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 DesireChapter 47: The Body Slave
Once Takri reached his new quarters in the royal wing of the palace, he stripped off his boots and clothing, throwing them in a pile on the floor next to his bed. Exhausted from the last three days, he fell onto the mattress and into a deep sleep filled with nightmares.
It seemed as if all those who were hurt under his care came to accuse him. He stood in the fog of the aspen forest again with Lod, pale from loss of blood, bone shards still protruding from his leg. Jacu recoiled in fear from the sound of a burning woman singing a lullaby as her skin blistered and cracked. Her skull, filled with fire, was carried by a raptor into the desert. There, Zayaan crawled in the sand of the training ground after being baptized in boiling water, his skin blistering like the old woman's. And finally, Lilua's empty eyes as she was married to the strigoi-viu, the bodies of their people burning in a heap behind her.
He awoke in a sweat. Someone was in the room with him. A fire now crackled in the fireplace, casting odd shadows about the chamber walls. He looked around for his clothes next to the bed, but they were gone. He pulled the sheets about his naked form and peered into the darkness. A small figure lay curled in front of the fire, her head resting on her outstretched arm. Takri got up to examine his intruder.
Yelena. The wine maiden from the night before the hunt. What is she doing here?
She stirred in her sleep, opening one eye. As soon as she recognized Takri, she sat bolt upright and bowed her head as a sign of respect. "My Lord Prince Takri, I... The fire was warm and lulled me to sleep. I beg your forgiveness."
"Yelena, why are you here?"
"Mahleck has given me to serve as your body slave. He knew you took interest in me at the feast." She kept her eyes downcast as she addressed her new master. "This is a great honor for me, my Lord Prince."
"Body slave? What is a body slave?" asked Takri.
"I am to attend to all your physical needs, my Lord Prince. I am to dress you, bathe you, and warm your bed should you desire it. My body belongs to you." There was no emotion behind her words, only a hint of fear just below the surface.
"What if I don't desire it?"
"Then they will send me back to serve the Swarm in the camps, for I will be unworthy of serving a Prince." Her voice shook.
Takri walked back to the bed where he sat down heavily, running his hands through his hair. How was he supposed to deal with this? With her? Every time he was given someone to care for they ended up hurt, or dead.
"Yelena, I do not need or want a body slave. But I do not want you sent to serve the men in the camps. You are not my servant. You are not my slave. You are an Adyllian woman, and you deserve to be treated as a descendant of the Goddess."
"Do not speak like this, my Lord and Prince. We will both be killed," she whispered, as if the walls could hear them speak. "I exist only to serve the God-Emperor. All else is sacrilege."
"Can we strike a deal, Yelena?" asked Takri. "We both need to survive. I do not desire you in my bed. I do not need you to dress me. I do not need you to bathe me. But we both need to live. To all outside of these walls, you will be my body slave. But inside this room we are both equals. No one needs to know of our arrangement. It will keep us both safe."
"Do I displease you?" asked Yelena. "Or do you prefer men to warm your bed? There are boys who serve as body slaves, but it is only done in secrecy. If it becomes known, you will be put to death. For a man to be penetrated as a woman is grievous sin in the land of the Locust."
"No, no. Yelena. I do not desire anyone to serve me as you describe, man or woman. You do not displease me."
"I must assist you in some way. They will become suspicious," said Yelena.
"You may fetch me water for bathing, and food, and clean my clothing and boots. But I will not have a woman or man share my bed who is beholden to me. Do you understand?" said Takri.
"Yes, my Lord and Prince."
"In this room, my name is Takri. You must keep this between the two of us, Yelena. Otherwise, they will kill us both. Me for respecting the old ways, and you for simply being associated with me. I will do my best to keep you safe. But I have failed everyone else, and I may fail you as well."
"I will serve you until that day, or until the day the blood of the Goddess destroys the destroyer," said Yelena, suddenly sounding less like a groveling slave and more like a true noble-born woman of Adyll.
Takri looked up with surprise at the young woman seated in front of the fire. She was looking directly in his eyes for the first time since he had seen her in the throne room.
"We have heard the prophecy even inside the court of women. We pray that the words of the oracle are true. Some say the dead danced in the flames that consumed her. Did you see it? Is it true?"
"The Zora spoke the words of the Goddess through the fire. The dead spoke with the same voice as they danced, Yelena," said Takri. "The Goddess Aaysha lives."
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