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 MercyChapter 120: Justice and Mercy
Mahleck stepped from the carriage in front of the entrance to his high priest's apartments followed by Ayn and the Holy Mother, the former assisting the latter in navigating the distance between carriage and ground.
"Come, Heresiarch," said Mahleck. "I know your old bones dislike the cold, but surely you can move faster this. I have need of your counsel before the sun sets."
"Yes, my God and King." The Holy Mother leaned on Ayn's shoulder. "You may go on without me if you wish. I know my way to my old apartments even without my sight."
"Ayn, make sure she doesn't make us wait." Mahleck turned on his heel and left the two of them behind.
"Come, Mistress." Ayn put her hand over the old woman's on her shoulder and led her towards the door. "You do not wish to appear weak before your own people."
"There is no dishonor in becoming old," said the Holy Mother.
"Perhaps before the God King came," said Ayn. "But he will never know death or age."
The older woman huffed. "If you do not know death, you will know age, child. No one lives forever."
"I have known the God King since I can remember. His hair is still black while men who served him are now hoar headed and wrinkled like last autumn's apples. He will never know death or age."
"You are still young, child," said the Holy Mother. "And death comes for us all."
Ayn led her through the doorway into the apartments of the high priest and settled her in a chair near the fire across from Mahleck. A few moments later, Baraz entered the room assisted by a younger priest robed in white. The high priest looked almost skeletal, and the right side of his face drooped, lingering evidence of the poison's effects.
"My God and King." Baraz attempted a bow, but was only able to dip his head. The other priest steadied him and brought him to the remaining chair before the fire where he sat down slowly with his assistant's help.
"I see you are almost as weak as i left you that night," spat Mahleck. "Perhaps we will keep your role in the celebration of Longest Night to a minimum."
"I thank you day and night for granting me life." The priest's speech was stilted, as if each word took an effort to speak. He paused to wipe drool from the drooping side of his face.
Mahleck turned to the white robed priest and Ayn, who stood behind their charges. "I wish to speak with the High Priest and the Heresiarch alone."
Both immediately left the room, leaving the trio alone by the fire.
"Longest Night is in two days," began the King. "The supply caravan waits out of sight of the city, along with the Lord Prince Radu and another Narim prince. And before me sits a blind old woman and a man who cannot walk about his apartment without help from another man. The city is infested with those who wish me harm!" He turned to his high priest. "You assured me that by Longest Night, the city would be starving with the dead piling up in the streets. How is this, Baraz?"
"I beg your divine forgiveness and mercy," slurred the priest. "Perhaps there are stores of food we were not aware of."
"Perhaps I need a new high priest," said Mahleck. "But it is too late now. We have work to be done."
"Yes, my God and King," said Baraz. "All of your orders have been carried out by your priests. The whore's body is prepared as you wished it, preserved by the cold and ready for display before the masses."
"In Adyll, we do not preserve the bodies of the dead," said the Holy Mother. "The people will see this as abomination."
"All the better," said Mahleck. "It is time your people learned civilized ways of living, instead of feeding their dead to scavenging birds." He turned to Baraz. "The Heresiarch has need of new lodging befitting her position as a royal advisor. Have an apartment prepared for her, and see to it she is fed of the same food you eat. This way if one of you is poisoned, the other will also bear the consequences. Do you both understand me?"
"Yes, my God and King," said the Holy Mother.
"Yes, my God and King," slurred Baraz.
"Heresiarch, I know you must be anxious to assure the other temple women of both your safety and the honor of your new rank." Mahleck rose from his chair and walked across the room to the door, which he opened, gesturing for Ayn to come inside. "Ayn, take your Mistress to the temple women so that she may tell them the truth of my justice and mercy."
"Yes, my God and King."
In the brothel kitchen, the Procuress selected herbs from her stores and ground them with mortar and pestle, pouring each addition into a muslin bag, reciting the prayers for each as she added them. As she tied the bag closed, a young woman threw open the door and rushed inside, pulling the door closed behind her.
"Procuress!" she exclaimed, out of breath. "Procuress! The Holy Mother. She... she..."
The older woman led her to a chair. "Sit down and catch your breath, child. Then tell me."
The younger woman nodded and sat down, taking deep wracking breaths. "She is alive. The Holy Mother is alive."
"I guess we can be thankful they didn't leave her body in front of the temple doors to be trampled upon like poor Queen Mila."
"She arrived in a carriage sitting next to the strigoi-viu," gasped the girl. "And she no longer wears the temple red or the eye of betrayal. Instead she wears the black of the Locust."
"Are you sure it is her? All women are veiled, perhaps it is another? Some poor woman of the Locusts?"
"I heard her voice," said the younger woman. "And she has new Eyes, foreign born and dressed in black."
"Did you see Jul?" asked the Procuress.
"No, she is the only one who returned. Is it true what they say, that she killed the girl called Nasreen? Has she betrayed us to the Locust?"
"If she has, I pray the Lady brings justice where we cannot."
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