Page 2 of A Vow of Embers

“Are you saying you won’t honor your acolyte’s choice?” the prince challenged, and I saw more men reaching for their weapons.

This was going to be a bloodbath.

“You will have to speak to the high priestess. She is the only one who can give permission for Lia to leave the temple. Lia is under her jurisdiction,” Antiope said, and while she sounded uninterested, Irecognized that strain in her voice. She was preparing for battle. I didn’t know if she could take out all these men by herself, but she would try.

Although the prince would be more than her match. He was a goddess-blessed fighter, just as she was. And he was almost twice her size.

Antiope’s words gave me pause. I hadn’t considered the possibility that the temple wouldn’t let me go. If they didn’t let me marry the prince, then ... I shook my head. I was not going to imagine what he might do to my sister if he didn’t get his way.

“Then I would very much appreciate it if someone could go and fetch the high priestess so that I might negotiate directly with her,” Prince Alexandros said politely, but I heard the sarcastic edge to his voice.

I nearly let out a bark of relieved laughter. I’d been so concerned just a moment ago about being kept here, but his words reminded me that Theano, the high priestess, would have no problem throwing me straight into his arms. She had wanted to kick me out since the first night I’d arrived. Like so many Ilionians I had met since then, she hated me for being Locrian.

“Theano does not cater to your whims,” Antiope countered. “Nor will she talk to you while you keep your entire army at our gates.”

The prince glanced to his right, then his left. “This is not my entire army. Just a small fraction of it.” The threat was clear, unmistakable. “And I will send them away after I have spoken to the high priestess and we have come to an agreement.”

Even more reason for Theano to go along with what he wished. The high priestess had blamed me for the siege and then instructed me to find a way to get rid of the soldiers surrounding the temple. Prince Alexandros had just handed her a solution. Now she could be free of both me and the army.

An acolyte came running from the administration building, headed straight toward us. She whispered something into Maia’s ear. Maia nodded and then straightened her back.

“The high priestess is willing to speak with you in a more private setting. But she will not travel far beyond the temple and you are not permitted to enter.”

“I own a house very close by,” the prince said. “We can meet there tomorrow at sundown.” He nodded at a man behind him, who grabbed a piece of lead and papyrus and scribbled something down. The man handed the papyrus to the prince, and the prince wadded it up and threw it in our direction. It landed at my feet. “That is the address. Your high priestess can bring whatever guards she wants to feel comfortable. But no weapons will be allowed in the meeting.”

“Are you implying that the high priestess of the goddess wishes to harm you?” Maia asked in disbelief.

His gaze shifted to my face. “That’s not what I’m implying, no.”

He knew just how much I ached to stab him. And would do so the very first chance I got. The “no weapons” was because of me.

Every beat of my heart, every breath I pulled into my lungs, made me hate him even more.

“I will kill you,” I told him.

An icy smile spread across his face. “I’m sure you’ll try.” Then he pointed his gaze at Maia. “I will expect to meet with the high priestess there tomorrow.”

He didn’t wait for an answer and turned back around, walking to his chariot. I had clamped my teeth together so tightly that I worried I might break them. I wanted to scream and rage at him, but I had to stand there quietly and watch him go.

As he climbed into the chariot, I shifted my gaze and saw Thrax take Quynh back to the cart she’d arrived in. My heart was beating out of my chest—I wanted to chase after her, drag her into the sanctuary of the temple.

The voice of my former battle master, Demaratus, filled my head.Stupid girl, get a hold of yourself and your emotions! What did I teach you?

Self-control,I whispered to myself.Mastery in all things.

There was nothing I could do now. As Antiope had pointed out, it was not the time or the place.

But it was like a piece of my soul had been ripped out of me and was riding away.

I watched Quynh and the cart until it disappeared into the distance. During the race I had let my sister be captured because I’d refused to witness her death, afraid that it would immobilize me. But if I had kept her within my sight, none of this would be happening right now. I could have saved her and gotten us both to the temple.

No, you wouldn’t have.Demaratus sighed with disgust in my mind.Did you forget about her sprained ankle?

I ignored the question. While I knew I wouldn’t have been able to save Quynh, I still wished that I could travel back to that moment and rewrite our story, no matter how impossible. Since I couldn’t do that, at the very least, I would be a witness to everything happening to her now.

When both the chariot and cart were gone, my teachers finally released their hold on me.

I stood there, breathing hard, wanting nothing more than to race after Quynh. The entire sisterhood of the goddess had been in the courtyard, watching my exchange with the prince. So many of them blamed me for the evils that had befallen the temple since I’d arrived, and I’d just given them another reason to hate me.