CHAPTER THIRTY
Between the two of us we quickly cleaned the patio and the steps. She showed me how to sprinkle the water and I didn t protest that it seemed like a waste of time and did as she asked.
Let s go inside, she said. We got the pot and carried it between us as we headed toward the massive bronze doors that had been closed to me the night of the race. I was about to ask her whether she had a key, but she pushed against the door and it easily swung open.
Not locked? I asked in surprise.
These doors are never locked. There s no need for them to be.
Other than the statue downstairs that none of us were allowed to go near? They were locked the night I arrived. I had to climb onto the roof and create a hole to get in.
The expressions shifted rapidly across her face. At first she was confused and then shocked. That s not possible. They would never keep an acolyte out.
They would a Locrian one. And they did.
For a second it seemed that I had overwhelmed Io and she appeared unsure as we walked into the temple s main room.
Did you really make a hole in the roof to get inside? she asked, her eyes flickering upward.
Yes. If I hadn t, someone would have eventually killed me with an arrow.
She shuddered slightly. I m sorry you went through that. I abhor violence.
There was an older woman, probably close to my mother s age, standing next to the top of the stairs. Her sharp gaze followed us as we walked in. I noticed that a sword hung at her side.
Is she making sure we do our chores? I asked under my breath.
No, she s not here for us. Io said it like it was foolish for me to even think it. She s protecting the statue.
Excitement bubbled up inside me. There was only one reason to post a guard.
The eye had to be downstairs.
It was so frustrating to be this close but not able to do anything about it. A part of me fantasized about running past the guard, sprinting down the stairs, grabbing the eye, and being out of the temple complex before anyone could catch me.
But what if the eye wasn t there? I couldn t take the risk of breaking a rule that had been communicated to me multiple times and being expelled from the temple.
I would have to bide my time.
We put the pot on the ground. I thought she was here just to keep an eye specifically on me.
I bit down a groan. Why had I used that as my phrasing? I might as well have painted my plan on my forehead where everyone could see it. My guilty conscience was getting the better of me.
Why would she need to keep an eye on you? Io asked, as oblivious as ever.
Grateful that she didn t have a devious mind, I said, Because I m Locrian.
That doesn t matter. Io began brushing along the doorframe and little motes of dust danced in the early-morning sun, the beams shining through the open doors.
A pang of homesickness made my heart twist. I had seen the same thing every morning as I d trekked over to the barracks, ready to begin my day. Dust bits sparkling in the light.
Why don t you hate me? I asked.
She stopped sweeping to stare at me in disbelief. Why would I hate you?
As we ve established, because I come from Locris.
No Locrian has ever done anything to me, she said. You can t help where you were born any more than I can, and either way, it doesn t matter. All that matters is who you are.
There was a lot that Io didn t know. I might be a terrible person.
She smiled while shaking her head, then resumed sweeping. You re not a terrible person, and before you object, I m an excellent judge of character. You made it to the temple. That speaks to your determination, fortitude, and strength. Your ability to persevere. We already have a reason to admire you.
Io was including the rest of the adelphia in her statement, making me wonder if they d spoken about me after I d fallen asleep. Or my terrible nature is the only thing that made it possible for me to get here.
I don t believe that, and there s nothing you can say that will convince me otherwise. Her tone reminded me of Quynh, and how stubborn my sister could be about certain things.
Like forcing me to take her bracelet. I felt the outline of it in my pouch. I was grateful to still have this piece of her.
Don t forget that you fought Artemisia to protect me. Again, that tells me you re a good person. She took a few more long, sure strokes with her broom before she added, It s the sort of thing Suri would have done, had she been there.
Curiosity filled me and I found myself saying, What happened to her?
I understood that it was none of my business, but I really wanted to know. Suddenly some kind of tiny monster dropped down right in front of my face, hanging by an almost invisible thread. I yelped, preparing to swat it away.
Don t! Io called out, hurrying over. She reached up carefully and let the creature climb into her hand and I watched in horror as she carried it outside, putting it on the ground and letting it go.
What was that? I asked.
A spider.
Why does it have so many legs? I demanded.
It s just how the goddess made it, she said. I don t know why some people are scared of spiders.
While she made it sound irrational, it didn t feel that way to me. That spider had been ugly and threatening and deserved to be swatted away. I hoped to never see one again. Why did you let it go outside?
Because all life is sacred, she continued. I serve in the temple because I want to help create and preserve life, not take it away.
What if you didn t have a choice? What if someone you cared about was in danger? Would she judge me for having done that? Look at me differently?
Even then, I still don t think I could.
It was easy to make that kind of decision when it was purely theoretical and had never been tested. I swallowed my annoyance and went back to sweeping.
Io seemed to pick up on my shift in mood. What were we talking about before? Suri?
A petty part of me wanted to tell her we should just finish up our work, but my curiosity was too strong. Yes.
You already know that Suri and I ran at the same time. She was first and I came in right after her. She was covered in bruises, both her eyes blackened. At first I thought one of the other racers had done it to her, but the bruises weren t fresh. They were yellow and green, as if they d happened weeks earlier.
I stopped what I was doing. Someone hurt her?
She nodded. That s our guess. But I don t know anything other than that to share. Suri doesn t speak.
I d noticed how quiet she was last night, and how Io had spoken for her, but I d just assumed she was really shy and reserved. Ever?
