Total pages in book: 169
Estimated words: 161535 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 808(@200wpm)___ 646(@250wpm)___ 538(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 161535 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 808(@200wpm)___ 646(@250wpm)___ 538(@300wpm)
A priestess meets us in front of the temple, dressed entirely in rich red robes. They’re heavily embroidered, and she’s a stout woman with kind eyes. “We are honored to have such an esteemed visitor at our small temple,” she says, bowing and lifting her skirts slightly to get on the floor and prostrate herself. “Truly, Lord Kalos—”
“Don’t,” Kalos says, annoyance in his tone. “Don’t bother. I’m not here to get my arse kissed.”
Her expression remains composed. “To what do we owe this honor?”
Kalos tugs me forward by the hand, then takes a step back so I’m in the lead. It’s all me, then. I put on my friendly, best customer-service smile. “I’d love to see your book of cures,” I say. “Varina told us you have one similar to the one I’m working on for a nearby village and I’d like to compare notes.”
Her eyes widen. “You are the Maiden of Medicine? We’ve heard a lot about you.”
I’m…what? I look over at Kalos, flummoxed. “I, um…no, I’m just helping out.”
“There have been a great deal of stories coming out of the villages nearby about the Vulture God and his new consort. That you were working to reclaim the mantle of medicine from the goddess Anali. That he shares his powers with you so he will take you with him when he returns. We weren’t sure if these were rumors, but I see now that they are true. Truly, we are honored to have you both.” She inclines her head.
My skin prickles and I’m very uncomfortable. Consort? Power-sharing? Me…going with him when he returns? None of that is true. “Um…”
“But you didn’t come here to talk of that, did you?” The priestess smiles. “You are here for our library. Of course you are welcome to anything we have. Please follow me. Our house is your house.”
“I doubt Belara would feel that way about you giving hospitality to me,” Kalos comments, not budging an inch. “Are you sure you wish to let us in?”
She turns to look at us. “Belara is not in the heavens at the moment, and I would rather not anger a god at my doorstep,” the priestess says smoothly. “I will make my apologies to my goddess later, but I think she would understand. Follow me, if you please.”
The priestess retreats into the temple, and I glance over at Kalos. “Is this okay?”
“Is any of it?” He shrugs. “We’re here. We might as well see what they have for us.”
That’s a cryptic answer, and I’m not sure I like it. He takes my hand in his and we follow the priestess as she leads us through a colonnaded courtyard. I walk slowly so the priestess can move farther ahead of us and turn to Kalos as we walk. “Is this going to get you—or her—in trouble?”
“With Belara? Who cares?”
Me. I care. But I bite my tongue at that. “What’s with that ‘Maiden of Medicine’ crap? Do you know?”
Kalos’s expression is as bland as bland can be. “Gossip. People make up stories because they have nothing better to do. You don’t believe it, do you? Do you feel like you’re sharing my powers when you work on the book?”
“Well, no. Mostly my shoulders hurt and my hand cramps.”
“Exactly.” He rubs his thumb over my hand. “I’ll have to give you a nice massage when we get back to the monk’s home.”
That sounds good to me. Kalos enjoys being alone with me (and let’s be real, I enjoy being alone with him, too). It usually turns into more than a massage, but our quiet moments also turn into long conversations, and I love those as much as his touch.
The priestess opens a set of ornate double doors and indicates that we should step inside. As we do, I see multiple altars covered in flowers. Delicately embroidered pillows are set upon the floor in front of each altar, and several priestesses in red kneel in front of them, praying. We move past them into a smaller room with a large open window that looks over a flower garden. A table with a vase and more flowers is set near the window, along with two filigreed chairs that look like they’d snap in a strong breeze.
“Please, sit here and I will get you refreshments,” the priestess says. She moves to one of the chairs and pulls it out from the table, looking at me pointedly. “You may call me Priestess Alithia. It is an honor to serve the gods, truly.”
I sit down, glancing out the window. The lovely garden in the distance is down a hillside, the window a sheer drop down a cliff at least fifty feet high. It makes me dizzy and I step back from the window just to be safe. “Thank you, Alithia. We’re not intending a long visit, though. I mostly just wanted to peek at your book—”