Page 66 of A Tribute of Fire

Demaratus would have been so proud of me.

A detached part of my mind wondered if my attacker would die. I had killed men today. That probably should have felt more significant to me, but those men had been trying to hurt me and Quynh.

Or maybe it was because Demaratus had spoken of slaying enemies in battle so often that I had become hardened to it.

And the loss of Quynh ... that was payment enough. I had no more tears to shed, no guilt to feel over men who wanted us both dead.

It felt completely unreal that she was gone. After everything we’d been through, everything she had survived, to have it end up like this?

I couldn’t think about it now. I had to keep running.

A hunter waited for me in the middle of the road, his spear held out in front of him. Like I would be enough of a fool to impale myself on it. I hit it out of the way with my sword and swiped at his back, feeling my blade cut into him.

Part of me wanted to turn around and face my would-be attackers. To take out as many of them as I could before I joined Quynh in death.

But Kallisto was the only sibling I had left. I couldn’t let her marry Lykaon, couldn’t let her be queen of a dead land.

There were still many people I needed to save.

The full moon hung low in the sky, as if it were guiding me. I turned a corner and there it was.

The temple of the goddess. Beckoning to me.

I assumed that there had to be a trap waiting for me. If I were hunting someone and knew the exact place they were headed, I would plan an ambush with a line of armored men with shields and weapons.

There were men there, but they were lying in the street and on the sidewalk. Asleep? Dead? I didn’t know and I didn’t care.

The way to the temple was clear. I didn’t feel relief or gratitude. I was numb. There was a fence with an open archway and I ran through it. A fountain quietly burbled in the middle of a stone courtyard. I raced past it, running up the steps and through the giant columns that held up the stone carving and the roof.

The doors were massive and made of bronze. An arrow hit the wall next to me, and I turned to see several men at the archway. They did not enter the courtyard, did not come up to the long porch where I currently stood.

As if there were an invisible line holding them back.

It didn’t stop them from shooting their arrows at me, though, from taunting me, trying to call me back to them.

I ignored them and placed my hand on the door and pushed.

Nothing.

It didn’t give at all.

I fought off a wave of panic and tried again as another arrow came close to hitting me.

Then I pushed the other door, thinking the first one had been stuck.

Neither one worked. Both doors were locked.

I took a step back, keeping a stone column between me and the group of hunters outside the courtyard.

There weren’t any windows, no way to get in. I banged against the door, thinking someone might come and open it for me.

No response.

At some point those men were either going to come in here after me or they would ring around the temple grounds and fire off a shot that would hit me.

I slumped down to the ground. I’d come so far. I’d made it only to find the doors locked, and it was just a matter of time before one of these men killed me.

Now what should I do?

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