Page 76 of A Tribute of Fire

But she was relentless. She drove into me and I wasn’t able to defend against every blow, my body not responding the way I needed it to. She got in far too many hits and my head was throbbing as I tried to hold her off.

“Who taught you to fight?” she asked incredulously.

I realized that I hadn’t been taught to fight. I’d been taught to avoid the fight. To escape situations like this. Artemisia had clearly been trained differently than I had—she went on the offensive and never let up.

Who had trainedher?

And her hits were powerful. How was she so strong? I attributed it to me only recently being healed and lying in bed for five days. There was no other way to explain why she hit harder than any of the men from my regiment.

Io made a sound and it distracted me, which Artemisia took advantage of. She walloped me, knocking me to the ground.

A voice called out. “Enough!” My vision was unclear for a moment, my head ringing and dizzy, but then I saw the older woman from the first night. Daphne. “Stop, Artemisia. I just fixed her up—I don’t need you to break her apart again. That is not how you treat a sister. You took an oath.”

Artemisia stared down at me for a few beats and I could see in her eyes that she wanted to finish the job. To beat me into oblivion, or worse.

I was going to have to watch my back.

She called to her companions, who released Io. Io rushed over to me. “Are you all right?”

My cheek felt bruised and I reached up to my lip, realizing that it had been split open and was bleeding.

I had honestly believed that once I reached the temple of the goddess, I would be safe.

That it would be a sanctuary.

I had never once considered the danger that waited here for me.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Io had to repeat her question. “Lia, are you all right?”

“I’ve had worse,” I said as I sat up, spitting blood out of my mouth.

Daphne joined us, peering down at me.

“This is Daphne,” Io offered unnecessarily, and it was easy to hear the admiration in her tone.

“We’ve met,” I said and hoped that I was disguising my bitterness.

But apparently I wasn’t doing a very good job of it. Daphne said, “Just so you know, I didn’t agree with what Theano wanted to do. You made it here and have earned the right to serve the goddess alongside the rest of us, no matter where you come from.”

That did mollify me slightly and I felt some of my anger toward her slipping away.

Then Daphne turned toward Io and said, “Shouldn’t you be in the temple by now?”

Io’s eyes went wide and she again glanced up at the sun. “Yes! I lost track of the time.”

Daphne gave her a kind smile. “You often do. Hurry along!”

“Come on,” Io said and again offered me her hand to help me up, but I didn’t need it. I’d only been punched a few times. I was fine and got up on my own.

We walked through the garden and Io shut the gate behind us. As we went along the path toward the temple, she said, “You know what Artemisia said about the maidens being cut up? That was a lie.”

I was glad to have it confirmed because my mind had created such gory, horrific images.

“She only said it to hurt you,” she added.

“Who is Artemisia?” I asked, feeling like there was more to the story that I wasn’t aware of.

---