The Temple of Sacrifice

by Tameri Etherton

  With great effort, she denied the impulse, gliding over the Weirren. She inclined her head to the great tree and sped over the treetops. In the desert far to the east, she saw the colorful tents and buildings of the horse people and felt a longing to visit their lands.

  Beyond, the sea glittered in the moonlight like jewels from a king’s treasure. Pirate ships anchored in hidden coves waited to attack unsuspecting travelers. A familiar presence brushed against her mind as she dipped her wing into the cold water. Another dragon joined her and flew beside her over the islands of Sabina’s people.

  To the south, on the farthest edge of Aelinae, several islands hovered above larger landmasses. The Sitari women danced naked to the thumping of drums, their blue-skinned bodies glistening under the full moon. On a smaller island, high above the others, the elder Sitari cast their ShantiMari like a net over the islands. The pre-mating ritual was a tradition dating back to before the Great War. Taryn’s dragon heart beat in time to the drums.

  The other dragon led her farther to the west, across an archipelago with one large island in the center. The great fires of Haversham burned in their caves where Artagh crafted weapons for the gods. She joined her sword in song, a bittersweet melody of loss and love. That her sword missed the ore in the mountains amused Taryn’s dragon mind.

  They banked west and flew up the coast, along the shore over Caer Danuri, the ancestral home of Taryn’s friend Lord Aomori. When they neared Valterys’ castle, Taryn balked and turned to the east, but the other dragon flew on, and Taryn followed.

  They ghosted over Caer Idris, dark and silent in the night sky. Taryn’s dragon eyes saw into the castle to where Valterys stood facing Zakael, as if in argument. If she wished, she could hear them, but she turned away, toward the mountains.

  She glided over the tips of the highest peaks and into the valleys. She followed rivers between steep crags to where they emptied into mountain lakes. Finally, she saw the cavern deep within Mount Nadrene, and she longed to once more be among her family. The other dragon banked away from the cavern, his moss-colored scales shining in the moonlight.

  Awaken, Taryn. Awaken and remember.

  The cavern was still when Taryn opened her eyes. She lay naked and alone on the island, her mind grasping, trying to recall the dream she’d had. Fragments drifted through her thoughts but never settled enough that she could recall its entirety. Having no idea what time of day it was or how long she’d been away, she dressed with a sense of purpose and hurried through the tunnels.

  As she stood on the cliff’s edge, preparing to transform in the predawn light, something in the dirt stopped her breath. Like a jewel washed upon the shore, a small moss-green scale glittered against the sand.

  Chapter Forty

  Over the next several days, with Baehlon’s urging, Taryn spent much of her time in clandestine meetings. From her friends, she learned all they knew of the hunt for the Shadow Assassin. Taryn was more than a little surprised they’d been conducting their own investigation of not only him, but what was happening between the East and the rest of Aelinae. They all had their own spies, who reported on everything from pirate raids in the Summer Seas to the placement of Valterys’ army at Lliandra’s borders.

  Taryn knew of Iselt being aboard one of Adesh’s ships, but Denzil’s assistance surprised her. He and Baehlon put up a splendid performance of brotherly rivalry. She’d even believed they hated each other.

  Since her trip to the cavern, she worked hard each day, training with the soldiers. The physical exertion kept her focus away from Rhoane’s absence, and the time she spent with her sisters helped lift her mood. A dark depression had taken hold somewhere on the road from Caer Idris and she struggled to put herself back into good spirits. The only mar to her happiness was Sabina and Hayden’s continued quarrel. Neither would tell her why they were at odds, each believing it to be the other’s fault and not wanting to involve her in something trivial.

  They remained civil to each other, but Hayden did not share Sabina’s bed and when they met in Faelara’s or Taryn’s apartments for a meeting, they sat at opposite sides of the room. One early summer day, they met in her rooms to discuss a foray into the city to meet with Adesh. She’d not been to the docks or the marketplace since her return and she longed to visit both.

  “I don’t think you should go, Taryn,” Hayden argued. “You are too easily recognized and thus far, we’ve managed to keep our activities from your mother.”