Never. I don t know if she can t or if she won t. I suspect the latter because I tried to communicate with her using signs, but she stopped me. We only know about her being an orphan because the orphanage reached out to the temple when she joined.
Bile rose in the back of my throat. How bad had things been for Suri that she didn t want to speak at all now-not with her voice or her hands? That s terrible.
It makes me glad that she s here. We have protection and sisterhood and freedom from the outside world. Once you re inside these walls, you are a servant of the goddess and safe. You become one of us. Even if you are a Locrian.
Someone should tell Artemisia that, I said and Io laughed. Then she glanced at the open doors. We should hurry. It s getting late and we still have a lot to do. I m just so glad that starting tomorrow this will be your sole responsibility and I finally get to sleep in!
I am going to do this alone every day? I asked. That might offer some interesting possibilities. There might not be a guard posted at the stairs every morning, allowing me to sneak down.
Yes. It s always the job of the newest acolyte. When the sun rises to greet the goddess, it will be in a clean temple.
The statue was downstairs with no windows. I didn t understand how she would be able to see the sun, but figured it wasn t worth arguing about it.
It was also a good thing that Demaratus had insisted on early mornings for so long. I d always preferred staying up late and rising midmorning, but his schedule hadn t allowed for it and my body had reset. Now I was accustomed to getting up early, so it shouldn t be too difficult.
When Io and I had come over to the main building, the temple complex had been almost completely empty. Early mornings might be my chance to explore without interruption. To test locks and doors, to uncover the location of the eye.
After we had swept everything up, we finished by sprinkling the floor with water. Then we poured the remaining water out in the courtyard. The city was slowly coming to life, as were the women of the temple.
I m supposed to take you to see Maia, Io said as she took the broom from me.
More vows?
No, she said with a grin. That part is done.
We entered the administration building and the first things I noticed were several musical brass horns hanging on hooks just inside the doorway. There was a stairway past the instruments and I wondered if it led up to Theano s office. Io went left and took me into a large room that looked as if it had once been a theater-we entered at the top and walked down the stairs. There were long stone benches for seating and a raised dais in the center of the bottom level.
The theater in Naryx was open air. I d never seen one enclosed like this.
Maia waited for us with a happy smile. It was easy to see why Io had such an affinity for her-they seemed to be the same kind of person.
Thank you for delivering Lia! Maia said.
Io nodded. I ll find you later.
She left and I gave Maia my full attention and told her, I m almost afraid to ask why you wanted to see me.
There is nothing to worry about. Come, sit. She indicated two chairs facing one another and I sat in one of them.
Maia took the other and folded her hands in her lap. Her expression was open, and she seemed to be searching for the right words. I understand that your religious education may be . . . lacking.
I wasn t going to tell her what I already knew, about the book my grandmother had entrusted to me. But there was truth to what she was saying.
We know almost nothing of the goddess in Locris, other than she requires tribute. Not a complete lie.
Maia nodded. That s what I suspected. You will have private lessons with me in the mornings after you sweep the temple floor so that I can help you to catch up. This will be necessary in your preparation to become a priestess. You cannot be responsible for the higher vows unless you have all the necessary knowledge.
Higher vows? I d been joking with Io earlier. I hadn t seriously thought that there could be additional vows. What more can I promise than I already have?
Oh, no. There s nothing else. It applies to the higher calling as a priestess, where you will have a new position and new responsibilities, such as teaching the acolytes, preparing clothing for the statue, washing the floor in her room-that sort of thing. It is the office itself that is higher. The promises you ve already made remain the same but become more meaningful.
That was good. I didn t want to be backed into a corner where I would have to speak a promise that I wouldn t be able to keep.
What do you do with an acolyte who can t say the vows? I asked.
Suri? she correctly surmised. When I nodded she said, The goddess knows the intent of our hearts. Suri promised in her heart, then sealed that promise with her blood and hair, just like everyone else.
Maia was saying the goddess could read minds. A strange, sickly flapping started in my stomach. If the intent of my heart was to steal and leave, did the goddess already know that? I had spoken my vows aloud, so would I be condemned for saying one thing while plotting another?
Should I try to explain myself to the goddess?
It seems like something is troubling you, Maia said.
I . . . I don t know how to talk to the goddess. To pray. Io did it last night before our meal.
That s simple enough. She beamed at me, as if proud that I was taking our instruction seriously. The first is that you must call on the goddess. You may mention how you have served or worshipped her before. You can thank her and petition her for things that you need. If you have made her an offering or sacrifice, you can remind her of that so she will look more favorably upon your request. And then you promise to remember her in your words and actions. But I think anything that you say out loud to her, with real intent, will make it through even if you don t follow the format.
I nodded.
She added, The important thing to remember is that you must turn your will over to the goddess. Let her decide and take comfort in her wisdom.
How will I know what she wants? What if what I was going to do was contrary to her wishes?
There are many ways. The high priestess can speak for her. Sometimes the goddess will speak words to you, but that is rare for most. Some priestesses and acolytes have reported the goddess communicating through their dreams-telling them things that we wouldn t hear when we re awake.
Since I d gotten on that ship, my dreams had been primarily about Jason. Were those supposed to be messages? If so, what did they mean?
Or did they only represent a longing for something that I now knew I could never have?