The Mysteries, A Novel of Ancient Eleusis

by David Sheppard

CHAPTER 4: Flight in Darkness

  On they sped pulled by demons into darkness, full moon casting pale light for the horses. As the moon disappeared behind a thick bank of clouds, the chariot slowed, and the young man, who'd held the horses in the grove, came alongside and talked briefly to the Dadouchos. He called the Dadouchos by name, Kallias. Melaina repeated it to herself. "Kallias." She felt her raw scalp, and her anger grew.

  The rider lit a torch and went on ahead, holding it high, hair glowing in the light. Sparks streamed behind. The silhouettes of the four horses rose and fell against the flame. At times, the rider would guide them around a boulder or hold the torch while they negotiated an erosion channel. The wheels frequently fell into ruts cut by years of wagon use, and the chariot slithered through.

  Melaina tried to soften her anger at Kallias. He'd saved her life, twice. Instead of her she-goat, two people had died. She was now supposed to be grown, a woman, but she felt smaller and less significant than ever.