The Temple of Sacrifice

by Tameri Etherton

  The ice skates Taryn ordered were delivered early the next day. She held up the skate and inspected Iselt’s craftsmanship. Somehow he managed to make the blades solid and yet delicate at the same time, even working a flourish into the design, which Taryn admired. Not to be outdone, the cobbler crafted the soft leather boots with the right amount of stability and comfort. In all, the skates were a work of art. She replaced the leather shields over the sharp blades and slipped her feet into the boots.

  She walked around her room a few times, getting a feel for the skates. An urgent excitement rushed through her as she removed the skates. If they hurried, she and Rhoane would have time before the day’s events to take a few laps around the frozen pond.

  Rhoane? She sent the thought to her betrothed, hoping he wasn’t busy.

  Yes, my love?

  The skates have arrived. Want to try them out?

  I would like nothing more. I will see you in half a bell.

  Her pulse quickened as it did every time she heard his melodic voice. She hoped she never tired of being in his presence.

  As she devoured a piece of toast and guzzled her tea, the girls quickly arranged her hair in a complicated series of braids that culminated in a single loop down her back. When they finished, she admired their work in the mirror and complimented them on their skill, but insisted it was too impractical.

  Ellie sulked at the reprimand. “You look so pretty with your hair done properly. You should let us arrange your hair every day.” Most days Taryn tied her platinum locks in a loose bun atop her head, much to her maids’ horror.

  “I’ll make you a deal. I’ll let you do my hair if you wear pants for a day.”

  Ellie blushed and Lorilee squealed in laughter. “Oh, Ellie, you must!”

  Taryn went to her wardrobe and returned with several pairs of trousers. “Pick your poison.”

  Saeko touched the fabric but said nothing. Ellie held up a pair of woolen breeches and sighed. “Her Majesty will not approve.”

  “I pay your salary, not my mother. Try them on,” Taryn urged. “You too, Saeko. I see you eyeing them. See how they feel and then tell me they aren’t more comfortable than a skirt.”

  The girls tugged the pants up under their skirts, giggling the whole time. “It’s quite strange to have so much fabric on my legs.” Ellie laughed.

  Saeko held her skirt and looked down at the leather trousers she’d tried on. “I feel as though I could run a thousand races in these.”

  “I told you. What about you, Lorilee?” Taryn asked the cheery maid.

  “No, thank you. A woman should be properly covered.” Her cheeks glowed crimson with her blush.

  Ellie shimmied out of her skirt and tied her chemise around her waist before stomping through the room, mimicking Taryn, and they all laughed.

  “You need to make it more authentic.” Taryn selected several blouses and tunics from her armoire. “These will give you the full effect.”

  Saeko changed without any provocation and admired herself in the mirror.

  Ellie tugged her chemise over her head and replaced it with the garments Taryn offered. “How do I look?” She turned to the side and back.

  “Like a boy.” Lorilee giggled.

  “Are you saying I look like a boy when I’m dressed like this?” Taryn pouted.

  “Not in the least, Your Highness!” Lorilee’s blush deepened. “Ellie doesn’t have the chest to fill out the blouse like you.”

  “Good save. I think you look amazing, Ellie. How do you feel?”

  Ellie threw her hands to the side. “Free!” She skipped and pranced about the room and all the girls danced with her, laughing.

  A knock on the door made them all stop and stare at one another before breaking into fits of giggles. Lorilee let Darius into the room and he looked from one to the other, frowning.

  “Am I interrupting?” he asked.

  “Not at all. We were just having some girl time,” Taryn said.

  He bowed to her then. “Forgive me, Princess, but you asked me to escort you to retrieve Princess Sabina’s gift.”

  “Bloody hell, I totally forgot.” She paced the room for a moment. “I told Rhoane we’d skate this morning. Could we go this afternoon?”

  Darius shook his head. “The jeweler is slated to compete today and will close his shop early.”

  Taryn looked to the other girls for an answer to her dilemma. They stared back, in silence. “Ellie, you go with Darius to get Sabina’s gift. I’ll give you money to pay for it. Make sure you tell him how grateful I am and that I’ll come later to thank him myself.”

  “Yes, Your Highness.” She curtseyed, but her look was uncertain.

