Page 37 of A Tribute of Fire

“It’s been a thousand years. You’d think her bloodlust would have been sated by now.”

“If you make it to the temple, maybe you can tell her as much.”

While I had pictured myself throwing open the temple doors and crossing the threshold, not once had I imagined what would happenafter Quynh and I arrived. What did priestesses and their acolytes do? I had no idea.

Would I actually be able to communicate with the goddess? Was there someone in the temple who spoke for her?

The captain and another man approached us and Jason snapped to attention. I nudged Quynh with my foot, aware that something was about to happen.

“Greetings. I am Trierarch Nereus. Welcome aboard theNikos.”

“Thank you,” I said, even though I died a little inside at having to be polite to a man who made a living in part by transporting Locrian maidens to their deaths. Quynh stood up and hid herself behind me.

“This is Acmon.” Acmon was an older man, his face lined with wrinkles, and he had dark brown sunspots on his face. “He will escort you downstairs to your cell.”

“Cell?” I repeated. “I thought we were supposed to be your guests.”

“With this crew it will be the safest place for you. It is my responsibility to keep you secure and whole until we arrive,” the captain said dismissively. “Jason, may I have a word with you?”

Acmon held his arm out, pointing us toward the stairs. As we descended I heard the bleating of goats but didn’t see them. At the lowest level we walked toward the back of the ship, where they kept amphorae and crates filled with goods.

A large metal cage waited for us, the door open. There were buckets inside, blankets and pillows, and hay spread along the floor. Quynh went in first and everything inside me protested at entering. I knew there was no other option here, and I would rather choose to walk into the cell than to be dragged in by someone like Jason.

I stepped inside and Acmon closed the door behind me, turning the key in the lock. “I will bring you your midday meal soon. Let me know if you need anything.”

As if he were our servant instead of our captor.

He hung the key on a post too far for me to reach. Then he shuffled away and I watched him retreat.

I really should have paid better attention when Demaratus was trying to teach me how to pick locks.

“At least we’ll be protected from the crew,” Quynh said, and I could only nod as I leaned my face against the bars.

I highly doubted this was for our benefit. We were captives and were being treated as such, kept “secure and whole” until the citizens of Troas had the chance to tear us limb from limb.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Within a couple of hours of being in the cell, I became extremely ill. Quynh told me I had seasickness, and if the sea had been a person, I would have stabbed it. I’d never been so ill. I was clammy, sweating, dizzy, my head throbbed, and I kept vomiting. I was curled up in a ball in the corner of the cage and had started to consider asking her if she would put me out of my misery.

“This will pass quickly,” she said.

“Why aren’t you sick?” I asked while shivering.

She put another blanket on top of me. “I’ve been on ships before, remember? You will adjust. Hopefully sooner than later.”

I slipped in and out of consciousness. I heard Demaratus yelling at me several times.

Stupid girl! Get control of yourself. You can fight off this sickness!

At some point I became aware of Jason coming close to the cell and Quynh talking to him.

I pried my eyes open and saw that he was giving her a cup and a bag with food. “She needs to eat something. And I’ve mixed some powdered ginger with water. It will help with the nausea. Have her drink it.”

“Are you sure it won’t hurt her?” she asked.

“I’ve used it many times,” he said. “I promise it will help.”

Quynh pushed my sweaty hair from my forehead and pulled me up by my neck so that I could drink.

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