Page 202 of A Tribute of Fire

On the morning of the fourth day, I headed out to do my morning chores. My sisters had stayed up late last night plotting and I hadn’t wanted to wake any of them this morning. They deserved their rest.

I was filling a vase with water when something hit me hard in the back of my head. My knees gave way and I turned onto my shoulder to cushion my fall. I quickly rolled over, my head throbbing, and pulled out my xiphos and got back on my feet.

Artemisia stood with a staff, along with the remaining members of her adelphia behind her. “Once again you bring nothing but trouble to the temple. You’re going to get us all killed. I’m going to hand you over before that happens.”

Several of these girls were part of the Chosen. This was not going to be an easy fight. Not only was I outnumbered but I was outclassed. They were more skilled at combat than I was.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I said. I’d had the same thoughts. That I should turn myself over to Thrax, if for no other reason than to get close enough to take my revenge, regardless of what the consequences would be after.

But I wasn’t going to let Artemisia force me out. I would go on my own terms, in a way that I chose.

I bent down to retrieve my broom and I broke the shaft away from the brush. They were all wielding staves, which would give them a distance advantage over my sword. I expected them to rush me but they didn’t.

“Do you know how much I’m going to enjoy watching you bleed?” Artemisia asked. “You come in here and betray everything we stand for. You defile this temple and all the people who serve. Your nation is responsible for so much death and so much chaos. You have taken a sister from me. You have cursed us, and the only way to make things right is a blood sacrifice. There is more than one way for you to leave this temple.”

No more vague threats, no more pretending to get along.

She intended to kill me.

CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX

I had always suspected that this was the kind of person she was—bloodthirsty, evil, preying on those weaker than herself—but now she had proven me right. I tightened my grip on my weapons.

“You won’t take me without a fight.”

She gave me a malicious grin. “Oh, I’m absolutely counting on it.”

Her sisters spread out, intending to attack from different sides at the same time. I wouldn’t be able to use the surprise tactics Antiope had taught us. They knew them as well and would be expecting them.

I kept backing up but eventually I would hit an actual wall. Which was probably what they were trying to do. Forcing me to corner myself.

Crossing one foot over the other, I headed away from the stone fence and back toward the temple.

One of the women leapt forward, arcing her staff down at me. I shoved the butt of the broom handle into her gut, causing her to double over, and then immediately whirled to meet the next attacker with my sword.

While I was engaged, someone jabbed their staff into my still-healing left shoulder and I swore in pain and backed up, breaking off the standstill I’d been stuck in.

“So, so fragile,” Artemisia said, watching while her sisters attacked me. “Have you ever asked yourself why so many people want you dead?”

She meant to distract me but I wouldn’t allow her to do so. I kept all her sisters in my line of vision, and when one of them tried to get behind me to attack, I was there, ready to block her blow.

But I wasn’t quite fast enough to stop the woman coming from the opposite direction and she hit me hard across my shoulder blades, knocking the air from my lungs.

I hit her staff away and tried to back up again so that I could stay at the fringe of their group, but they were no longer allowing me to do so. They made their circle tighter, moving in to finish me.

Another swing that I blocked but it meant that I missed the one aimed at my head. That blow drove me down, blurring my vision.

I lifted my eyes to see one of them being jerked to the ground and another being hit with something, knocking her sideways.

My sisters.

Suri was grappling with one of Artemisia’s adelphia while Zalira punched another in the face. Ahyana swung her own staff high and then brought it down hard on an attacker trying to reach her.

I saw Io.

Io was here. She was safe.

She also had Antiope with her.

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