Page 180 of A Tribute of Fire

Everything had been so difficult lately that I was looking forward to a night of revelry.

I couldn’t wait to see what they were all so excited about.

CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE

The music got louder as the women of Troas came closer, and I could hear them singing.

Io told me the words that I couldn’t quite make out. “Sing, maidens and mothers, sing to the goddess, the lady of much bounty. Your daughter’s five white horses convey us forward now as a symbol of you bringing spring and harvest to us. As we are unsandaled and our hair unbound as we walk through your city, so shall you bless our feet and heads to remain unharmed. As we bring you sacrifices, we ask for your glorious bounty in return. Grant us your fertility and gift of life. Hail, goddess, save this people with harmony and prosperity and bring us another great harvest!”

“That’s beautiful,” I said. It sounded more like a prayer than a song. I’d thought songs were supposed to rhyme.

The parade finally reached us and I was struck by the young woman leading them. She looked as if she could be the goddess herself. She was extremely beautiful, with long, golden hair and bright green eyes and delicate features. Her white tunic was embroidered with dark blue threads that probably spoke of the noble house she hailed from. She carried new clothing and a veil for the statue with a high degree of reverence and elegance as she entered the archway.

Maia went over to meet her and accept the gift of the tunic, presumably standing in for Theano.

“Chryseis, daughter of Ilion, you do us a great honor this day by acting as proxy for the goddess and by bringing such luxurious and fine clothing for her statue to wear. You honor us all with such a gift, and may the goddess bless you and your family.”

I knew that name. Chryseis.

Then it came flooding back to me. That was the name of the girl that the prince of Ilion was in love with. The one Jason also liked. He’d told me about her back at the feast in the palace in Locris.

Sister to the man engaged to my sister.

Irrational hate and envy flared up inside me. I wanted to stab her perfect pale throat.

Then the other women from the processional began to put their offerings into the bonfire, causing it to increase in size with each new arrival.

I was off in a quiet corner of the courtyard with my sisters, watching the events unfold. To my surprise Suri approached with a skin of wine and held it aloft, her eyes questioning, wanting us to drink.

“What did I tell you about the wine?” Io asked, exasperated.

“That we should drink it because it is so delicious and it will be a bonding experience for our adelphia to share some?” Ahyana supplied hopefully and Io had to laugh.

“Don’t say later that I didn’t warn you,” she said.

When the skin was passed to me, I took a long, deep drink. Ahyana was right—this was the most delicious wine I’d ever had. Undiluted and sweet. I immediately felt warmer and brighter.

“Good, isn’t it?” Zalira asked, taking her turn.

“It’s incredible,” I told her.

We drank the skin until it was gone. Io immediately seemed tipsy and was grinning at us, telling us how much she loved us all.

I still felt like myself, but looser. More relaxed. As if all my troubles had been temporarily erased.

The women from the city also seemed to be having a great time and were wandering in and out of the temple grounds and into the surrounding neighborhood, where wine and food were made available to them, the streets cordoned off for their use.

Priestesses and acolytes were out in the neighborhood and no one seemed to care. The guards were there, but they were drinking and eating as well, laughing and chatting along with the rest of the crowd.

I wished that I’d known beforehand how lackadaisical things would be during the festival as I could have planned to sneak out again. I wouldn’t have had any wine to drink. I still felt in control of myself but worried that my reaction time might be a bit slower, given what I’d had. I definitely wouldn’t have gambled on my odds of winning against the library goose.

Ahyana and Suri were playing a dice game that Ahyana seemed to be winning, given her cheers.

“I didn’t know it would be like this,” I announced a bit loudly.

“We told you about the festival many times,” Zalira countered, lying back on the ground so that she could look up at the sky. “Do you not have festivals in Locris?”

“No.” We had parties but not citywide events like this to worship the goddess. All of that was gone.

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