Chapter 16
Lagina
The temple wasempty of visitors. Acolytes moved quietly around the space, some of them staring at us with suspicion.
We walked deeper into the temple, pausing at the large statue of the goddess in the center. I set a vat of olive oil at the statue’s feet. “We mean no disrespect with our visit, Athena. We want to save our home. Our people. If there’s any help you can offer?—”
“Your highness,” A female voice called.
I turned to see an acolyte lowering her head in a bow. “What an honor to have you here.”
“We don’t have time for ceremony,” Laera said sharply.
“It really is a necessary visit,” I insisted.
The acolyte lifted her head. “I’m afraid the Naos is reserved only for those who have dedicated their life to the goddess.”
“Athena will understand,” Laera said.
“What our friend means, is that this is an emergency,” Cora said, surprisingly diplomatic.
“I’m not sure any of you have the authority to speak for the goddess,” the acolyte replied.
“I’m trying really hard to be nice to you,” Laera said. “But it won’t last much longer.”
“And you are?” The acolyte asked.
“This is the Princess of Konos,” Sophia said.
The acolyte’s eyes widened slightly, but she quickly lifted her chin and relaxed her expression. “I’m happy that our visitor has an interest in the goddess, but I really must ask you all to leave.”
“Adina, please return to your duties,” a woman dressed in a deep blue peplos said. The acolyte bowed, then walked away without objection.
“I’m sorry, she’s very devout. I’m Daphne, the head priestess here. To what do we owe the great honor of so many royal women?”
“I don’t know how quickly news travels to you,” I began. “But we’re in serious danger and there may be something here that can help us.”
“The rumors are true then?” Daphne glanced at Laera. “Even the ones about working with the royals of Konos?”
“Not all the royals,” Laera clarified.
“I see,” Daphne said. “I must admit, you aren’t the first from Konos to come here.”
My stomach twisted. “What do you mean?”
“We caught someone on the grounds during the Choosing. A vampire. He didn’t come into the temple, so we didn’t report it. Most everyone thought he was hoping to find someone who strayed for him to feed on, but I didn’t agree. I was outnumbered,” Daphne said.
“What do you think he was doing?” Cora asked.
“I think he was searching for something. Perhaps whatever it is you are looking for.” The priestess gestured toward the entrance. “Perhaps we should speak outside, where it’s less crowded.”
I noticed that all the acolytes were now standing around and watching us. As soon as they saw me watching, they scrambled away, quickly pretending to work on other tasks.
Our group followed the priestess out of the naos and down the steps to the large garden outside the temple. There were no acolytes out here, only carefully manicured cypress trees and colorful flower beds. Large vats of oil burned on either side of the entrance, the heat making me feel a little nauseous.
I moved away from them, finding a shady place near a grove of trees. The others followed.
“Tell us what you think he was looking for,” I said.
Daphne seemed nervous, her eyes darting from side to side as she spoke, “The previous priestess told me there were times when suspicious individuals came and wandered the grounds. Sometimes they vanished as soon as anyone spoke to them. She suspected they weren’t human.”
“But you didn’t find out what they were after?” Laera asked.
She shook her head.
“So how are we supposed to find it?” Cora asked.
“I think it’s going to be up to me and Laera,” Sophia said. “In the caves, I could feel magic.”
“Magic?” Daphne whispered.
“An ancient shield of some kind, we hope,” Lagina said. “Something that might help us keep Athos safe.”
“It would be old. Something dating back to the first Athonians,” Cora said.
Daphne’s eyes widened. “I think there’s something you should see.”
She led us back into the temple, shooing away the curious acolytes with a wave of her hands and a stern look that would have made my mother proud. My chest tightened. I didn’t let myself think of my mother often and I still hadn’t had a chance to mourn her.
I mouthed a few words asking for my mother’s peace as we passed the statue of Athena. I think the goddess would have liked my mother.
The back of the statue was just as polished and gleaming as the front, but it was difficult to see the details with the limited light. The way it was set up made it obvious that nobody came behind the statue. The acolytes and few who were permitted near it must only view it from the front.
Daphne took a torch from the wall and lit a smaller vat of oil that was sitting near the feet of the goddess.
“Well, that’s interesting,” Laera said.
I followed the princess’s line of sight to a break in the marble at the base of the statue. “It’s a trapdoor.”
“What’s down there?” Sophia asked.
“We were warned to never open it,” Daphne admitted.
“Great. We get to crawl into some dusty, spider-infested hole where we’ll probably be eaten by some monster,” Cora said.
“You really think there’s a monster down there?” Daphne asked, her voice tight.
“Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me,” Laera said.
“I hate monsters,” Sophia murmured.
I glanced over at my sister, knowing she’d seen and done things that I never would have dreamed her capable of since discovering her true identity. I didn’t want her to put herself in any more harm’s way.
