren for Day Star risen."
Lina crawled across the altar, holding a ball of spider silk wrapped around some unwary insect. She dropped it in front of Vasi before climbing up her arm. Spider for Morning Star risen. Say it. This is my gift for you.
Vasi smiled and said, "Spider for Morning Star risen."
Oksana removed a small leather pouch from her belt, from which she poured a circle of fine white dust in the center of the altar, enclosing the dagger. "Dust from Stars departed, bring our sisters to us."
Miri followed suit, producing another pouch from which she poured a fine black powder just inside the white circle. "Dirt and ash from the mountain and forest, protect us."
Oksana picked up the knife from the center of the altar and intoned, "Blood of the strigoi-viu, the cursed one. Blood of a Queen, the blessed one. Blood of an Evening Star, as she descends." She cut her hand with the knife and made a fist, squeezing blood within the circles of black and white.
Miri took the knife and intoned, "Blood of a Day Star, at her zenith." Her blood joined that of Oksana. She handed the knife to Vasi and nodded encouragingly.
Vasi followed their lead, cutting her hand with the knife. "Blood of a Morning Star, as she rises."
"Return the blade to the circles of protection," said Oksana, her hand still held above the growing pool of blood. Vasi did as she was told, placing the blade within the borders of bone dust, ash, and soil.
A cold wind blew in from the cave's mouth, causing the fire to dim momentarily before flaring back up. Silence. And then the cave went black.
She felt Miri grasp her hand. "Don't be afraid of what we see, sister."
They stood at a cliff's ledge, ocean waves pounding against it.
Come. This way.
Vasi remembered the voice. The Queen, still regal, but no longer afraid as she was in the bedchamber the night Vasi handed her the dagger in hopes she could kill Mahleck.
The three women followed the voice away from the cliff to a meadow where sheep grazed around a ancient burial cairn. In front of the stone entrance stood Queen Mila, naked. Her wet hair clung to her bloodless skin, wounds snaking up her arms and across her neck. She held a lit oil lamp in one hand while she gestured to the open tomb and smiled welcomingly before disappearing into the darkness.
Come. She is here.
The oracles followed. Darkness again. Then a room full of books, where a young woman veiled in red sat before an open scroll.
Come. She is here.
The vision lurched forward. Another young woman draped in silk sat in a darkened room strumming a lute, her face hidden behind a curtain of black hair.
Come. He is here.
A young man wrapped in rags, barely discernable in the glare of the desert.
Come. He is here.
Darkness. An older man dressed in brown, tending sheep beside a stream.
Come. You are here.
Another lurch, and the three oracles saw themselves standing in silence around the stone altar, hands held in fists above the knife. The old Zora stood along with them, holding her skull lantern.
Zora, Zorya, Zarinya. The winter winds blow upon the mountains. Go, hide yourselves in the cliffs to the west where the ocean winds may warm you. The shepherds will tend to your needs. Know that more blood will be shed. He desires to drink every drop until the world runs dry and cold death walks the land. And be wary, even of visions such as these. In the Between all roads are seen, but not all roads are taken.
Suddenly, Vasi stood within her body once again. Before her lay the knife, dry and clean.
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