  “If Sabina and I go together, we’re simply shopping. Surely no one can suspect us of wicked deeds? We’ll bring Eliahnna and Tessa. I promised my little sister she could meet Sulein. It’ll be perfect.”

  “I don’t like it.” Hayden crossed his arms over his chest, his brows furrowed deep enough to be worrisome.

  “Yes, well, it’s a good thing for us you don’t have the final say in what we do with our time,” Sabina retorted hotly. Hayden’s glare chilled the warm room.

  “She’s right. You’re not the boss of me, so there.” Taryn stuck her tongue out at Hayden.

  “Nice, cousin. Very mature.”

  “Oh, and your behavior is?”

  His cheeks reddened with the reprimand, but he kept silent.

  “So anyway, I’ve asked Tarro to take me to see Armando. I’m pretty sure he thinks I want to visit in a professional way, which is just eww since he was Marissa’s favorite whore, and I’m not dissuading him. We agreed I needed to know if Armando has information and this was the only way to see him. At least with Tarro there, it won’t be totally awkward. Or it might. I don’t know.”

  “You’re babbling, dear sister.” Eliahnna placed a hand over Taryn’s. “He’s just a man who uses his body for pleasure. He won’t harm you.”

  “Says the pretty girl who will have tons of lovers someday.”

  Eliahnna winked. “Or perhaps not.”

  Taryn bit her cheek to keep from giving away her sister’s secret. She and Eoghan continued to correspond despite Taryn’s warnings to the both of them. “Or perhaps not,” she teased.

  After the meeting had concluded, Taryn asked Hayden and Sabina to stay. Each looked at her as if she’d bitten them. “Oh for fuck’s sake, stop acting like idiots. What happened? One day you’re all swoony in love, the next you hate each other.”

  “We don’t hate each other,” Sabina insisted. “I love Hayden with all my heart, but he’s being rather stubborn about something important to me.”

  “Because it’s archaic!” Hayden breathed in and out with a heavy sigh. “I asked Sabina to marry me.”

  “You did? Finally! But why are you fighting?”

  “Because she denied me.”

  “I did no such thing. I said I could not marry you until you ask my father for my hand.”

  “Um, so besides that being a little old-fashioned, it’s kind of sweet. What’s the big deal?”

  “Her father is the king of the Summerlands. You do not simply walk up to the man and ask permission. There is tradition to uphold. A ceremony.” Hayden glanced away, his gaze settling on Gian, who sat silently in the corner stroking Kaida’s fur. A blush covered Hayden’s cheeks and he mumbled an apology to the faerie.

  “Can someone explain what’s going on? What ceremony? Why is Hayden freaked out?”

  “The ceremony involves piercing a certain intimate part of the male body as well as being tattooed.”

  The blush darkened and Hayden refused to meet her eyes.

  Taryn suddenly understood and broke out in laughter. “I’m so sorry,” she hiccuped between fits. “That’s a terrible thing to do to a man! But Hayden, surely you love Sabina enough to endure anything for her?”

  “That’s what I’ve been telling him! He won’t listen. He says it’s barbaric, which means my people are barbaric. He doesn’t think I’m good enough for him.”

  Taryn’s laughter subsided and she struggled to keep a straight face. Each time she looked at Hayden, his demeanor slipped even further into despair. “We’ll figure
something out. For now, can you two please go back to loving each other? I need to see a happy couple. Desperately.” She batted her lashes at them with her best pout.

  “We will, as long as you promise not to make that face ever again. You look horrendous.”

  “Thanks, Sabina. You’re a real confidence booster.”

  After they left, Taryn and Gian spoke at length about their problem, coming no closer to a solution. The tattoos she understood, but the piercing? Why would anyone in their right mind do that to their body?

  The next morning, she was almost finished with her yogic stretches when Ebus entered her rooms, hidden beneath a swath of shadows. She lay on her stomach and arched her torso up with a soothing stretch. Kaida sniffed the air and padded to where Ebus stood. Her whine earned a shush from the empty air.

  “It isn’t nice to sneak into my rooms, you know.” Taryn stretched into another position, twisting her body first to the right, and then left. She’d never been a fan of yoga, but her constant riding and training made her muscles tense and cramp. Even her martial arts couldn’t untie the knots that formed in her neck and back. Yoga did.