“I’ll go,” I offered. “There’s no reason for all of us to venture down there.”
“Oh, no you don’t,” Cora insisted. “I have no interest in becoming queen.”
“What does your future husband think of that sentiment?” Laera asked.
“Not the time,” I snapped.
“I never asked to be queen of Drakous,” Cora retorted.
“You’re marrying the Dragon King?” Daphne asked, not bothering to hide the surprise in her expression.
“Yes. Yes. Gawk at the woman who has to bed that beast,” Cora said sarcastically.
“I heard he’s very handsome,” Daphne quickly added.
“He is,” Sophia said sweetly. “And I think he’s kind. He’ll be a good husband. And if he’s not, I’ll tear his throat out.”
All of us turned to stare at Sophia. She smiled sweetly, as if she’d simply offered a compliment.
“We’re wasting time,” Laera said, breaking everyone’s silent surprise. “I’m going down there. I need someone with magic to accompany me and I need someone to stay up here just in case.”
“I’ll go,” Sophia volunteered.
“No, you’ll stay with your sister. I’ll go. If you hear us scream, come down and kill whatever it was that made us yell, got it?” Laera asked.
Sophia’s shoulders dropped and I couldn’t tell if it was relief or resignation. “Alright.”
“We don’t have any weapons, in case you missed that detail,” Cora pointed out.
“I’ll be right back.” Daphne darted away.
“They keep weapons at the temple to Athena?” Cora asked.
I shrugged. “I’m not sure.”
The priestess returned, breathless, with a few torches tucked under her arm and a satchel over her shoulder. “These might help.”
I took the torches from her and passed one to Laera while the priestess set the satchel down on the floor. I caught the glint of metal inside the bag. She rifled through it, producing several daggers of various sizes and construction. Most of them were adorned with jewels and glittered with a shine that told of ceremonial display rather than battle.
“Are any of them sharp?” Laera asked.
“Yes. We do use them,” Daphne said as she stood. “Take whatever you need.”
I knelt and selected the simplest looking dagger. It had a short blade and a longer handle, making it easier to grip. It reminded me of the ones I’d used in the past.
“I’ve got my own weapons, thanks,” Laera said.
The priestess looked at Cora and Sophia expectantly.
“I don’t know how to use those,” Sophia admitted.
Cora picked up a long dagger with an amethyst studded hilt. It looked heavy. “I suppose you just shove it in the offending party.”
“Something like that,” Laera mumbled.
Sophia picked up a blade that was inlaid with gold. “Hopefully nothing comes out of that hole that we have to use these on.”
“Only one way to find out.” Laera was tugging on the small bronze handle. She grunted as she tried to lift it. “I could use a hand.”
I set down the items in my hands, then dropped to my knees so I could help pull. The two of us struggled, yanking on the aged bronze with all we had.
Just as I thought we’d need to inquire about help from someone stronger, the door lifted, nearly throwing the two of us across the room as it released.
A cloud of dust billowed up from the opening, making us cough. When it cleared, Laera and I stared down into the darkness. I could see the first few rungs of a ladder against what appeared to be a stone wall, but beyond that, it was too dark to know.
“I’m getting really tired of being in tunnels underground,” Laera said.
I tucked the abandoned dagger into my waistband, then grabbed the torches from the ground. I lit them both in the fire of the oil, then passed one to Laera. “Come on, before I come to my senses about how stupid this is.”
“Be careful, Gina,” Cora called.
“We’ll be listening if you need us,” Sophia said.
“May Athena watch over you,” Daphne added.
I wasn’t sure any of the gods bothered with us. Maybe Athos was a forgotten land. A place where the gods didn’t wander. Perhaps that’s why we were in this position in the first place.
I climbed down carefully, holding the torch with one hand while I used the other to ease down each rung. Mercifully, the ladder held our weight and we made it to the bottom.
By the light of the torch, I looked around the room as I waited for Laera to join me. It was a dark, damp space lined with stone bricks against the walls. Whatever this place was, it had been created very intentionally.
“What is this place?” Laera asked, her torch adding more light to the dark space.
“I’m not sure.” I walked a few steps forward, quickly reaching the end of the room. It wasn’t a tunnel; it wasn’t much of anything. Dirt floors and walls made of gray brick. “Maybe it was just a storage room. Probably for wine or meat. Something they wanted to stay cool.”
“I don’t think so.”
I spun to find Laera standing at the opposite wall. Her torch illuminated it, showing dark stains I hadn’t noticed before. “Is that…”
“Blood,” Laera finished. “Lots of it, from the looks of it.”
“Could have been for sacrifices before they built the temple,” I suggested.
Laera moved her torch, revealing another portion of the wall that was free of the bloodstains. In the center of the wall was a strange, circular brick.
I walked over to where she was standing. “Look at that.”
Laera noticed the odd addition and reached for it, pressing her palm to the stone. The whole room shook as the wall began to move.