Page 123 of A Vow of Embers

While I was finishing up my lists, Suri returned and nodded, indicating that Quynh had agreed to my plan. And while I’d never been very good at making up these kinds of schemes, this one felt simplistic enough that I thought it could work.

If I got caught ... what was Xander going to do? Lock me up more? Kiss someone else?

Parthenia had come to help me get ready for the day, which felt a bit pointless since I couldn’t go anywhere. She was going through my trunks, picking something out for me.

I turned to Suri and asked, “Does the goddess still speak to you in your dreams?”

She made a motion with her hand that indicated “somewhat.” But apparently not as often as it used to happen.

“What do you see when you dream?” I asked, feeling a bit foolish, as I knew she couldn’t answer me. “Do you ever see the future?”

Yes.

Then she pointed at Parthenia’s stomach and then pointed at me.

“You’ve seen me pregnant?” I asked, shocked.

Yes.

So it wasn’t just me seeing that vision. “What about you?”

She grimaced and looked so disgusted that I nearly laughed. That was a no. “Io?”

No.

That made sense—Io had already told me she didn’t want children of her own. I could see her happily collecting animals and plants and tending to them.

“Zalira?”

Yes.

“Ahyana?”

Yes.

It was interesting that those of us who had fallen, however stupidly, in love were the ones Suri had seen with children. Why did it seem like the fates waiting for us were different from what the high priestess told us we could have?

I also wondered again why the goddess spoke so often to Suri, showed her so many different things. Was it because she knew Suri would keep her secrets?

Io returned with vials and books. “I’ve given you two vials, but really you only need half of one mixed in with some wine to work. So this would be four doses.”

I thanked her, and when she wasn’t looking, I gave one of the vials to Suri and pocketed the other. Suri left to deliver the vial to Quynh.

Zalira and Ahyana joined us. We skipped our daily lesson to start looking for words in the books. Suri came back, and one of the good things about her not speaking was that no one asked her where she had gone. She nodded at me briefly to let me know that my plan was now in motion.

I quickly discovered that there was no point in using the word “goddess,” as there were too many references praising her in the books Io had brought. So I had them search for the words “temple,” “priestess,” “Locris,” and I threw in the name “Lysimache” because stories about the priestess who had restored worship in Ilion might have answers for me.

Skimming still took time and I kept having to stop whenever one of them found a word to check and see if there was any useful information. Every time I stopped I got angry all over again that no one had taught them to read. After I was finished with Themis, I was going to make certain that my adelphia could read, too. I didn’t care if it made Theano or anyone else at the temple mad.

Tell them about the eye.I shook my head at the impulse. I might have been in a better place with Io but now everything with her brother was worse. I would not let him learn about what I was looking for.

“I found that name,” Ahyana said, showing me her book. I scanned the words and she nudged me. “Out loud.”

“The city of Lycia did not join in the Great War. They were known for their carrier birds, who were trained to bring messages. Troas demanded they join the fight and serve, to operate their information lines, but Lycia refused. After Princess Lysimache took over the regency of Ilion, she traveled to Lycia with what remained of the army to demand tribute. When they said they had nothing to give, she offered to take messenger birds from each household. The people of Lycia complied,grateful for her leniency. Princess Lysimache tied sulfur and cloth to the feet of the birds, set the cloth on fire, and released the birds. Each bird returned to their homes, and within a single hour, every dwelling in Lycia was destroyed.”

I looked up when I finished reading and everyone was stunned.

“The world can be a cruel and vicious place,” Zalira said with a shudder. “We should remember that.”