  It also helped her calm her mind and regain her focus, something training used to do, but it had become too much of a duty and was no longer enjoyable. She struggled to regain the joy she once felt each time she held Ynyd Eirathnacht.

  Ebus moved and Taryn scanned the room for his dark outline. Finding it, she snapped a thread of ShantiMari against his ankle.

  “Blast it, woman!” His chuckle belied his anger. The shadows faded from him and he shook out his hair. “I’d like to know how you do that.”

  “You have your secrets. I have mine.” She stood, patting a cloth against her heated skin. “What brings you here today?”

  “I’ve just returned from Caer Idris, where I’ve been for many moonturns.” At her look of surprise, he added, “Aye, I was there when you stole away with the faerie boy. As well as long after. Your father was not pleased when Zakael returned without you. His rage is unequaled. No lady should ever have to see it. Your brother’s punishment will not soon be forgotten, I’m afraid. As for you, Valterys is most keen for you to meet his god.”

  “I don’t have any plans of going near Rykoto. Not yet, anyway.” Taryn almost felt bad for her half-brother. She witnessed firsthand her father’s punishments, something she wouldn’t too soon forget.

  Gian entered the room, startling them. He signed to Taryn, asking after her visitor and if he should return later.

  “Stay, Gian. This is Ebus, a dear friend of mine and Prince Rhoane’s. Ebus, this is Gian. He’s the faerie I stole from my father.” Gian grinned at her and bowed to the spy. A knock at the door meant the rest of the group would be joining them. “We’re meeting to discuss Lliandra’s taxes. Would you like to stay, Ebus?”

  He pulled his shadows tight and whispered, “If you don’t mind, I should like to observe only.”

  Gian’s eyes widened and he looked from the empty air to Taryn. “I’ll teach you someday. For now, say nothing of Ebus.” The faerie nodded and took a seat on the couch. Kaida sat beside him and his hand went to her soft fur.

  The others trickled in and chatted together until everyone sat in Taryn’s spacious room, drinking and eating. Listening to her friends and watching them deftly handle difficult situations made her realize she’d done to them what others had done to her—she underestimated them. Not only were they able to gather information without leaving palace grounds, they had a knowledge of court politics, which allowed them to subvert attacks.

  That morning, she learned the courtiers only tired of Taryn’s ordeals because Eliahnna or Tinsley would start another rumor, one more titillating than that of the Eirielle, something they confessed wasn’t easy to do as Taryn was still the court’s favorite topic.

  When she and Baehlon left the meeting for their sword training, a weight had been lifted. For her sisters and friends to go to such extremes to protect her was humbling and she was grateful for them.

  “Rhoane should be made aware of what we’ve discussed.”

  Baehlon grumbled that he’d not heard from the prince in too long.

  “He is well, my friend,” Taryn told Baehlon. “Of that, I am certain.”

  “You’ve been in contact with him?”

  “Not exactly.” She grinned. “I just know.”

  “It’s good to see you smile again.” He placed his arm around her, squeezing the breath from her lungs. “You should do that more often.”

  Taryn trained hard for close to three bells. She worked with the soldiers using swords and martial arts, complimenting them on their increased skill. Darius in particular showed great promise. He’d continued his training while she was gone. As a result, his body became leaner, more muscular. Taryn wasn’t the only one to notice, either. She often caught Ellie scurrying past the yard with a basket in hand.

  Afterward, she relaxed with a hot bath and her daily dose of gossip from the maids. The court was in a tizzy because Lord Valen had proposed to Princess Sabina and she accepted. Taryn smiled to herself and sank beneath the bubbles, releasing a giggle. Poor Hayden.

  Tarro arrived at the appointed time to escort her to Nena’s house. Nerves fluttered in her belly and she worried over her attire, but Tarro assured her it was fine. The stiffness in his bow and curtness of his replies told Taryn he was annoyed with her. She hated deceiving him but couldn’t afford for the court to know her real reason for visiting Armando.

  The walk to Nena’s hung heavy with silence and Tarro’s reticence ate at Taryn. When he knocked on the back door, her confidence faltered.

  As if he sensed it, Tarro reassured her, saying, “He’s a man, like every other. There is no need to be anxious.”