  “It will be fine. Won’t it, Darius?” she asked innocently of the squire.

  He choked out his answer, covering his discomfort with a cough. “Yes, I’m sure it will be.”

  Ellie indicated her clothing. “I need to change and fetch a proper coat.”

  “Nonsense, just wear what you have on and here, take my cloak to keep you warm.” Taryn handed her the blue velvet cloak Faelara had given her. “I insist.”

  Ellie’s face turned ashen. “Princess, this is too fine for a maid.” She held out the garment to Taryn. “I’ll get mine.”

  “It’s just a cloak. Take it and be gone.”

  Still, she hesitated. “If you are sure you won’t need me this morning?”

  Taryn handed her several coins. “Go, have fun. Darius, you can show her the city if you’d like. Just make sure you get to the jeweler’s before he closes. Tonight is Princess Sabina’s party.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He bowed again, a huge grin belying his stern tone.

  “Now, go before I change my mind.” Taryn waved them out the door and turned back to her maids. “Why is it so hard to get two people who like each other to spend time together? Sheesh.”

  Saeko regarded her with open wonder. “You truly are unlike any mistress I’ve had before.”

  “I’ll take that as a compliment. Now, help me get dressed for ice skating.”

  When Rhoane arrived a few minutes later, she was finishing the laces on her Eleri boots. He surveyed the dressing room and asked, “What happened here?”

  It looked like her wardrobe had exploded, with clothes scattered haphazardly on the floor and furniture. “I was trying to assure my maids that wearing pants isn’t such a bad thing.” She motioned to Saeko. “What do you think, Saeko? They’re comfortable, right?”

  “Yes, much more so than I would have thought.”

  Rhoane raised an eyebrow toward Lorilee. “Not a convert, huh?”

  “No, sir. I prefer my legs covered properly. It isn’t womanly to wear men’s trousers.”

  Taryn laughed at the sheer nonsense of her remark. She should’ve been offended, but wasn’t. “Oh, my sweet Lorilee, someday I will convince you otherwise.” She gave Rhoane a knowing look as she stood up. “I not only persuaded Ellie to try them, but sent her on an errand wearing my pants.”

  Rhoane whistled between his teeth. “You should hope Lliandra doesn’t see her.”

  Taryn sniffed. “She’s a part of my household, and Mother doesn’t have a say in how my maids dress.”

  All the same, Taryn hoped Ellie was able to avoid the empress. She called Kaida and the three of them strolled the short distance to the frozen pond where the skating competition would be held. Before Taryn could say anything, Kaida raced off to chase rabbits, her white fur blending into the snow, making her nearly invisible. Taryn sat with a huff and jerked her boots from her feet before shoving them into the new skates.

  Rhoane inspected the blades as Taryn had and gave a brief nod. He thumbed the serrated tip. “What is this for?”

  “To help you stop. Just put them on and give ’em a try.”

  Rhoane did, taking his time to lace the boots properly before walking a few steps on the thin strip of steel. “The balance is off.”

  “That’s because you’re used to fat bone blades. Just wait
until you see how fast you can move with these.”

  In a complete reversal from their previous tries, Taryn glided across the ice. Now it was Rhoane who struggled to keep upright. They circled a few times at a timid pace, breaking in the leather boots and getting a feel for the ice. Rhoane pushed ahead of Taryn and she raced after him, moving them faster and faster around the ice until Rhoane caught his skate and went spiraling across the pond. When she reached him, he lay on his back, laughing.

  “You gave me a heart attack, you terrible man.” She knelt beside him, running her hands over his head and length of his body, checking for broken bones. Finding none, she slapped him on his gut and stood, offering him a hand up.

  “What did you say those serrations were for?”

  “Stopping,” Taryn said, shaking her head. “At least now you know they work.”

  They were gliding slowly around the pond when a soldier ran up to them, waving frantically.

  “Your Highnesses, come quick! There’s been an accident.”

  They skated to the soldier, Taryn’s mind spiraling with imagined horrors. “What’s happened?”

  “I don’t know details, just that you are needed.”

