Page 227 of Eldritch
Erithanya turned back toward me and knelt at my side, yanking a small, skinny blade from her cloak. Arm bound too tight to wriggle free, I watched as she slid the blade over my palm. A white-hot sting trailed behind the tiny dagger as a skinny rivulet of blood spilled onto the rock below me. “God of sablefyre, lord of flame, we call upon you by your name. Deimos. Deimos. Deimos. Blood is spilled upon the vein. Through sundered bones, we call your name. Deimos!” The crowd chanted along with her, their unified voices echoing through the chasm. “Deimos! Deimos!”
Unless I imagined it, heat warmed my back, and in that split second, the first tendrils of doubt crept over me. The crowd repeated the chant along with her, the rock at my back getting warmer, taunting my nerves.
Had I made a mistake?
Again, I searched the crowd for Zevander, wondering if he could see, could sense the panic rising to my throat. I tilted my head back toward the sky. How quickly could I summon Raivox, if needed?
Hotter, the rock burned, and as if she realized herself, Erithanya shifted on her feet, frowning. She scampered away,toward the crowd, and three of her Lyverian men pulled her up by the arms, lifting her out of the vein.
I closed my eyes to calm myself as they kept on with their chanting.
The heat beneath me dissipated like a dying candle. The rock turned cold. At first, I couldn’t tell if it’d gotten so hot that I’d turned numb, but I opened my eyes, and the chanting silenced.
Minutes ticked by as I lay staring up at the stars above me, an ache blooming in my back where the stone pressed against my spine.
At last, the priestess waved toward the Lyverian man standing beside her. Without hesitation, he climbed down into the vein and placed the flat of his palm onto the stone.
“It is cold,” he said. “The rock has gone cold!”
“Then, it is decided. She lives! Morsana has chosen her path, and we will welcome her and protect her. We will await to see what wonderful blessing she brings!”
The crowd behind her cheered, and my muscles sagged with relief. A cloaked figure caught my attention, slipping through the crowd, and lips pressed together, I shook my head.
Arms crossed, I stood across from Zevander, who sat sprawled in a chair, looking painfully delectable with his tunic untied. “You just couldn’t help yourself.”
A smirk played on his lips as he shrugged. “It was harmless.”
“Maybe, but I did feel something.”
“Yes. You were shaking. I assumed you were cold and sent heat through the rock.”
I tipped my head. “How did you do that from so far away?”
“Radiant heat.” He held out his palm toward the floor and warmth leeched into the soles of my feet up to my chest where it sank into my bones like a smoldering ember. “Same way I warmed you and Aleysia on the trek toward Foxglove.”
Lingering pulses of heat swept across my skin like fevered hands and a shiver rippled up my spine. “Well, you had me terrified for a moment. I thought they’d actually summoned a god.”
Zevander sat forward, curling his fingers around my waist, and yanked me close. “Moon Witch, not even a god should dare to touch you without consequence.” Pushing a curl behind my ear, he drew my lips to his for a kiss. “I have been verypatientlywaiting to strip you out of this dress.” He cocked his head slightly, trailing his gaze from my face to the high slits that exposed my thighs, and ran his finger up my skin there.
Desperately trying to ignore his caress, I narrowed my eyes on him. “Did you watch me at the Somnial, too?”
“Are you asking if I watched the pathetic mortal proposition you with his seed?” He snorted a laugh. “Yes.”
Brows raised, I tilted my head. “I’m impressed. I was expecting a more violent reaction.”
He raised a shoulder. “Not at all.”
Studying the impassive expression he wore, I frowned. “What did you do?”
Lips pressed together, he shook his head. “Nothing serious.”
“What’snothing?” I asked in a flat tone.
“Just added a small tincture of purganroot to his wine.”
Eyes wide, I slammed my mouth shut to stifle the laugh crawling up my throat. “Tell me you didn’t.”
Purganroot was a potent laxative known to last for hours. “Where did you find that?”