  But he was wrong. Armando wasn’t a man like any she knew. He was a whore, a very good one from what she’d been told. Taryn had little experience with men and yet was somehow expected to extract information from him. It was a doomed experiment, but she’d gone along with it to mollify her friends.

  A small window opened and two dark eyes glared at them. A moment later, the door opened and Tarro greeted the doorman by name. Taryn smiled shyly, but he’d already lost interest in them and turned to chat with a young boy who wore what looked like women’s pantaloons and nothing else. The pang of insecurity spread from her gut to her chest the farther up the back stairs they climbed. By the time they reached Armando’s door, Taryn was shaking.

  “Really, Princess. There is no need to be worried. Armando is the best.”

  “You know, it doesn’t help to have his lover trying to make me feel better. Besides, I didn’t come here for that.”

  Tarro’s mouth gaped the same instant the door opened and quite possibly the most gorgeous man Taryn had ever seen stood before her. He wore loose breeches and a matching robe opened to reveal burnished skin so smooth it looked like toffee. He could’ve been wearing a clown suit and fruit basket on his head and still would’ve been perfect.

  “Tarro.” Armando’s Summerlands drawl made love to the name and for one tiny moment, Taryn was jealous of her tailor. “Is this the woman you told me about?” Armando’s gaze went to Taryn, surveying her from head to toe, every glance an invitation and lust-filled promise.

  “I-I-I, uh, I’m Taryn.” She thrust out her hand, forgetting the Aelans didn’t shake hands upon meeting. Armando smiled and she swooned a little before snatching her hand behind her body. “Yes. I’m Princess Taryn and I wanted to meet you.” Reminding herself who she was helped, but not much.

  “Come in, please.” He stepped aside, and Tarro turned to leave.

  “Stay, Tarro,” Taryn pleaded.

  “I’m sorry, Princess, but I keep my love life separate from my work. I thought you understood this. It’s bad enough I let you talk me into bringing you here—and now to learn for false reasons.”

  “I sorry for the ruse. It’s just…Tarro, get in here and close the door.” A wall of ShantiMari rose around them and she took a
steadying breath. “I might have given you the wrong impression. I didn’t come here for, um, your skills. I need information.”

  Armando cut Tarro a glare and Taryn immediately apologized. “Please don’t be angry with Tarro. He didn’t know my reasons for coming to see you, and I’m sure if he did, we wouldn’t be standing here right now.”

  Armando spun away and grabbed for the door, but Taryn blocked him with her power. “You will release me at once, Your Highness.” An evil glint hid in his dark brown eyes. “I don’t know what it is with your family, but I am not a dog to be kicked around.”

  “I know you’re not and I’m sorry. My mother and sister, they’re not nice people, but I am. Really.”

  “You have an odd way of showing it.”

  “My love, please. The princess has only ever been kind to me. Won’t you at least hear her out?” Tarro stroked Armando’s arms, soothing him until the whore nodded.

  “Thank you.” Taryn breathed. “My mother and sister are why I’m here. They are taxing your people illegally and I fear are planning something horrific. If you have any knowledge you can share, I will forever be in your debt.”

  Armando shook his head and dark curls covered his handsome face. “I haven’t seen the crown princess since just before the court left for Celyn Eryri. I’m afraid we parted on unfriendly terms. As for the empress, Nena is her favorite. I have never had the honor.” The way he said the last word made it sound like bedding Lliandra was anything but.

  “If you do hear anything, will you tell Tarro? He can pass the information along to me. I don’t think it’s wise if I’m seen visiting here regularly.” Taryn took a step toward the door and paused. “One more question, if you don’t mind? The Summerlands marriage tradition of piercing the groom’s, um, body part—why?”

  Armando indicated a tiny diamond in his ear. “To show the world you are taken. Why else?”

  Taryn barely held her laughter in check. Poor Hayden. Sabina was cruel for allowing him to believe it was somewhere more intimate.

  Taryn thanked the men and Tarro led her down the darkened hallways to the small sitting room where they entered the house. A buxom woman with flaming hair and wearing exquisite lingerie accosted them, much to Taryn’s horror. She kissed Tarro’s cheeks and patiently waited for an introduction.