Page 71 of A Tribute of Fire

“Daphne tended to you, which is why you feel better. You most likely met her the night you arrived. She’s an older woman and wearsher hair in one long braid?” Io said as she offered me her hand. “She is a master of potions and remedies. She always knows the best ways to combine various plants and herbs to help others. She’s teaching me how to do it, too.”

I waved her extended hand away. I didn’t need any assistance. I was more than capable of standing up on my own. I noticed that I was wearing a black tunic, but it seemed different from the one I’d been given initially.

My feet hit the ground with a thud, like I’d almost forgotten how to walk. I quickly leaned against the bed as Io tried to hide her smile, but she didn’t succeed. It took a few seconds, but I regained control of my legs. She pointed at a pair of leather sandals, and I quickly slid them on and tied the straps around my ankles.

“This way,” she said as we passed through the open door. “Obviously we were just in the infirmary, and it is situated not too far from the dormitories.” We walked down a long, covered patio with white marble columns along the outer edge. “The dormitories are arranged by age. The older priestesses apparently don’t like sharing their sleeping quarters with the newer acolytes.”

The inner wall was covered with foreign shields—relics of battles past. I assumed that they were from wars Ilion had won. Were there Locrian shields on display? I didn’t see any.

And why would they hang them here in the temple, and not in the barracks?

More questions I wanted answers to. I started to ask about it, but we turned a corner and I couldn’t help but let out a small gasp. There were women of various ages everywhere. Dozens of them. Hundreds. And that was just the women within my eyeline.

No wonder so many of them passed on within a short period of time.

And I could feel every single pair of their eyes on me as we headed toward one of the dormitories. I wondered what made them stare. That I was new? The black tunic? The shaved head?

Or that I was a Locrian maiden?

While Io seemed so welcoming, none of the women who glared at me did.

I wished I had my sword with me.

“How many Locrian women are here?” I asked.

I already knew the answer but a part of me hoped she might respond differently.

“None. You are the first to ever make it to the temple.”

In a thousand years, the first and only. Another thing I couldn’t dwell on—those two thousand girls who had lost their lives for a crime they hadn’t committed.

My heart clenched as I again thought of Quynh.

As I avoided the gazes of the women surrounding us, I couldn’t help but take in the greenery. Grass in the open areas. Trees overhead, their leaves swaying gently in a breeze while shading the path. Bushes lining the walkways. So much green, so much life.

We entered one of the dormitories and climbed the stairs to the second floor. We walked down a long hallway until we reached the last door on the left. “This is our room,” Io said as she opened the door and let me in. It was larger than I would have imagined, big enough to fit five beds. “We have three sisters that you’ll meet later. Your bed is over there, along with your things.”

The bed she’d pointed to was closest to the window and I rushed over to find my pack. My throwing knives were there, my dagger, the two bags of salt, the tunic that I’d borrowed, my sheath, and my xiphos. Everything had been cleaned and polished. If I’d been alone, I would have kissed my sword. I’d thought I would never see it again.

“That’s a beautiful weapon.” Io’s voice was tinged with envy, which seemed strange. Why would an acolyte of the earth goddess care about my xiphos?

“Thank you.” I debated whether I should put it on or leave it here. I figured I wouldn’t have any need of it within the temple complex, andgiven that it had been waiting for me on my bed for the last five days, I was probably safe to leave it.

There was a pouch with a long strap attached to it. “What’s this for?”

“For whatever you’d like to carry. Everyone here wears one.” I glanced at Io and saw that she had hers about her waist. “I find it convenient for keeping snacks for between meals.”

When I didn’t smile at her jest, she added, “You may want to put your bracelet in there. Jewelry is not permitted at the temple.”

The idea of taking off Quynh’s bracelet made me ill, but it didn’t seem that I had much of a choice. The temple priestesses already wanted to throw me out—I wouldn’t visibly defy them by breaking their rule.

My stomach rolled and protested as I undid the knot Quynh had made. I quickly put the bracelet into the pouch and then tied the straps around my waist.

“Are you ready to see the rest?” she asked when I finished, and I nodded.

She showed me the dining hall, which was attached to the kitchens and storage rooms, and it wasn’t far from the administrative building. I made a mental note—that might potentially have documents that could prove helpful.

“Do you have a library?” I asked. That would be the best place for me to start my search. The eye could be anywhere and I needed to gather as much information as I could.

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