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 96: Small Comforts
Aisha returned to the women's dormitory just as the lamps were lit against the oncoming darkness. Two weeks before Longest Night the days seemed to draw to a close almost before they began. The efforts of the temple women sealing every crack and crevice and packing the high windows with blankets against the cold made the room more comfortable than it was at the start of winter. Aisha removed her veil and joined Nasreen at a table next to the fire. The older girl's hands were no longer bandaged, and Aisha saw a trace of a smile at the corners of her mouth.
"Aisha!" grinned Nasreen, scooting to one side to make room for her friend. "I have good news. The Holy Mother has agreed to reassign me from my duties in the brothel. I will be serving in the laundry washing clothes beginning tomorrow. I want to make sure I never end up in the palace again."
"Are you sure?" asked Aisha. She dropped her voice to a whisper. "What if he returns to find you again?"
"I will explain later when we are alone," whispered Nasreen. "Did you know the Lady granted one of your wishes today, little sister?"
Aisha gave her a confused look. "I never wanted you to wash clothes?"
"Put out your hand," whispered Nasreen. She covered her friend's open hand with hers and dropped a piece of cheese in her palm. "Keep it hidden and don't tell anyone!"
"Where...? How?" Aisha stared at the hunk of white sheep's cheese for a moment before putting it into her mouth. She closed her eyes to savor it as she felt it soften on her tongue. “I wished for cheese, but this is the best I have ever tasted.”
"See?" Nasreen pulled open the pocket of her robe and exposed the rest of the cheese wrapped in muslin. "The Goddess does answer prayers! I even have more when we want it!”
“Put it away before someone sees!” giggled Aisha.
Nasreen put her arm around her friend and pulled her close while Aisha tried to pull away. “No, let me hug you. I don’t care how badly you smell of ink and parchment. There are more prayers answered than just this, Aisha!”
Aisha relaxed into her friend’s embrace. “For now, I thank the Lady for you and sheep and cheesemakers and blankets in the windows.”
Takri slipped through the kitchens and back to his rooms unnoticed after the palace fell asleep. He stripped himself of his soldier's clothing and washed away the cave dust in the washbasin, grinning as he thought of his time alone with Nasreen and their plans for the future. He imagined their little family hidden in a cave in the foothills, Nasreen holding a black-haired baby on her hip while he hunted for their supper. Life. They could have a life again. A simple life was within their grasp. They would escape while the capital broke their enforced fast on Longest Night, and by Longest Day their baby might be born.
He dried his face and lay down on his bed, and within a few moments he slept, dreaming of caves and his sweet wild mountain rose.
He awoke hours later to a faint knock on the door.
"One moment!" he called out, wrapping his blanket around himself.
He opened the door to find Floryan standing in the hallway.
"My Lord Prince," said the eunuch. "May I speak with you?"
"Of course," said Takri. "Have a seat while I get dressed." Takri disappeared into the closet to pull on some clothing.
"I am glad to see you returned safely from your journey to the temple,” said Floryan. “I was worried I might not find you here if I knocked.”
"Your directions were perfect,” said Takri from inside the closet. “And the cook is still storing cheese and wine in the caves.”
"And your mission?" asked Floryan. "Is she well?"
Takri emerged from the closet dressed and grinning. "She is more than well."
"No one saw you?"
"None along the way, although I saw two boys in the catacombs stealing food from the temple storeroom," said Takri. "At least two of the city's children will eat tonight."
"At least we know the temple still has food then," said Floryan. "How old were the boys?"
"They looked to be ten and eight. Teo and Sasa," said Takri. "They were taking the food back to their mother."
"We were eight when Luka and I found our way into the catacombs," said Floryan. "But we had no need to steal. There is some small comfort the storerooms for the poor are still feeding those in need."
Takri thought for a moment and asked, "Is the head cook still the same that stole from the Queen’s wine stores?"
"He is the same as the last time I was in the caves," said Floryan. "Why do you ask?"
"If the remainder of the food served each night somehow made its way to Teo and Sasa, perhaps they could share it with others until Longest Night," said Takri.
"I will speak to the cook," laughed Floryan. "I think we could get his assistance, even if we didn't have proof he was stealing from the royal table already. And if Teo and Sasa are like me and my brother, they will find it a great adventure."
"I plan on returning to the catacombs tomorrow," said Takri. "I will track their lentil trail back to them and speak with their mother before I return to the palace."
"Do not allow them to know who you are," said Floryan. "They will not trust a Lord Prince of the strigoi-viu's own household."
"They will never see my face," said Takri. "I will just be a ghost from the catacombs come to help my descendants in their time of need."
Floryan grinned at the thought. "Perhaps we will survive the winter after all."
Nasreen's hands stung in the hot water of the baths as she dunked herself under the surface. On the other side of the pool, Aisha scrubbed her head and body clean of the smell that always followed her from the library. Her ash brown hair now covered her ears and hung around her collarbones. Both girls' ribs were clearly visible, and Aisha's hip bones seemed sharp instead of rounded after a few months of watery lentils and porridge.
Once Aisha was clean, she joined Nasreen in her soak on the other side.
"No one can hear us over the water," said Aisha. "Tell me about the cheese and why you were smiling today."
"He came back," said Nasreen. "Takri. He doesn't serve the Locust willingly. He is like us, Aisha. He is captive just as we are. And he wants to help us escape with him."
"How do you know you can trust him?"
"He risked his life to come warn us of Baraz's plan for the brothel," said Nasreen. "And to see me. He loves me. I was right about him at the beginning. He serves the Goddess, not Mahleck."
"Are you sure, Nasreen?"
"I am sure. I felt the Goddess move within me when I joined with him. I know he would die for me."
"And what if we are caught?" asked Aisha.
"If we are caught, he will be caught with us," answered Nasreen. "It is the same risk, only we will have a man who can fight beside us if we need him. And he is a desert dweller. He knows how to survive in the wilderness. I know very little, and that is more than you know - you did not even know what pitch was!"
"I trust you, Nasreen. So, I will trust him."
"He thinks we should leave during the festivities for Longest Night," said Nasreen. "He knows a way into the catacombs from one of the storerooms on the eastern side of the temple. One that holds food for the poor in case of famine. Will your drawings show us where it is?”
Aisha nodded. "Longest Night is coming soon."
"The Holy Mother assigning me to the laundry will make it easy to steal men's clothing for us," said Nasreen. "And you should bring your scrolls when we escape. I am to meet him tomorrow in the storeroom. I will need your help to find it."
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