Blood of the Goddess Book I: The Locust King
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Locusts at the Gate Chapter 2: A New Name Chapter 3: The Capital Prepares Chapter 4: The Princess is Dead, Long Live the Princess Chapter 5: Outside the Gates Chapter 6: Inside the Black Tent Chapter 7: Surrender at the Temple Chapter 8: The Cult of the Locust Chapter 9: The Locust's Tenets of Faith Chapter 10: Mourners on the Cliff Chapter 11: The Eye of Betrayal Chapter 12: The Dead King's Bedchamber Chapter 13: The Arms of the Goddess Chapter 14: Zayaan of the Narim Chapter 15: The Eyes of the Priestess Chapter 16: A More Permanent Disguise Chapter 17: Tribute Chapter 18: Sacrifice of the New Moon Chapter 19: The Lost Bird Chapter 20: Manah and the Priestess Chapter 21: Desert Creatures Chapter 22: Become the Swarm Chapter 23 The Price of Betrayal Chapter 24: Life Under the Locust Chapter 25: Wild Rose Chapter 26: The Lady Wren Chapter 27: Thought and Desire Chapter 28: The Lady's Captivity Chapter 29: The Wine Maiden Chapter 30: End of Childhood Chapter 31: The Children of Aisha Chapter 32: The Forest Runner Chapter 33: Three Sisters Chapter 34: The Hunt Chapter 35: Bones in the Forest Chapter 36: Lullaby Chapter 37: The Hunter's Horn Chapter 38: Ways Between Ways Chapter 39: Morning Star Chapter 40: A Prophecy for Baraz Chapter 41: Equinox Fires Chapter 42: The Lord Prince Takri Chapter 43: Evening Star Sets Chapter 44: Chaos in the Courtyard Chapter 45: Dasha Chapter 46: Memories Chapter 47: The Body Slave Chapter 48: Caged Beasts Chapter 49: Message from the Capital Chapter 50: Heresiarch Chapter 51: The Color of Blood Chapter 52: Winter Winds Chapter 53: The Bookmaker's Closet Chapter 54: Wrapped in Dignity and Beauty Chapter 55: Vessel of the Goddess Chapter 56: Cracks in the Walls Chapter 57: Two Brothers Chapter 58: The Court of Women Chapter 59: Favored of the King Chapter 60: The Sweetest Fruit Chapter 61: Daughter of the Temple Chapter 62: A Nation of Bastards Chapter 63: The Lute Player Chapter 64: Aisha's Prayer Chapter 65: Promises Chapter 66: Lives Lost Chapter 67: The Tea Maker Chapter 68: Object of Desire Chapter 69: Empty Shelves Chapter 70: Darkness and Light Chapter 71: The Love of Men Chapter 72: The Cursed Ones Chapter 73: Hiding Places Chapter 74: Old Men's Tales Chapter 75: False Prophecies Chapter 76: The Lord Prince Radu Chapter 77: Love Becomes Life Chapter 78: Mistress and Mother Chapter 79: A Test of Strength Chapter 80: The Strigoi-Viu Cometh Chapter 81: Scraps from the Table Chapter 82: A Fool's Errand Chapter 83: The Little Ghost Chapter 84: Stolen Honeycakes Chapter 85: Breathe Chapter 86: Beneath the Palace Chapter 87: Red Pebbles Chapter 88: Common Men Chapter 89: Love and Duty Chapter 90: Nightmares Chapter 91: Earth and Sun Chapter 92: Love and Creation Chapter 93: Until My Last Breath Chapter 94: Fruit and Flower Chapter 95: Two Days Chapter 96: Small Comforts Chapter 97: Heroes Chapter 98: Fire, Water, and Wax Chapter 99: Beneath the Temple Chapter 100: The Way of Eagles Chapter 101: The Gallu Chapter 102: The Cast Off Chapter 103: The Empty Bed Chapter 104: If It Is Her Will Chapter 105: Hunger Chapter 106: The Strigoi-Viu's Gift Chapter 107: Pennyroyal Chapter 108: Forgiveness Chapter 109: Fragile Chapter 110: Another Lord Prince Chapter 111: Divine Intervention Chapter 112: Chance to Live Chapter 113: Accusations Chapter 114: Negotiations Chapter 115: Dark Memories Chapter 116: Forgotten Chapter 117: Questions and Obedience Chapter 118: Twisted Ways Chapter 119: New Eyes Chapter 120: Justice and Mercy Chapter 121: Changing Waters Chapter 122: Council of Grandmothers Chapter 123: Rising Tides Chapter 124: Dawn of Longest Night Chapter 125: One Blood Chapter 126: Winter Flowers Chapter 127: Trust Chapter 128: Bearer of SorrowsChapter 128: Bearer of Sorrows
Aisha experienced the passage of time through the depth of the water along the river’s edge. At first her feet barely touched the sand beneath her, but now she slogged through the water, the
legs of the boy’s trousers she wore slapping against her ankles with each step. Her arms and shoulders ached from holding the lamp above her head in the deepest parts of the river, and her
legs felt leaden, but she continued on, examining the ceiling and walls above for any sign of a passage leading upward.
