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 33: Three Sisters
Vasi scrambled backwards on her hands and knees away from the old woman who lay next to her in the underbrush. She reached for the silver dagger.
"You have the knife that tasted the blood of a strigoi-viu, little one," crooned the old woman. She stood up from the forest floor and faced Vasi, both grey as the mist surrounding them. One grey with forest mud, the other grey with age.
"Who are you?" asked Vasi, pointing the knife at the crone.
"I am Zora. I was once Zorya. Before that I was Zarinya. Morning Star to Day Star to Evening Star now soon to set upon the land. The plateau - it whispers to you, does it not, child?"
A rustle in the leaves to Vasi's left caused her to whirl around with her knife. A matronly woman emerged from the fog dressed in blue, her hair was braided about her head in a golden crown, but the roots showed through as russet shot through with silver.
"She led you here, warrior," said the woman with the golden braids. "Just as She leads each of us. I am Zorya, soon to be Zora. I heard Her call from the forest when I became Zarinya. Day Star becomes Evening Star. Morning Star becomes Day Star. Do not fear this, little one."
"Vasi," called a voice to her right.
Vasi spun around again as a third woman called her name. She was young and beautiful and dressed in green. Her hair was also the strange golden color with blackened roots falling down her back in a thick braid.
"I was once in your place, not more than ten years hence. She leads us all as we must be led. In a time such as this, She has called you, a warrior from a forest far away to be Her Morning Star. I am Zarinya, soon to be Zorya. Morning Star becomes Day Star. Day Star becomes Evening Star. So it has been since the Goddess set us upon this safe land. Now the land is not safe, so She brings us a warrior and a knife that tasted the heart blood of the strigoi-viu."
These women speak in riddles. What is this? How do they know my name? thought Vasi.
The sound of a hunter's horn rent the silence. She was not as far from the palace as she had thought. Or she had been going in circles longer than she had realized. She looked at the three women and decided to take her chances in the forest.
Run.
Away from the three witches.
Away from the Swarm.
Into the forest.
Breathe.
Into the trees.
Breathe.
Into the mist.
Breathe.
Do not stop.
Breathe.
She could feel the moss and leaves under her feet, the life moving through the floor of the forest beneath her. The terrain began to change. The roots of the forest did not go as deep here before they hit rock. Even inside the white blur she could tell she was closer to her goal of the rocky peaks where she hoped to find a cave entrance. A few steps further and she was above the tree line.
Breathe.
Still she ran. No trees here, only lichen and rocks. Even beyond the forest she could feel the life of the mountain under her. The air seemed thinner, even as the clouds thickened. Vasi slowed her pace. The mountain around her seemed to vanish. She was alone, only able to see as far as her arm could reach in front of her.
Breathe.
Vasi... little Vasi... you have been so brave, my daughter.
Vasi froze.
Mother?
Her mother was long dead, slaughtered by the Swarm in battle, along with the rest of the forest people. Vasi looked about her, and realized she could no longer run. She could no longer see. The white cloud darkened as rain began to condense about her.
Follow my voice, daughter.
"My mother is dead," whispered Vasi. "I saw her body burned with all of my people when they burned my forest. Who are you, voice?"
I am your hope for life, Vasilisa. I am the love that lived within your mother's heart as she held you in the heart of the tree in which you were born. I am the hope she had for you as your grandmother placed you in her arms. I am the All-Mother.
Vasi sat down on the cold rock as rain washed away the grey mud from her robes and face. She wept.
Be strong, warrior girl. I shall sit with you as long as you need your tears to flow. I shall keep you safe inside my dark clouds. No man shall come upon this mountain to disturb you. Here it is safe.
Silence and darkness enveloped the mountain. Even soaked through with rain, Vasi was warm. For the first time in years she felt safe. Safe, inside this rain-soaked cloud atop a foreign mountain hundreds of miles from the tree where she was born.
"I am ready," said Vasi.
This call is not a command, dear one. Will you become my Morning Star?
"What is a Morning Star?"
You shall become one of three. Morning Star becomes Day Star becomes Evening Star, which returns to the earth as another Morning Star rises. The Sisters speak for me when my words need to be heard. Each are their own, but all are each other's.
"Why do you call me?"
My voice requires more than a whisper. You do not whisper. When others were content to hide when help was needed, you offered hope. You cared for the cast-off corpse of a queen you did not know.
"What must I do?"
A single glowing filament appeared before Vasi, stretching out before and behind her into darkness.
Feel the thread. Follow it forward to find my path into the mountain. Follow it back to the forest if you wish to return to face the men of the strigoi-viu. Or you may sit here in the grey wetness and drift into eternal sleep, daughter.
Vasi put forth her finger and felt the thread. It felt taught and light as spider silk.
This is the thread of life that your soul weaves. It is yours to do with as you will, dear one.
Vasi's wet clothes clung to her as she stood. She took the thread between her thumb and forefinger and followed it forward deeper into the clouded darkness ahead.
Find your way!
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