  In a rush, they removed the skates and laced their boots without the usual care and intricacy. Taryn called to Kaida and sprinted toward the town center, following the soldier’s lead. A crowd had gathered outside a shop and as they neared, her footsteps faltered.

  “That’s where I sent Ellie this morning.” Stark fear took hold of her. Her pendant hummed a consoling tune, warmth spreading across her chest.

  “Do not jump to any conclusions. It could be anything.”

  Through the doorway of the jeweler’s shop, Taryn glimpsed pale-blue velvet lined with white fur. A red stain ran the length of the fabric.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Taryn swallowed a scream and rushed through the villagers who’d gathered on the high street. Ellie lay on the floor, with Darius hovering over her, whispering calming words. A blood-soaked rag covered her face and she whimpered softly. Kaida ran into the shop, curling herself along Ellie’s side, licking her hand in comforting strokes. Taryn’s vision blurred and she swayed against a rush of anguish.

  From far away, Rhoane asked, “What happened?”

  An elderly voice, the jeweler’s, answered, “I’m so sorry, m’lord. They were picking up Her Highness’ gift when all of a sudden this man appears from nowhere and slashes at the girl. If it wasn’t for the bravery of this ’un, she’d be dead.”

  Darius turned away, a haunted look in his eyes. Rhoane questioned the jeweler further, but Taryn hardly heard his words. She knelt next to Ellie, saying in a soothing voice, “I’m here. I’ll take care of you.” She gently removed the cloth and stifled a gasp. An angry, deep gash ran from Ellie’s chin to her left eye. “Someone give me a clean cloth.” When no one moved, she screamed, “Now!”

  Three strips of fabric were thrust at her. Taryn took one and pressed it against the wound, whispering, “You are such a brave girl. I’m going to do what I can for your pain and to heal your wound. Be strong, my sweet.” She struggled to blink back the tears that stung her eyes. Rhoane knelt opposite her, holding the wound closed, his ShantiMari flowing into Ellie. Taryn’s power entwined with his. Together, they worked through the hundreds of nerves and blood vessels in her face. She imagined each reconnecting while the skin knit back together. In her mind, she envisioned Ellie’s face as it was before, perfect and smooth. She hoped it would be enough.

  Sweat beaded her forehead by the time they were able to stop the bleeding. Even with their combined healing, an uneven track ran down Ellie’s face. “We need Faelara and Myrddin’s help,” Rhoane said, frustration clipping his words.

  Rhoane ordered a cart brought to the shop and they carefully lifted Ellie into the back. Taryn sat beside her, holding her hand and speaking softly while sending calming thoughts to Ellie’s mind with suggestions to sleep. When they reached the castle, Taryn ordered that Ellie be taken to her rooms before heading in the opposite direction.

  “Where are you going?” Rhoane asked.

  “I need to find Myrddin. At this hour, he’ll be in his tower. Stay with her and send someone for Faelara,” Taryn said over her shoulder as she dashed off toward Myrddin’s tower.

  The door stood slightly ajar and she called out to him, but heard no answer. She pushed it open, calling again. Entering his rooms without his permission gave her pause, but Ellie’s life was more important than social etiquette. She strode to the open door that led to the stairs and yelled into the heights of the tower.

  Again, silence met her. She took the stairs two at a time, stopping on each floor in her frantic search for Myrddin. Either he wasn’t there or he was deaf. Her caterwauling could wake the dead. At the final flight of stairs, she held her breath, willing him there. Ellie needed him.

  She entered the room at the top of the tower, pausing a moment to take in the sights before her. Bottles and scrolls were scattered everywhere. Taxidermy animals perched precariously beside bits of rock or half-eaten meals. An acrid stench fought for dominance over the smell of rotting food and Taryn covered her nose with her cloak. On one table, a scrap of black velvet covered a domed shape.

  Myrddin obviously wasn’t there and etiquette dictated she leave, but curiosity got the better of her. She lifted the fabric to reveal a looking glass the size of a child’s head. An image flared in the ball and she stared, transfixed, as several soldiers carried Ellie into her sitting room. It took her a moment to realize what she was seeing. Not just seeing, but she could hear the conversations taking place.

  The image flickered to Marissa’s rooms. The princess sat at her desk, writing a letter while chatting to one of her maids. Taryn struggled to process the information, but the shock of Ellie’s attack dominated her attention.