When the water around her ankles turned cool, a wave of panic rose in her throat. Six hours
passed with the current pushing me forward. And now the tides turn and push against me. I will drown here long before I see the ocean, and if someone finds me, they will not know me.
Everyone thinks I am dead already.
She pulled herself to the sliver of shore to her right and forced herself to slow her breathing. I am so tired. How can I keep going when the everything around me keeps pushing me back where I began?
I can’t go back.
I won’t go back.
She pictured leading the Holy Mother through the library, felt the pressure of the old woman’s hands on her shoulders pushing her down, felt the ink seep through the veil and onto her scalp, dripping around her ears and neck. She remembered the veil sticking to her face as she heard the words of accusation: parasite, leech.
I can’t go back.
The passage may be false, but there is no other choice.
She wiped her tears away and pushed forward again, walking along the shore as long as she could before the rising water slowly back into its now cold embrace.
By the time the two Narim princes returned to the temple, townspeople unable to find places within the walls of the temple, spilled out of the gates and into the square. As they passed through the silent crowd, some men made signs with their hands to ward off misfortune if their eyes met either of the rider's.
"Why are they doing that?" asked Zayaan.
"I do not know," said Takri. "But it does not bode well."
Other than the sound of hooves on stone, the silence continued as they rode through the gates into the temple where the God-King and his high priest presided over the masses who filled the courtyard. Takri and Zayaan dismounted and handed their reins to a soldier waiting by the gate.
"Behold he who is the bearer of sorrows!" Baraz's voice still carried over the silent crowd despite his impairment. "Behold the Lord Prince Takri who weeps for the loss of his love, the fair virgin rose of Adyll!"
Takri wheeled around to face the priest, not comprehending anything he just heard. As the crowd moved aside for the two Narim, Takri could see a young woman kneeling unveiled on the lower steps, along with another woman who he recognized as the cook from the dormitory. Beside them stood Radu, sword at the ready.
Takri's mind raced with every step he took towards the tableau laid before him. Virgin rose? Does he speak of Nasreen? His eyes darted about furtively for a glimpse of his her, but found no women present at all within the temple other than the two kneeling before the priest.
"Men of Adyll, you have been deceived," intoned Baraz. "For generations you served and worshipped a demoness, a false idol, who made your slaves, who caused you to be weak and unable to protect your families, who took from you your birthright as men. But not only has your idolatry caused your fall, it has also bred jealous vipers among you. Women who would poison even their own sisters for nothing more than jealousy!"
Whispers sped across the assembled men. He bears the curse from the Zora. As Takri passed each man in the crowd, Zayaan again saw the hand motions to protect from curses and misfortune.
Mahleck stepped forward and raised his hand and the crowd silenced. "If you will not believe my priest, perhaps you will believe the woman who led your heretical cult, a woman redeemed by her submission to me, the God-Among-Men."
The sanctuary doors opened to reveal the Holy Mother, now clad in black robes and led by her new Eyes to stand beside the high priest. "It is I, men of Adyll, I who had led you astray. Two years ago, as the days grew shorter and the aspens turned from green to gold, the Three Stars gave their prophecy of the coming of the God King. I spoke falsely to you that day in my interpretation of their words. This day, I would make my amends."
Takri and Zayaan took their places on the lower steps flanking Radu and the condemned as the old priestess began again.
"I speak to you now, the truth of the prophecy. Desire unfulfilled consumes as the locust. The desire of all men is truth and safety, but none could find it until the God-Among-Men revealed the truth and provided safety. The desire to be true men and fathers ate at the soul of our people. It flies across the desert on wings of death. Your desire is here! Your desire was Mahleck who brings death to false religions. The strigoi-viu cometh. The Zorya are heretics, and only heretics believe the God-King to be anything other than the all-powerful God that he is. Even the Zorya knew of Mahleck's greatness and could not help but to speak it forth, even though they wished it were not so!"
Murmurs rose once again from the crowd as she continued. "Even I was deceived, caught up in my foul nature as a woman. For the true purpose of woman is to serve man, to bear children, and to be a mother. Just as the fair virgin Nasreen desired to be for her Lord Prince!"
A flurry of white tinged with pink fell from above, caught on winter winds and spread out among the murmuring crowd, silencing them. As one man, the assembly cast their eyes upward and beheld Nasreen's corpse, perfect, beautiful, and pale as snow. Her hands rested protectively above her visibly pregnant stomach while showers of rose petals streamed from either side of her onto the crowd in a fragrant cloud.
"Behold the holy maiden, Nasreen, Rose of Adyll, cut down in all her perfection, her only sin the love of a Lord Prince!"
Find your way!
Resources
WHO WE ARE
LEGAL
Get the news
Listen to our Podcast
Our Allies
