Page 82 of A Tribute of Fire

“We pour out a bit of our wine to the goddess as a small gift,” Zalira said by way of explanation.

There was so much I didn’t know. I’d never been part of a prayer before. Did they work? Was that how I was supposed to speak to the goddess? Should I pray and ask for her help with my plan? Would that be all right, or would she find it offensive that I wanted to undo the punishment that Locris was under?

Did she already know about my plans?

Or would I have to tell her?

Ahyana was seated directly across from me and she picked up a wooden platter with a flatbread on it that had a light covering of sea salt.

“You’re the newest member of the sisterhood, so you should be served first,” she said. Kunguru was perched on the back of her chair, next to her shoulder, and he cawed, as if he agreed.

There was no way any of them would understand what it would mean for me to have this meal with them. “Where I’m from, when you eat together, we call it sharing salt with one another.”

It was a stronger promise to me than the vows I’d made earlier. This would be taking a quiet oath that carried weight among my people.

It meant these members of my adelphia would be under my protection, and that I would come to their aid whenever they called. I was pledged to them.

And I would never turn against them.

Understanding lit up Ahyana’s eyes, as if she knew what it meant without me explaining. “Then would you like some bread?”

There would be no turning back from this, no technicalities or loopholes to release me from this bond. I took a deep breath.

“Yes,” I said, and accepted the food she offered me.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

“What is Locris like?” Zalira asked and I did my best to explain without giving away too much about my past. I couldn’t let them know that I was a princess—I would be thrown out of the temple.

“As you might imagine. Dusty, desolate. Devoid of plants, most insects, and animals. We have to import everything we need.” I didn’t tell them how little hope we had there, how we were holding on without any relief in sight.

“I can’t even picture it,” Io said, shaking her head. “To live without flowers and trees? I’m not certain I could do it.”

Now that I had been here, I didn’t think I’d be able to return to that life, either. How could I accept such a barren wasteland when I had seen the most incredible green and vibrant beauty firsthand? I had to succeed so that Locris could look like Ilion again, as it was meant to.

“What about your family?” Ahyana asked.

I took some of the chicken from the tray she offered me. “Fairly typical. Parents, siblings.”

“How many?” Io asked.

“Parents? Just the two.”

She smiled at my joke. “Siblings.”

My throat closed in on me as tears burned behind my eyes. Regardless of the promises we’d all made each other, I wasn’t ready to share this part of myself yet. “I only have one sister still alive.”

That caused a hush to fall over the table. I could see from their expressions that they wanted to question me about it, but they didn’t.

“It’s just Ahyana and me now,” Zalira said. “Both of our parents died.”

“My mother died when I was young and my father remarried and so now I have too many half brothers,” Io chimed in. “More than any one woman should be forced to endure.”

That made me smile slightly.

“Is it all right if I speak for you?” Io asked Suri, and she nodded. “From what I understand Suri is an only child and an orphan.”

I wondered why Suri didn’t say so herself, but I sensed that I shouldn’t ask. Maybe it was something I could speak to Io about later. I didn’t think she’d have any problem sharing that story with me.

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