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 Flower Chapter 95: Two Days Chapter 96: Small ComfortsChapter 11: The Eye of Betrayal
The Priests of the Locust, led by the High Priest Baraz, rushed the terrified acolytes back to the Temple. Nasreen tried her best to help Aisha as they were hurried through the streets, but Aisha was still in shock and weak from fear and grief.
Why can’t she just leave me here to die?
When they reached the Temple the acolytes were herded into the unusually hot and bare sanctuary, lit only by the priests' torches. The Swarm had already stripped the walls of the tapestries that illustrated the stories of the Lady's flight with her children across the desert. The holy statue of The Lady no longer overlooked the altar, which was now bare of its customary flowers. The niche behind it where the statue of the Lady once stood was hollow and empty except for a brazier of hot coals. Behind the altar, a black robed man turned irons in the coals, heating them red hot. The fire added to unusual heat that still clung to the Temple even in the dark of night. Thick, red hangings embroidered with the eye of betrayal covered the windows on all sides. It was as if they were below the earth instead of inside the airy mountain temple of the Lady of Adyll.
Baraz approached the brazier behind the altar to select the hot irons, admiring the sparks that rose into the air as he stirred the coals. He turned to the terrified acolytes and pulled back the hood of his robe, revealing his sharp features and close cropped black hair.
“Kneel, servants of the demon queen of whores!” he yelled. The acolytes obeyed, a few panicked sobs escaping them. “You shall now be branded with the mark of betrayal. The mark will signify your treachery and idolatry in your worship of the false goddess you call 'the Lady'. May the holy fire encased in these blessed brands burn the sin from your souls. Bring forward the two who dared to befoul the holy Presence of the True God through their weakness!”
The acolytes thrust Aisha and Nasreen forward. Two of the attendant priests of the Locust brought them the rest of the way to the altar and pulled back their hoods to expose their shoulders. They stood before Baraz, the torchlight gleaming off their shaved heads. Aisha looked at Nasreen who remained serene even as she was made to bend over the altar.
"You, who deemed herself worthy to raise her sinful eyes to behold the God Among Men, receive the Eye of Betrayal as a reminder of your place in his blessed nation," intoned Baraz as he branded the olive skin between her shoulders with the iron. The smell of burning flesh mixed with the the hot fetid air ripe with the smell of fear and charcoal smoke. The priests yanked Nasreen back to her feet.
“Take now the veil to hide your eyes and your sinful nature and be a servant to the One True God,” said the priest covering her face with the red veil bearing the eye of betrayal.
Aisha now lay across the altar. Baraz leaned over to her ear, reeking of sweat and rosewater. He whispered to her, “I should brand your face for the disrespect you showed your King today, but I don’t want to spoil your face. It is far too pretty. The Locust King appreciates beauty. If you are blessed, you may become one of his Chosen. Or you may be chosen to serve me one day.” She could feel the heat radiating from the branding iron as he held it near her face. “In either case, I cannot mar your face in good conscience.” He stood up and pressed the iron between her shoulders.
Mahleck strode into his new throne room followed by the Queen, his footsteps on the flagstone floor echoed off the yellow sandstone walls. Polished wooden columns carved in the shape of trees framed the twin thrones' dais. Both thrones were carved from oak and decorated in gold leaf. Ancient Adyllian artisans had worked the royal hawk’s head and wing motif into the top of the thrones, while the legs were fashioned with twining vines and leaves. Behind the thrones sat a bas-relief of the Lady, wings outstretched.
“She is everywhere here, is she not?” Mahleck asked, pointing an accusatory finger towards the figure of the Goddess in front of him.
“Yes, my King,” answered the Queen.
“It is all a lie, you know. Fables and nonsense and children’s tales. I do not take stock in false hopes, my lady,” he said.
“We believed you were a fable when the stories first came to us from the traders across the desert, my King. We did not believe you were anything more than an old man's tale. No one could be as cruel or ruthless as the stories told. No one could defeat every land they came across, and yet those stories proved true,” she answered.
“Yes, those stories are true. I am God Who Walks Among Men. God Made Flesh. You have seen me with your own eyes, lady.” He turned from the goddess to face her. “Yet you still do not believe that I am a deity. You would rather believe the lies and fables of your demon whore. What does that say of you?”
She stood silent; eyes hidden below her black veil.
“It is proof of the deception of your sex. You even deceive your own selves with these lies. You believe you are descended from the Goddess? That her blood runs in your veins?” He paced around her still form. “That a small part of you is divine… That this somehow makes you holy? Wise? Strong? Everything you believe has been shown to be a lie. Yet you still believe it. I find this extremely ridiculous. Where was your goddess when I paid the betrayal price for your country’s secrets? Where was your goddess when your king was crying out in pain as we burned him alive in the fire? Where was your goddess when we threw his head over the wall of your city? Where was your goddess when the arrow pierced your daughter’s breast?”
The Queen balled clenched her hands into fists at her side, hoping the fingernails biting into her flesh would help her contain her rage. “And where were you when the arrow pierced the breast of your bride, my lord? You did not prevent your own chosen bride’s death, and you are the One True God, are you not?” she asked.
Mahleck struck her across the face and knocked her to the ground. “Insolent bitch!”
The Queen regained her feet, smoothing her garments into place.. She removed the veil from her eyes and looked at Mahleck with disgust. “I grow tired of this, Mahleck. When will we be done playing this game? End my life. Be done with it. I would rather die in oblivion with my 'false goddess' than be subjected to your grandiose speeches any longer.”
“Guards!” he called. Two soldiers appeared in the doorway of the throne room. “Take her to my chamber.” He turned and walked up the throne dais, but froze before he could seat himself as she addressed him again.
"You will be hard pressed to rid this kingdom of her Goddess, Locust King. She is everywhere in this land. She caused it to rise out of the desert. She carved the cliffs that kept us safe. She is within every man, woman, and child of this country, and she lives in every tree that grows, every flower that blooms, and in every creature born in this land. She watches with the eyes of the birds and flies on the wings of the raptors. You will never defeat Her.”
The guards escorted her from the room, leaving Mahleck alone on the throne, the statue of the Goddess watching from above.
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