CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
What more could there be?
You are about to join a special sisterhood, Maia said, and I was confused. Wasn t that what I d just done? Please retake your seat.
I walked back over to the center of the square and sat down again.
Five is a special number to the goddess. There are five elements, earth, water, air, fire, and aether; there are five fingers on our hands, five toes on our feet; your head, arms, and legs are five limbs; we have five senses, touch, sight, hearing, smell, and taste, which we use to experience life and all the blessings the goddess gives us.
And there were five acolytes.
This is why you take your vows on the fifth day after your arrival. And your new sisters have been waiting for you so that you could form an adelphia.
At my quizzical expression Maia explained, Your adelphia is made up of five sisters. It is an even higher bond and deeper vow than the one you share with other acolytes and priestesses of the temple. Your adelphia will perform your religious ceremonies together, learn together, train together. You are required to provide protection to one another, and you are legally and spiritually bound as a unit. Do you all agree to join as an adelphia?
I said yes along with the others. Again this did not feel like something I could disagree with-it seemed that it was necessary in order for me to stay at the temple. I had already made so many vows, what was one more?
If I had to put on an act and pretend to belong, to be a sister in their adelphia, then it s what I would do.
Step forward. Maia took out more leaves, more sap, and handed me another chunk of hair from my braid. The other girls all cut a lock from their own hair and placed it on the leaf in front of them. Maia passed the dagger around and we each cut our palms to put blood on our leaves. I winced as I reopened the slash Maia had made earlier.
Grab your sister s wrist with your cut palm, Maia said. I reached out for Io s wrist and she gave me a brief smile. She took the arm of the dark-haired woman next to her and the two others did the same, one of them holding on to me. We were in a tight circle, our bodies pressed together.
Maia said, This is your sacred sisterhood, your adelphia. You are bonded by blood, by life, willing to sacrifice your own to save your sisters . Where one goes, so go the others. This bond is never to be broken, even in death. Do you swear this?
It struck me as a bit silly that I didn t even know the names of most of the women in this circle, but I was about to promise to lay down my life for theirs.
Yes, I swear it, we all said.
Place your leaves in the fire to seal your vows.
We released one another and took turns putting our leaves, blood, and hair into the fire. I wasn t sure if it was only my imagination, but as my leaf went in, it seemed to turn the flames around it green.
That humming, buzzing feeling I d had in the flower garden returned and my body felt light, as if I could float away.
Go back to your dormitory and get cleaned up, Maia said after we stood there for a couple of minutes in silence, me trying to figure out what was happening, why I d been experiencing so many strange sensations ever since the ceremony had begun.
Then she turned her gaze on me and smiled so kindly that I could see why Io liked her. Lia, I know this was probably quite a bit to take in. Usually acolytes have several days to prepare before the vow ceremony and you didn t get that opportunity.
In my own way I ve been preparing for this for a long time, I told her.
It is customary after an adelphia ceremony for the sisterhood to eat alone in private, so dinner will be brought to you in your room tonight. It is important for you to get to know each other since you haven t had that chance yet. You re a special kind of sister to one another now.
The other girls headed for the stairs and I turned to take in the goddess one last time. I would have to come back here the first chance I got to see if she had the eye.
Do you need anything else? Maia asked and I shook my head, worried that my lingering might have aroused her suspicion. Then enjoy your meal and get some rest. Tomorrow, the hard part begins.
I wanted to ask her what she meant by that, but she d turned her back to me to put out the fire. I headed up the stairs to find Io hanging back, waiting for me. She didn t say anything until we were outside the temple.
Did you hear the goddess speak to you? she asked in a low voice.
What do you mean?
She clasped her hands together. Did she call your name?
I think so. Either that or I had imagined it.
Sometimes it s hard to tell if she s speaking to you or if it s your own inner voice, she observed. I m glad it happened to you, though. It usually does, but not always.
I had become accustomed to hearing voices of my own making in my head, usually Demaratus s, so it probably was easier for me to distinguish. If the goddess did call me by name, what did that mean? Io was making it sound as if it were something every woman here had experienced, so it must have meant that it wasn t that special.
Even though I hadn t been able to compare my experience to anyone else s, it felt like it was different. Like the feelings I d had, the connection I d felt, the strange things I d heard and seen, were unique. I d always believed in the goddess, in the ability of an object she d blessed being able to restore Locris, and it was a relief to discover that it all seemed to be true.
We passed by the courtyard, still filled with women asking the goddess for favors. Something struck me-I d just sworn an oath of celibacy. Didn t you say earlier that the goddess oversees marriage and birth? I asked Io.
Yes.
Then why did I take a vow not to do those things?
Because we need to keep our focus on the goddess, to serve her without giving our attention and devotion to another, she said.
It echoed what Maia had said earlier, but it didn t make sense to me, and I d never liked things that didn t make sense.
I observed the other priestesses and acolytes as we walked by them. I asked, Is everyone here in an adelphia?