  What she saw in Myrddin’s spying glass bewildered her. It made no sense.

  A step on the stairs alarmed her and she quickly covered the looking glass before moving to the other side of the room to study a dead owl. When Myrddin entered, she rushed to him. “Oh, thank the gods! There’s been a terrible accident and I came here to find you. We need your skill at healing. I tried, but it’s beyond me.” She was talking much too fast.

  When Myrddin’s eyes glanced at the looking glass, a stab of guilt hit her, but she continued, “Please, there’s no time to lose. My maid was attacked in the market.” She tugged on his sleeve, practically dragging him from the room down the stairs.

  “In the market, did you say?”

  His distractedness sparked her anger and she snapped at him. “Yes, just a short while ago. We don’t have much time. She’s lost a lot of blood. I’m afraid she’ll be scarred for life. We need you.”

  She propelled them faster down the last few flights of stairs and ran full-out through the castle, with Myrddin easily keeping pace.

  When they entered her rooms, Faelara sat beside Ellie, holding her hand. “I gave her a sleeping draught.”

  “Can you help her?” Taryn asked Myrddin.

  He ran a finger over the wound, his ShantiMari covering Ellie’s face. “She’ll have a scar as you said, but we can try to make it less ghastly.”

  Taryn cringed at the word. “If it wasn’t for Darius, she’d be dead.” Darius stood apart from the others, his eyes rimmed red, wide with shock.

  For several long minutes, no one spoke while Myrddin worked on healing Ellie’s wound. Taryn held her breath while pleading silently with every god she’d ever heard of to please help her friend.

  Myrddin whispered archaic words and placed his hand fully over Ellie’s face. “Your healing was quite good, Taryn. There’s not much more I needed to do.” He glanced at Darius before giving them instructions on Ellie’s care. “Rhoane, I think a paste of durnock root will suffice.”

  Rhoane spoke with one of the soldiers, who raced from the room to find the root. Myrddin consulted briefly with Faelara and Rhoane before leaving. When he’
d gone, Faelara addressed the two maids. “Keep the wound covered with a fresh cloth and do not let her look in a mirror until the swelling goes down.” They gripped each other’s hands, holding back their tears.

  Ellie was like a sister to all of them. The horror of her attack left them shattered. “Darius, are you all right?”

  He nodded slowly, as if in a daze. “She will live, won’t she?”

  “With proper care and rest, yes,” Faelara said.

  Darius cleared his throat. “With your permission, Your Highness, I would like to tend to her.”

  “You aren’t responsible for this, Darius,” Taryn said softly.

  “I should have stopped him. He came out of nowhere and was so fast.”

  Rhoane put his hand on the lad’s shoulder. A thin thread of his ShantiMari flowed into Darius and he visibly relaxed. “If not for you, Ellie would surely have perished. You are to be commended, Darius.”

  “Please, I would like to see to her recovery.”

  Taryn glanced at Rhoane. “If you’ve no objections, I would like that.”

  Baehlon burst into the room, ordering everyone out except Taryn, Faelara, and Rhoane. When the room was clear, he nodded to Faelara, who covered them with a barrier. From the corner of her eye, Taryn saw her looking glass and said, “Perhaps we should move this discussion away from Ellie.” Taryn added another ward to Faelara’s as an added measure of privacy.

  When the group was settled, Rhoane asked, “What news?”

  “It was most certainly the Shadow Assassin,” Baehlon said in a near whisper.

  “How do you know?” Taryn’s legs trembled and she leaned against the wall for support. “And why would he attack Ellie?”

  A look of profound sadness clouded Baehlon’s eyes. “Taryn, I’m fairly certain he meant to kill you, not your maid.”

  Taryn swallowed a wave of nausea. “I wasn’t there.” Nothing made sense to her. Ellie. The Shadow Assassin. The horrific gash on the girl’s face. Her mind groped for answers.

  “The jeweler.” Baehlon touched her chin so she’d look at him. “He blames himself, Taryn. Last evening, he was boasting down at the pub about the ring he made for the Eirielle. So pleased were you with his creation that you visited his shop in person and said you’d be collecting it in the morning.”