Page 25 of A Tribute of Fire

But as I watched that monster woo my precious sister, the answer was very clear. There was one option. It might not have been a great plan, but it was the only one I had and I was going to find a way to make it work.

I tried to focus on eating and it didn’t take long to fill me up. My stomach had turned after everything I had experienced today, my fears and worries ruining the taste of what I’d chosen. Perhaps it would be better for me to return to my bedroom and give myself time to calm down. Maybe practice stabbing the wooden target Demaratus had given me. After I’d worked out some of the aggression I was feeling, I could sneak into the kitchens to finish up whatever desserts were left over.

When I left the throne room, I came across Telamon in the hallway, trailing after Hippolyta.

“Thank you for watching over her,” I said.

“You’re welcome.” He paused and then cleared his throat. I immediately felt the shift in the air between us. Something was about to change. “But I’m not doing it for her. I’m doing it for you.”

“Oh, Telamon ...” I felt incredibly bad that this was happening now. I had hoped last night would be the end of it.

“I know how things are. I understand my place and what you’re going to do.” He seemed so nervous and uncertain and it made my heart twinge. He was my friend. I didn’t want to hurt him. “Maybe I could send you away with a goodbye kiss.”

Before I’d met Jason, I might have done it. Just to find out what it was like. But now I knew that it wouldn’t have been fair to me or to Telamon.

It wouldn’t be right to let him believe that I had feelings for him that went beyond friendship. I leaned over and kissed his cheek quickly.“Thank you for everything. I hope you find a woman worthy of your affection.”

Then I turned away, not wanting to see his expression. I wanted my memories of him to be when we had laughed and fought together, not when I had disappointed him. I walked quickly back to my room and wasn’t at all surprised to find Quynh there.

She always seemed to know when I needed her.

I filled her in on what had happened with Lykaon and how afraid I was of what he would do to our sister and to Locris. Her eyes grew wide and I briefly wondered what she would think if I told her about the kiss I’d shared with Jason.

It was too humiliating to tell anyone about, though. I would keep that to myself.

“If I don’t see Demaratus before I go, I need for you to tell him about Lykaon so that he can keep an eye on Kallisto.”

She nodded. “I will. And I will be certain to stay by her side whenever that Ilionian monster is near.”

While I appreciated the sentiment, I didn’t know that Quynh’s presence would be enough to deter him, and the thought that he might hurt both of my sisters made me murderous all over again.

We sat in silence, both of us staring at the far wall.

“Are you sure this is the only way?” she asked.

I supposed she had to make at least one final attempt. I patted her hand. “Now more than ever.”

CHAPTER NINE

The day of the selection was as busy as the one before had been. There was much to clean and prepare and it felt good to lose myself in mindless physical labor. It helped to distract me from what was to come.

There was another dinner celebration, but I begged off, claiming my head hurt. I wouldn’t get to spend time with my family anyway and I was too queasy to keep anything down. Quynh stayed with me in my room, holding my hand while we both waited until it was time.

I dressed carefully with Quynh’s help. I wanted to look my best when I was chosen. She silently cried. I felt her tears landing on my shoulder. I clenched my teeth together to keep myself under control. I couldn’t afford to let myself cry.

Because I feared that if I started, I might never be able to stop.

The Ilionians were ordered to stay either in the palace or within the confines of their ship, with the exception of one man.

The Ilionian witness.

It had been the same man at every selection I’d ever attended. He had been chosen because he was unable to read, and his tongue had been cut out so that he could not speak.

There had been a period of time when the Ilionian envoy had told their people which families the maidens had come from, and the maidens had been captured by the Ilionians and held for ransom. The families had paid it, but the maidens had still died as the Ilionians weren’t willing to put themselves at risk by breaking the rules. As aprecautionary measure, the current witness could not communicate the names of the maidens or their families.

He would verify the maidens’ identities by nodding as they boarded the ship. There had been many a wealthy family who had tried to substitute their daughter for someone else. The witness had to ensure that the maidens who sailed to Ilion were the same as the ones who had been initially chosen—the law could not be subverted.

There was only one way to make certain that a daughter was not picked. Those who still had the resources bribed the selector to keep their child’s name from the lottery.

---