Yes, and it s grouped by arrival date. We had to wait for you to be our fifth. There are hundreds of adelphias here. A larger sisterhood comprised of tiny sisterhoods. Like one tree that helps make a forest.
I ve never seen a forest. I d seen many trees since I d arrived, but not any clumped together.
I ll take you the next time I go to the orchard, she offered. It s similar.
Thank you. I paused and then said, So that means even Artemisia is in an adelphia.
She nodded. And I can t imagine that it would be very pleasant, but we re fortunate. I promise you will like everyone in our group.
Her using the word promise made me think of my vows again and how the oath I d taken didn t match up to the women of Troas in the temple courtyard seeking the goddess s favor in marriage and giving birth. What happens to the priestesses who break their vows of celibacy?
Io playfully nudged me with her elbow. Why? Is there someone you want to break it with?
Jason s face flashed in my mind, but I pushed the image away. No. I was only curious.
I ve heard they bury the woman alive. And if the goddess chooses to save her, she can.
My chest constricted and I had to put a hand over my stomach. Being buried alive-I had to imagine that it was like drowning, something that had always scared me ever since I was a little girl.
When we reached our room, a table covered in food had been set up in the middle, along with five chairs. The aroma was incredible and as I walked around taking in all the different kinds of dishes, I wondered if this was a special occasion or if this was how they ate all the time.
Before we eat, should we introduce ourselves to Lia? Io asked.
That might be good, given that we are now bound together by blood, I said, and the others laughed.
I m Zalira, one of the girls with braids said.
And I m Ahyana. You might have already guessed that I m Zalira s sister. Well, we re all sisters, but she s my sister by birth. Another fact I d already guessed. Ahyana was the one who had ribbons intertwined with her braids. Their faces were very similar-they had the same large brown eyes, matching high cheekbones.
And that s Suri, Io said, pointing to the girl who had hair like Quynh s. Suri nodded, but she didn t say anything. Her eyes were nearly black they were so dark, and I noticed some tattoos around the edge of her tunic s neckline.
There was a flapping sound, and then a bird with midnight-colored feathers hopped onto the windowsill and squawked.
That s Kunguru, Ahyana said. She held her finger out and he flew over, landing on it. When she lifted her hand, he rubbed his head against her cheek. He knew it was dinnertime. He s a greedy little monster.
There was nothing but pure affection in her voice. She gave him a piece of bread that he snatched and ate so quickly I was impressed.
She has a literal army of ravens, Zalira told me in a conspiratorial tone. They re excellent thieves.
That was interesting. I was about to ask her to explain when she added, It s a good thing he arrived when he did. It s about to start raining.
I looked out the window, and even though the sun had started to set, I could see that there wasn t a cloud in the sky.
But not a moment later, thunder boomed, making the plates on our table slightly rattle. It was a few seconds more before the rain began to pour down.
How did you know? I asked, incredulous.
Zalira always knows when it s about to rain, Ahyana said.
Before I could ask her to explain, Io said, Should we sit?
The others pulled their chairs out, the wood scraping against the stone. I did the same. Io stayed at the head of the table, while we took the other four spots. I was seated across from the sisters and Suri was on my right.
I ll say the prayer. Io held her arms out, pointing them down toward the ground. They all bowed their heads and after a moment I did the same.
She began to speak. We greet you, great earth goddess, and beg you to hear us. You have listened in the past as we have prayed, and now we thank you for this food and for all the bounty that you provide. We thank you for the opportunity to serve and ask that you bless all of our endeavors and accept them. We eagerly await the day when your savior will appear to protect all of Ilion. We will remember you in words and actions.
Then each of the women took the cup in front of her and poured some of the wine onto the ground. Flummoxed, I did the same.
We pour out a bit of our wine to the goddess as a small gift, Zalira said by way of explanation.
There was so much I didn t know. I d never been part of a prayer before. Did they work? Was that how I was supposed to speak to the goddess? Should I pray and ask for her help with my plan? Would that be all right, or would she find it offensive that I wanted to undo the punishment that Locris was under?
Did she already know about my plans?
Or would I have to tell her?
Ahyana was seated directly across from me and she picked up a wooden platter with a flatbread on it that had a light covering of sea salt.
You re the newest member of the sisterhood, so you should be served first, she said. Kunguru was perched on the back of her chair, next to her shoulder, and he cawed, as if he agreed.
There was no way any of them would understand what it would mean for me to have this meal with them. Where I m from, when you eat together, we call it sharing salt with one another.
It was a stronger promise to me than the vows I d made earlier. This would be taking a quiet oath that carried weight among my people.
It meant these members of my adelphia would be under my protection, and that I would come to their aid whenever they called. I was pledged to them.
And I would never turn against them.
Understanding lit up Ahyana s eyes, as if she knew what it meant without me explaining. Then would you like some bread?
There would be no turning back from this, no technicalities or loopholes to release me from this bond. I took a deep breath.
Yes, I said, and accepted the food she offered me.