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 FlowerChapter 93: Until My Last Breath
Nasreen stood up from her pallet, her stomach lurching in fear. “What is it?”
The Procuress forced her voice into a calmer tone. "I... I am in need of your assistance in the brothel kitchen. Immediately."
“Of course, Procuress,” answered Nasreen. She followed her mentor through the door leading to the brothel.
Once the door was safely shut behind them and they were beyond the earshot of the dormitory, the Procuress halted their hurried pace down the hallway. "The Lord Prince is here. He is demanding to see you."
Nasreen's heart jumped to her throat and her stomach gave another lurch as if she had eaten something rancid. She tried to swallow but her mouth was suddenly dry. "Takri is here? Why? His master made it very clear I am beneath his status. He would not disobey the King."
"If his words are true, he has already disobeyed him," said the Procuress. "He brings news from the palace. Baraz plans to cut out the tongues of any prostitute who speaks to a member of the Swarm."
"How is that possible?" asked Nasreen. "Our services are more than carnal. How many times have we served men just by speaking healing words?"
"I believe it is possible no matter how ridiculous it seems," said the Procuress. "And I will be speaking with the others tonight once the brothel has closed. No more speaking with the men who seek our services. Except you right now. You must tell the Lord Prince you have no love for him in your heart, and that he must leave you if he wishes to keep you safe. They will do more to us than merely cut out our tongues if he is found here."
"Only a good man would risk his life to warn us,” said Nasreen. “He could have stayed safe in the palace and never given us warning. Procuress, I felt the Goddess’ presence when I joined with him that day. I do I love him. To deny that love would be a sin against love itself."
"He wants to take you away from here," said the Procuress. "You will die outside the walls of the temple. He cannot protect you. No one can. And if you are caught, we will all pay the price with you. Do you think you can survive outside the walls of this sacred place? You cannot. There is safety here in our service to the Locust."
"What safety?" cried Nasreen. "What safety is there in a place where they will remove our ability to speak if we use our voices? What safety exists when we can be put on the street to be raped and killed because a man of rank looked at us with love? This is a place where they burned an old woman alive in a mockery of the sacred fire while the entire city watched. There is no safety here! Outside these walls I may die, but inside these walls I cannot live."
"You vowed to serve the Goddess at Longest Night, to sacrifice yourself as She sacrificed Herself for Her child. Do you remember?" asked the Procuress.
Nasreen nodded and leaned heavily against the wall, sliding down until she was sitting on the floor, her hands covering her face as she cried.
"You are a priestess of the Goddess in the most trying time our land has ever known. You say you felt the Goddess in the joining. That may be. But now you must act as She would. Put aside your selfish desires to be with him. Love is fleeting. And young love even more so. You must do as I ask you, and tell him you have no love in your heart for him. He may love you, but your heart has already been given to the Lady. Anything that comes before Her love is a false love, my child."
"I cannot tell him this,” sobbed Nasreen. “Please do not make me do this.”
The Procuress shook her head. "I tried to tell him. He did not believe me. You must do this yourself. This is your sacrifice to make, not mine."
Nasreen nodded, and wiped her eyes on her sleeve before she stood up. The Procuress embraced her. "You are strong, Nasreen. I know you can do this. He has promised me he will leave if you tell him to."
Nasreen nodded against her mentor’s shoulder. The Procuress squeezed her hand in reassurance and led her down the hallway to the kitchen door where a brothel eunuch stood guard outside.
"I will give you time to convince him to leave and say your goodbyes," said the Procuress. "Remember who your first love is. It is not him."
Nasreen took a deep breath and entered the room, closing the door behind her.
Takri stood at the table before her. When his eyes met hers, she dropped her gaze to the floor.
"Nasreen."
"My Lord Prince."
"Please don't call me by those words," said Takri. "I do not want that title. I never did."
Nasreen’s throat tightened when she looked up at him, so she dropped her gaze to the floor again. How can it hurt to simply look upon him? She cleared her throat and forced her eyes to meet his. "Thank you for telling us what the high priest plans for me and my sisters. You have our gratitude. But you must leave and never come back. Forget about me. Every moment in your presence puts us all in more danger."
"Do not ask me to forget you," said Takri. "I love you, Nasreen. Your existence shows me proof the Lady still lives. I would sacrifice everything to be with you, to keep you safe. You may ask me to leave, you may tell me you do not love me, but do not ask me to forget."
"You cannot understand. You live among them," said Nasreen. "You, with your rank and the privileges that come with it, you cannot understand what it is to be a woman in this place. We cannot hide. And for me and my sisters in the brothel it is much worse. We are objects to be used and thrown away. And while you may make pretty speeches, it is us who bear the burden of existing among men who despise us."
"I am not one of those men," said Takri. "And if you wish it, I will leave you. But only if it is you that wishes it, and not another. The words you are saying are true. I do not deny it."
"You are a man," said Nasreen. "And I am a woman. A woman who vowed to serve within the Temple of the Lady. I beg you, forget me. I cannot love a man when I have a duty to my people and my sisters here."
"This is no longer a temple of the Lady,” said Takri. “It is a temple of Mahleck. It is a temple of death. I do not believe this is a place that can be saved. But maybe we can save each other. There are caves and catacombs under the city. I used them to come here to see you undetected. We could use those to escape and make our way outside the city. My people survived in the desert and mountain long before the children of Aaysha came and built their cities. We can survive together."
Tears welled in Nasreen’s eyes and fell down her cheeks. Hope. This is hope. A life where all that I love is together and safe. A father for my child. A place of safety for all of us, even little Aisha.
Nasreen closed the distance between them in two steps. She wrapped her hands in his hair and brought his mouth down towards hers. His hands curled around her waist as he drew her closer, pressing her body against his. She pulled away and put her finger to his lips before returning to the door. She slid the lock silently into place before returning.
"We must be quiet," she said. "If they suspect us of anything we will never escape."
"I love you, wild rose," he whispered as he pulled her to him. "I will lay down my life for you. I will protect you and care for you until I draw my last breath, and even as I travel to the land of the dead you will be the light that shines before my eyes."
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